The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-28

elect officers, issue certificates, etc. If
this is not the history of the introduce
tion of Knight Templary upon this
, continent, there is no better, we regret
to be compelled to say, at our COM
mand.
Nor is it derogatory to the legiti-
macy of the succession or the merits
of the system Of Templary to admit
| this conclusion, for in this manner
only could Free Masonry itself have
been extended from the date Of it's ORR
gin to the organization of the grand
lodge of England, A. d. I'LL. Prior
| to that period, there was no grand
Lodge, or central organization that
possessed the authority to issue war;
rants. There was no such thing in
existence as a Lodge Warrant, hailing
| from such central organization. A pro-
per number of Masons had an inherent
right to assemble in a secure place, ap-
ply the essential tests to each other,
open lodge and initiate, pass and
raise worthy applicants. This is all
that can be said of Knight Templary
up to a very recent period. 1t Is all
| that can be said of the spread of any
branch of Masonry, however important
or consequential it may now be esteem-
| ed. Much labor has been expended by
one writer to establish the fact that
an encampment of knights Templar
was worked in Philadelphia before 1890.
| Another eminent writer has endeavored
to prove that an encampment was
worked in South Carolina as early as
1850. Both Of these things are prob
| able, but the facts are of no import
ance in point of history. There was no
Templar organization in the world at
| that time authorized to grant warrants
for Encampments. Sir Knights any
where in the United States could meet,
and proba bly, did meet as we have said,
and increase their number by inherent
right, keeping no records. although
possibly granting ificates.-Robert
| Macoy.
| Previous to the independence of the
United States there existed no separate
| Templar bodies. The Templar cere-
mony was practiced to some extent,
"under the sanction of the warrant" of
blue" lodges, by which statement
this writer understands as result of
his Investigations upon the subject
that it was formerly the practice of
those persons who We're in possession of
the degree to assemble in some lodge
room, whether the one of which they
were members or not does not appear.
and then and there proceed with the
ceremony of Knighting Templar; the
organization in every instance seems to
have been self-created and temporary
iHlits character,-Speed.
St. Andrews Chapter of Royal Arch
Masons, of Boston, Massachusetts,,
then st. Andrews Royal Arch Lodge,
holding under the Grand Lodge of Scot
land, held it's first recorded meeting
August 2S, 1863. in Mason's Hall, Bos-
ton, and the record of that meeting
contains the first account of the con-
fering of the degree of knight Templar
that has been discovered, either in this
country or in Great Britain. 1t is in
these words
Brother William Davis came before
the lodge, begging to have and receive
the parts belonging to the Royal Arch
Masons, and he was accord
ingly made by receiving the four
steps, that OF Excellent, Super Excel
lent, Royal Arch and knight Templar"
OF course the grade Of Knight Temp
lar must have been known, and must
have been conferred in lodges previous
to that date. as 1t must be manifest
that ST. Andrews Lodge did not fabri-
cate the degree and add it to their