The age-herald., 1899-06-21
COLORBD MASONIC
 GRAND LODGE Representative Negroes from All Parts of the State. GRAND MASTERS ADDRESS He Dealt With the Race Problem, Say ing the Negroes Should Be Ed ucated As Preventative
 Against Crime.
GRAND MASTERS ADDRESS

Representative negroes are in the city annual session oi tte colored Mas mic gra lodge, which opened yesterday morning, and will continue in session until tomorrow evening. when the newly-elected officers for the ensuing twelve months will be in- stalled.
 The grand lodge represents the strongest and most influential negro organizations In America among the negroes in this state It is presided over by R. R. Mims, of Mo- bile. Ala, who is recognized leader of his race. For the past twenty years he has been a mail carrier and for fourteen years the recognized leader of Masonry among his people in the south.
 The grand lodge convened at 10 o'clock yesterday morning with Grand Master Mims presiding. The following officers were present and assisted in the opening exer- cises: R. R. Mims, G. NJ; G. w. Mitchell, Birmingham. D. NJ; w. F. Roden, scotts' boro, s. w.: D. w. Daniels. Dolomite, J. W; Wm. Watkins, Montgomery, G. T.; H. c. Binford, Huntsville, G. S.. M. w. Houze, Mobile, s. E. D.; J. T. Gregory, Greenville. grand lecturer
 The grand lodge was duly opened and several committees appointed, after which they had a recess in order to give the com- mittees time to prepare their reports, which were necessary to the consideration of bus mess.
 When the grand lodge again assembled the committee on credentials reported, as did the committee rules, and the busi- ness was resumed. Grand Master Mims de- livered his annual address, in which he of fered some good advice to the men of his race, to be carried out by the representa- tives present. He was not much of a be- lieyer in solving the race problem by talk, but by doing, and proceeded to show the members of the fraternity how they could do their part in the solution of the prob lem. First of all he wanted more attention paid to education. He thought that 1t was a part of the work of the Masons to see to educating their children.
 They should be Educated
 MT Mims said that many of the crimes committed by negroes were done by unedu- cated negroes boys and men, and to put an end to it they should be educated. He said that the white people of the south had been willing to help them from the begin ming to this time, by providing schools and teachers for them, realizing that it was cheaper to do that than to build jails and pay out money to capture fleeing crimi- nals. He continued his remarks by discuss ing intemperance, and showed how, to large extent, 1t had retarded the progress Of the race, and in bringing about the reform, he said that the Masons would have to take the lead. He handled the whiskey drinking Mason without gloves and declared that if any colored man was known to get drunk he should be expelled from the fraternity
 "We must hold up the law and order" he said, and getting drunk acting like hogs on the street is not law and order. l am anxious to see our condition changed in this country, and want you to be leaders in It."
 He not only wanted to see the change reached from a Masonic standpoint, but be-