Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-21
4 BIG RON ON Rand
In the Ranks Of the Order Of Knights
and Ladies Of Honor,


THE NEW JERSEY LODGES ARE
LEADING THE GRAND KICK
AGAINST THE NEW ASSESS
MENT ORDER OF THE GRAND
LODGE ~ NATIONAL OFFICERS
SAVED FROM INSULT WITH DIFF
FICULTY.
NEW YORK, November 20.-Dis-
satisfaction is not yet at an end among
the six thousand members of the
knights and Ladies of Honor in New
Jersey over the recent adoption by the
Supreme Lodge, in session in Indian
apolis, of a new assessment rate table
to go into effect on January l, 1900.
From present indications the outcome
| of the trouble will be big legal battle
between representatives of the New
Jersey members and the Supreme Lodge
of the parent order.
1t will then be argued whether the
latter has right to rerate old mem
bers, taking into account their present
age, as if they were new members,
without regard to the fact that many of
them have been in the order more than
| twenty years, thereby increasing the
amount of their assessments from 200
| to 300 per cent over the old rate.
AT a special meeting of the Grand
Lodge of New Jersey, held in Newark,
Supreme Vice Protector Prudential,
and Supreme Medical Examiner DR..
Wetherill, were, it is said, actually jeer-
ed and hooted down in their attempts
to address the representatives of forty
two subordinate lodges in New Jersey
They attempted to explain and defend
the action of the Supreme Lodge in
the assessment matter, but that the
sentiment of the gathering was plain
ly against this was evident from the
manner in which questions were fired
at them in rapid succession from all
| parts of the hall and the expressions Of
disgust which greeted their answers.
The action of the delegates was de-
plored by the New Jersey State officers
of the order, who did all they could to
so control matters as to save the SUI
preme officers from actual insult. No
action was taken by the meeting in
order that the subordinate lodges
should not make themselves liable to
| discipline by the Supreme Lodge.
Immediately after adjourning, how
ever, another meeting was organized by
the delegates, simply in their capacity
as members of the order. The supreme
officers and some visitors from New
York were required to leave the hall,
and no one was admitted unless he or
she could give the semi-annual pass
word for New Jersey. The assessment
question was thoroughly discussed and
it was finally disposed of by the APP
pointment of a committee to consider
the advisability of withdrawing from
the Knights and Ladies Of Honor and
forming a new and important order
with New Jersey as the neucleus for a
national organ.
1t is not likely, however that this
committee will recommend secession.
and in the present organization until
the question of the legality of the action
of the supreme lodge is settled. Prom
10 al
the committee, and although formal
speech will be made until a meet
ing on December 9Th, it has practically
decided to advise the members to ten
der the old rate of payment for the first
assessment which is levied by the su-
preme lodge after January 1, 1900, I'M
der the new order Of things
That the tender win be refused is
certain. The members will then de-
cline to pay the amount of the assess
ment under the rerating plan and this
will lead to the suspension of the MEM
bers. The next step will be for the
members to go into court and ask that
the supreme lodge be enjoined from
suspending them and from enforcing
the collecting of the new rate of as
sessment. The fight will then be on.
This action will be based on the
ground that when the members Joined
the order they entered into a contract,
which contract will have been broken
by imposing a new and higher rate of
assessment without the consent of all
the members