The San Francisco call., 1901-10-22
SCOTTISH RITE
HAS BIC GROWTH
Increase in Membership
Reported to Supreme
Council.
Acting Sovereign Grand Com
mander Richardson's In
teresting Allocution.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21.-The Supreme
Council thirty-third degree, of the An
cient and Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdic-
ton Of the United States, the mother
council of the world, met to-day in bi-
ennial session. The gathering marks the
centennial celebration of the council,
which was established in Charleston,
s. c., in May, 1901, the actual recOgni-
ton of the centenary being deferred Un-
til now to be coeXistent with the unveil-
ing of the monument to the late General
Albert Pike, long sovereign grand COM
mander- The feature of to-day 5 session
was the allocution delivered by RepreSen-
tative Richardson of Tennessee, the lieu
tenant grand commander and acting SOW
erelgn grand commander. The allOcu-
tiOn, among other things, laid down an
important ruling that a member of a
foreign jurisdiction cannot become a
member of this jurisdiction without sew
ering his connection with the former.
III an applicant is member OF. bodies
in a foreign jurisdiction according to
the allocution, ''he cannot be admitted
into a body in ours until he renounces
his allegiance to such foreign jurisdic-
ton. A citizen of Great Britain or other
foreign Government may be a citizen of
the United States, but he must nrst re-
nOunce foreign allegiance and swear al
legiance TO our own Government. A
similar rule should apply TO Masonry
In the allOcution Commander Richard
son pointed out a splendid increase in
the membership and unparalleled pros
perity. He recommended the filling of
most Of the vacancies in the Supreme
Council, whose full membership of thirty
three has become reduced to twenty
three Since the establishment of the
council there have been enrolled in all
ll2 active members, of whom eighty-four
have died and five are on the
emeritus list In the past two years
forty new bodies of the Scottish Rite
have been organized; the number
of perfect elUs has increased by 1885, and
princes of the Royal Secret have in
creased by 1853. Assurances have been
received that the Supreme Council at
Colon, at q session this month. will with
draw authority over the subordinate
bodies in Porto Rico, and Mr.. Richard
son announced that the jurisdiction OF
undisputed. He urged their cooperation
with the Porto Rican bodies. He con-
graduated the order on the ususual
freedom Of Masonry from charlatanism
and the spurious, and urged continued
careful scrutiny of all applicants
The allOcution closed with an impress
siVe tribute to the late President Nc
Kinley as President and brother Mason
The election Of officers will occur to-
morrow. Mr.. Richardson viii undoubted-
ly be elected sovereign grand COM
mander
The Supreme Council Of the Northern
jurisdiction is represented by its grand
commander, H. l. Palmer OF Pontiac
Mich, and number OF others. while
Senor Rafael de Zeyas Enrique is here
as a special ambassador of the Supreme
Council Of Mexico.
At the afternoon session the annual re-
port of the secretary general, Frederick
Weber of Kentucky. was submitted. It
showed that the Southern jurisdiction is
more prosperous than at any time pre-
vious Receipts for 1899 and 1900 were S51 =
653, and for 1900 and 1901, S63, 40. Up to
August 81, 1901. the library had cost So, ,916.
The sum OF S3l50 was sent TO Galveston to
the relief Of the flood sufferers, and $3.50
to the Jacksonville fire sufferers. The re-
port of the treasurer general, William
Pierce Of San Francisco, was read, but
was not made public.