Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-17
FIGHT GETS HOTTER
War Among Wcodmon of the World May
Inflame the Forest
BREACH BETWEEN ALPHA CAMP AND ROOT
Sovereign Commander is Accused of Going
Beyond His Authority.
TRIES TO COLLECT ASSESSMENTS DIRECT
Notices Sent to Nonresident Members Bring
On More Trouble.
SOME CAUSTlC CORRESPONDENCE PASSES
Letters from Clerk Allen to the Head
of the order Given to
the Public for
Perusnl.
BREACH BETWEEN ALPHA CAMP AND ROOT
Sovereign Commander is Accused of Going
Beyond His Authority.
TRIES TO COLLECT ASSESSMENTS DIRECT
SOME CAUSTlC CORRESPONDENCE PASSE

Perusnl.
More differences than those mentioned In
yesterdays Bee exist between Sovereign
Commander j. c. Root of the Woodmen OF
| the World and the officers and some OF tho
members of Alpha camp. These additional
troubles, however. seem to have grown out
of the ill-feelng aroused by the disagree.
ment that was detailed yesterday. They
are so serious that the assistance of the local
courts may be called in TO adjust them.
During the early days of the order, in
| 1890 or 1891, some members were secured
who lived in towns outside the city, where
there was no camp organized. For awhile
these members paid their assessments and
dues directly to the general headquarters.
/ They were called members-at-l large. After
Alpha camp was organized and in working
order these members were turned over to
1t and placed on its rolls. AS years went
on the number of the nonresident members
was increased particularly from Illinois On
account of certain sections in the constitu-
| tion Of the order it cannot do business in
| Illinois. Therefore, when members have
! been secured from that state they have been
turned over to Alpha camp. These Illinois
members consist chiefly OF travelling men.
1t appears that after the sovereign COM
mander and the camp got into dispute over
| the question of separate jurisdiction, the
| former took steps to take away these nom
| resident members. He informed Clerk C.
E. Allen of Alpha camp of this movement
and also told him that hereafter these mem-
bers would pay their assessments and dues
| into the general headquarters as members
at-large. He ordered the clerk not to try
to collect from them. Clerk Allen in reply
informed Sovereign Commander Root that
he would take no orders from him and also
called him down in no very gentle manner,
| as the following extract from the letter will
show:
ALLEN WRITES TO ROOT
"By what authority do you assume to give
Inc directions not to collect from the MEM
bers of Alpha camp of which l am clerk,
their dues and assessments? Please state
also by what provision of law and by what
authority you take upon yourself the priv-
! lege of notifying the members of Alpha
camp not to pay their dues and assessments
to the camp of which they are members? i
would respectfully inform you that Alpha
| camp still exists is very competent and fully
able to carry on its business in accordance
with the constitution and laws, and we shall
continue to collect assessments from all
our members in the future as we have in the
past, and also that proceedings will be in
stituted to recover every dollar of money
collected from members OF Alpha camp by
the sovereign office. Also that Alpha camp
will appeal this matter to the March session
OF the sovereign camp, If you persist in the
action outlined in your letter. If member
of Alpha camp does not wish to continue as
such, there are ways by which he can law
fully sever his connection, but they will not
be taken from Alpha camp by any act OF
| arrogant dogmatism. had always supposed
the constitution and laws governed the SOW
| ereign commander, as well as any one else.
but 1t seems the sovereign commander Is
over and above the laws. II might be well
for Alpha camp to ascertain just what power
the sovereign commander does possess"
The camp officers maintained that the
sovereign commander was acting directly in
violation of the constitution OF the order. AS
proof OF this, they cite the section OF the
constitution which defines 'member-at-
large" This section follows:
POSITION OF ALPHA CAMP.
"a member in good standing in camp, at
| the time of its suspension or dissolution,
| may, within sixty days from the date Of it's
| suspension or dissolution by the sovereign
| camp or head camp and upon the payment
| of all arrearages and 80 cents to the SOW
| ereign clerk, or head clerk, receive from him
| a card, upon which he may be admitted to
| membership in any other camp, In the same
| jurisdiction, If presented within thirty days
| from its date, accompanied by the prescribed
camp fee, under the restrictions required for
| the reinstatement OF suspended members.
| Provided, that any member of a suspended
! or dissolved camp who shall be refused menu
bershp in another camp, after having COM
| piled with the foregoing requirements may,
| upon dispensation OF the sovereign COM
| mander or a head consul, be a member-at-
| large. In such event he shall pay his as
| sessments to the sovereign clerk. or head
clerk, also SO annual dues, payable SEMI
| annually in advance, and II In good standing
| at his death, his beneficiary certificate shall
be valid. Proofs Of death Of such members
| shall be made as the sovereign commander
or a head consul may direct"
| According to this section the members OF
Alpha camp allege that they did not re-
| fuse admission 10 any OF these nonresident
| members. and that such, therefore. cannot
be termed members at-large. Therefore, they
hold that Sovereign Commander Root has no
right to order them 10 be such, If they do
| not voluntarily withdraw.
ROOT WILL NOT DOWN.
Despite the communication of Clerk Allen.
| Sovereign Commander Root nevertheless sent
notices to these nonresident members, In
| structng them TO pay their assessments and
dues into the sovereign officers in the fu-
| ture. In retaliation the camp has also sent
| notices TO these members, calling their at-
| tention to the section OF the constitution ana
| the following comments from G. u. Thomp-
| son, consul commander OF the camp:
such magisteral presumption as this
cannot be suffered to pass by unnotlced.
Alpha camp will protect Its nonresident
members equally with the resident ones.
Most OF you remember how, without any
warning whatever. your dues were increased
| from 50 to $3.50 per annum. That act was
| sprung upon the officers and members Of
| AlDha camp ag suddenly In fact, more 80.