The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-29
ENDOWMENT FUND LOANS
RUMORs THAT SOME WE'RE MADE
TO h. OF p. OFFICIALS.
Hinsey's Friends Claim He VIII Be
Re-Eiected-COmmi Puzzled
Over the Figures.

| before still more exciting enc TO come.
! The headquarters of the representatives is
at the Dension Hotel The Hobbies of the
| hotel were almost entirely deserted yester-
day, good many spending the day sight
seeing over the city But not all were idle.
| In their rooms members of committees that
have important reports to submit with
| reference to both the endowment fund and
| the general financial condition of the order
were puzzling themselves over the figures
before them. None was disposed to discuss
probable action. Until the reports are made
| there Is pledge of secrecy and even after
the reports have been submitted and dis
cussed certain amount of reluctance is
exhibited on all hands with regard to tell
ing reporters what has been done by the
supreme body.
There was not much politics yesterday.
All the elections with the excep-
ton of the members of the board of con-
| troll of the endowment fund. John A. Hin
sey, head of the board. will be reelected.
| according to the confident prediction of
member of the present finance committee.
Mr.. Hinsey. he asserted, will be able to ex-
| plain many things to the entire satisfaction
| of those who so earnestly desire informa-
| tion as to the true condition of affairs.
| There are two sorts of opposition to Mr..
Hfnsey, 1t is said. One class of men are
fighting him purely on personal gruonds.
Another class simply wants to know things.
When things have been explained. 1t is
claimed, this class will como over to Mr..
Hinseys side. 1t is predicted that he will
be elected just as other so-called machine"
officials have been.
Last Monday morning the Journal said
there was slate headed by Ogden H.
Fethers for supreme vice chancellor, and
including the names Of Supreme Keeper of
Records and Seal White, Supreme Master
of Exchequer Meares and John A. Hinsey,
of the endowment board. With the excep-
ton of Mr.. Hinsey the entire slate has
been elected and there is little reason to
suppose his name will not be added in the
next day or two All the promises made to
s. l.. Carter, as predicted, were simply
blinds and he "trun down. in the Ian
guage of the day. The opposition hoped
that the exposure of the scheme that was
being worked might scotch the SLATE"
but results show that the machine knew
it's strength and was prepared ITO resist
all opposition successfully.
STIRRED X. OF p. CIRCLES.
But if the opposition was not successful In
breaking the slate it is claimed, it did
succeed in stirring K. of P. circles to the
depths and in setting on foot Investigations
and legislation that will inure to the good
of the order and make the existence of such
combinations as have existed things of the
past. Still, the machine" has not suffered
Investigations so far made have shown that
if there ever was extravaganza and mis-
management it was due to faulty legislation
by past conventions, and not to any dis
honest officials. Those who are best ac-
quanted with the gigantic order assert tfat
it will not suffer one iota from what has oc-
Cured, but will reap inestimable benefits.
Already legislation has been set on foot
which will take away arbitrary powers that
made possible close corporations in the or
der, and if it is put through it is claimed,
hereafter individual members of the order
will be in a position to know just what is
There is a desire among representatives
to get the convention finished as soon as
possible In past years its sessions have
generally occupied no more than ten days
1t looks as though the work already laid
out would take up the remainder of this
week if it can be accomplished in that tlme.
| and there is a possibility OF its EXTENDING
over another Sunday. There has been dls-
cussjon on the part of some representatives
of holding night sessions in order to rush
through the work. This is opposed by NOSE
who have plenty of time at their command
and who are not averse to each days add
tional per diem of So Some or the busiest
men who were more Interested IN the elec-
| lions than anything else, have ALREADY gone
home and others will leave to-day. lew
| favor some sort of legislation that would
require supreme representatives TO remain
| through the entire conventions of the body,
as by this each man would be compelleq 10
assume his share of the responsibility. NOW
as i'm the past the bulk of exactlng ana re-
sponsible work will be left to small con-
| vention.
ENDOWMENT FUND PROBLEM.
OF the important things that are to come
| I'D this week, perhaps the most important
| is the disposition of the endowment fund
| tangle. A committee is at work on the re-
| port submitted by John A. Hinsey, which
| showed that large sums were tied up in
| the Lexington Hotel at Chicago, and the
| Fort Worth Bank. 1t is charged that the
| defunct bank, at the time of it's failure,
| held 100000 Of stock in the Lexington Ho-
| tel, which afterwards went into the hands
of the receiver, owing close on to 100000
| to the endow ment fund. What the relation
| of these two institutions was to one an
| other, and what relation they bore to the
| X. of p. or its officers, are questions that
| the opposition will insist on having cleared
| UP, as we'll as the question, ITO whom was
| the $1O5,0O0 represented by notes on mort
cages loaEed? Rumors of loans to off1c1als
| are rife. An officer says no loans have been
made to any member of the Supreme Lodge.
| The report on the expenses OF the supreme
| tribunal, embracing moneys PAID to su-
| salaries from the order, has not been sub
| mitted. This report will disclose how many
| supreme officers, while holding those offices,
| were also drawing fees as attorneys for APP
| pearing before the supreme tribunal, II any,
| as has been charged.
No one seems to think the investigation
| committee will be able to disclose anything
| rejecting on any officials. A large amount
| of testimony has been adduced. 1t is
| learned that this testimony is of charac-
| ter to require confirmation by reference
| to records of officials which are not at
| hand and which can hardly be brought here
| in time for a thorough investigation during
| the convention. A recommendation has
| been made by the committee for the reduc-
| ton of the tribunes of the supreme trlbu-
| nal from five to three. This would cut off
| the expense Of the court at least 40 per
| cent, so far as salaries are concerned, at
| any rate The radicals will oppose this, and
| will insist that the entire supreme court
| be abolished and its functions vested in the
! supreme chancellor, the right being re-
served for the Supreme Lodge itself to re-
| verse his decisions. AS it now stands, the
supreme tribunal is the court of last resort
| of the order. Some oppose the idea of vest
| ing legislative and administrative authority
| in the same source, insisting that. as in
| state and municipal government, the legis-
| lative administrative and judicial powers
| should be separate. There is likely to be
an interesting constitutional discussion over
| the abolition of the supreme court of the
| order. Present indications are that the
| court will not be abolished, but that 1t will
| be curtailed