Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-16
NOODMEN TALK OF SECESSION
Difference in the Mortality Rate May Caus
Split.
TROUBLE BREWING AMONG THE MEMBERS
proposition 20 Divide the Jurisdiction
OF the order brings On II Hot
Fight that May Ultimately
Menn Disruption.

There is trouble between the members of
the Woodmen Of the World and the sovereign
oflicer8, aud secession and partial disruption
OF the order may be the ultimate result
Omaha is so far Interested In the fight that
If the members win and the sovereign officers
lose the general headquarters Will be re-
moved from this city, or at least that Is
what the officers intimate. In the place OF
these headquarters Omaha Will get others,
to which however. the subordinate camps
in, only the four states, Nebraska, North
Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, Will
pay homage. If this should happen 1t would
mean that the Woodmen in these four states
would form separate order, connected by
only the slightest bonds with the Wo-dmen n
of the World. The agitation was started
by the local members who desire to sever
their connection with the southern states.
According to its constitution, the order OF
the Woodmen of the World covers practically
the entire United States including southern
states, which other orders do not have in
their territory. This entire territory is ta-
sesSed at the same rate, and out OF the
revenue thus accumulated, the death losses
In the entire territory are paid. In word
the rate of mortality in the different sec
tions of the country is not considered In
this plan Of assessment. The members in this
section of the country object to being &C.
sessed at the same rate as the members in
the southern states, where the mortuary
losses are heavier. To meet this drain 1t
is maintained that the assessments in this
section are much higher than they ought
to be and would be II the order were con-
Quoted as other orders are. Therefore the
local members have begun the fight to
separate the northern, or rather the north
western, states and the southern states into
two separate jurisdictions, each OF which
shall be assessed according to It's rate of
mortality.
Alpha camp took the initiative some weeks
ago when It passed a resolution providing
that all camps In the states already men
toned are requested to petition the sovereign
camp to combine the northern states of
equal .healthfulness and which are contgu-
ous into a separate jurisdiction. The camp
found authority for this move In the follow
ing section OF the constitutions "a bene-
fcary head camp may be instituted by the
sovereign camp upon application being made
by two-thirds of the camps in contiguous
territory. having a membership in good
Standing Of more than 5000. but no such
head camp shall be established IL 1t will
reduce the membership OF the sovereign
Jurisdiction below 10000"
PLANS OF ALPHA CAMP.
The members OF Alpha camp hold that
territory they wish set aside there is said
to be membership of between 5000 and
5000. The total membership of the order is
In the neighborhood of $4,000. 1t Is also
maintained that two-thirds of the camps in
the territory are ready for segregation This
Jurisdiction Is to be known, according to the
present constitution of the order, as "beno-
1clary head camp" 1t Is to have entire
control OF the collection and disbursement
of all moneys collected from assessments in
Ntrfll ~
OF head officers. similar to the plan of the
sovereign supreme camp at the
present time. Again, authority is found
or this In the following section
rom the constitution: Head camps shall
nave power to enact laws for their govern
ment, not In conflict with the constitution
ana laws OF the sovereign camp; have con-
trol and supervision over all camps and
members within their jurisdiction and pro-
wac the authorized rituals and supplies for
their use; assess and collect from every
member through the camps, as often as may
be required such amounts RS may be aeces-
sary to pay benefits upon the death of bene-
nciafy members, to erect suitable monu-
ments, levy and collect such dues from
camps as may be necessary to paw their
expenses and have control of all their fnan-
cial matters, without appeal except general
fund dues provided for the sovereign camp"
The scheme Is opposed bv Sovereign Com
mander Root and the other supreme Off
a
virtual segregation OF this district from the
sovereign camp. In their opinion It would
also entail a great increase of expense, be-
cause per capita tax would have to be
levied, not only to meet the demands of the
sovereign head camp headquarters and off
GERS, as at present but also a tax to pay
the expenses Of running the beneficiary head
camp headquarters and officers. Moreover
they see in the movement tendency to split
up the big order into a number OF small
orders as an ultimate result
AFRAID OF THE PRECEDENT.
According to the portion of the consttu-
tion from w ich the first section heretofore
quoted was taken and which gave the power
20 form a separate jurisdiction. provision is
made for at least a dozen of these so-called
beneficiary head camps, each taking in |
numEer OF states. 1t Is pointed out by the |
high officials that IL this district Is set Off |
with practically self-managing powers 1t |
will form precedent for the other territories |
10 do likewise. The result would be that |
Hnally there would be dozen small orders |
having but remote connection with each |
other. An example of this is found In the |
so-called Pacific and Canadian jurisdictions |
which, though they are usually considered |
parts of the Woodmen of the World are in |
nowse connected with the order. Thus the |
officers hold that II the northern states |
mentioned are formed into a separate |
II will mean that they will form
A separate order with headquarters to |
transact their business. III this should be |
Zone IL is intimated that the general head |
luarters OF the order would perrorce be re-
moved from the city into the territory that
still remains in the Woodmen OF the World
The city most prominently
mentioned as the one that viii be selected
Isst, Louis. Therein Omaha, as city finds
its interest In the fight The headquarters
At present receive the collections and assess
meats from the entire United States with
the exception Of the Pacific coast territory
covered by the Pacific Jurisdiction. About
100000 Is received and dsbursed every
month through the banks of the city. THIRTY
people are employed in the office and
auXiliaries. '
While the head officers of the order do
not deny that the local members are pro-
seeding practically In conformity with the
they are trying to settle the
fight by means OF proposed amendment TO
he constitution. This amendment embodies
what has been termed the department plan.
Il Is viewed with considerable favor Inv
many of the members The plan nrovid.s. |