The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-16
Grand Lodge Officially Recognizes
Colored Men.
COMMITTEE REPORT ADOPTED.
Grand JurIsdietion of Washington
the Ffr.f 90 Concede Authority of
1oiored Lodges to Confer Masonic
Degrees-History and Significance
of the observation-disclosures Out of
the Broad and Liberal Principle.


rreeula s0nry n this country occurred at
the session OF the Grand Lodge of Free
and Accepted Aasona In the Masonic tenn
pie yesterday. 1t was. in effect. recogHi-
ton Of negro Masons and the Grand Lodge
OF the grand jurisdiction OF Washington
was the first lodge in this country TO recog-
nize the authority o. negro lodges TO confer
Masonic degrees Prior 10 yesterday no
Negro Masonic lodges ever received any
recognition whatever except to occasion
ally appear in Masonic parades.
Twenty years ago the same question
came up In the Grand Lodge OF Ohio. bat
WIS., defeated. Since that time various
Grand Lodges OF different states have con-
ssdeFed 1t with a like result. AT the session
Of the Grand Lodge Of this grand jaris1Ic-
ton last year the question came up. and a
committee OF three. consisting OF Thomas
NJ Reed. OF Olympia. chairman: William
II. Upton. of Seattle. and James E. Edmis-
ton of Dayton, was appointed Ito devise
pans by which the negroes could be rec
ognized Az Masons. and TO report at the
next annual meeting of the Grand Lodge"
and adopted. IT reviewed at length the his
tory or Freema4onry and the principles
nton which II il founded, together with u
history Of the various negro lodges I'm this
country. one or the first lodges OF this
kind 10 receive charter In this country
was the Prince Hall lodge Of Massacht-
sits. getting its charter from the Grand
Lodge Of England, and later. IN 1855. be-
coming Grand Lodge. Only lodges that
obtained charters from the Prince Hail
Grand Lodge and the Grand Lodge of Eng
land were recognized I'm the report sneak
Ing OF the effect of this action MIR Thomas
NJ Reed said to a Post-Inte,ligencer re-
porter: III has the same effect as the rec
ogniion of the odd Fellows lodge only
that Il negro Mason IS entitled to visit a
white lodge II be ~ freehorn. These lodges
nave the same laws and the Same ritual
as ours, and a. one OF the main princi-
pies upon which Masonry Is founded iss the
brotherhood NJ man and We recognize n,
color line and no conditions of freeoorD
man. II Is right and just that the negro
lodges that have The same authority 10 ex-
ist "a We. should re recognized. In Eng
land the Grand Lodge has substituted the
word 'frcenrn' for the word 'frceborn,' hut
We stu adhere TO the ancient law IN this
respect. OF course. ne said In answer 20
. question rom the reporter. "the negro
Mason may visit white lodges sur ~ gnv
member objects on the ground thar he
would DISTURB the harmony OF the lodge. hp
II excluded. lust as YOU might exclude soma
ore from your home. In fact II a member
of a white lodge desiring 20 visit n ncIeh-
boring Lodge asks for admission and some
ore objects On the sane ground 30 would
- refused 1uSt the same "a the colaYnd
member What Va have done & simply
10 carry ou;. In a broader and better sense
the Vide principle Of F'reeraasonrt We
recognize Che Turk and the Chinese and