Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-19
ONLY WHITES ADMITTED
Sovereign Grand Lodge Odd Fell
lows Decid es to Bar All
Colored Persons
MEMBERSHIP LIMITED TO WHITE
Constitutional Amendment Adopted in
1901 Is Repealed by a Vote Of 146 to
36-Does Not Affect Those Of Mixed
Blood Already Admitted to the Order.

rand Indian blood. The vote was 146 to
/ &c in favor Of revoking the power con-
ferred on grand lodges by constitu-
tional amendment adopted in 1901 to
admit persons Of mixed blood. The
grand representatives from Indian ter
ritory pleaded with the sovereign grand
lodge not to take this action, but vain
sly. The new law does not affect those
of mixed blood who already are mem-
bers Of the order.
The secret of the repeal Of the mixed
blood amendment was the fear enter
| tanned by the members Of the order,
especially those representing southern
jurisdictions, that this was the opening
wedge which might eventually open
the doors of the lodge to the negro.
British delegates were equally con-
cerned with the southern, in view of
the fact that there are French Indian
half breeds in many of the commune
ties of the Canadian provinces who are
fine men and eligible to membership in
the order in every sense. But 1t Is de-
sired by the order to restrict the MEM
bership to wholly white males
This has been the law of the order
since its institution in this country
eighty three years ago. until last year
at indianapolis. A grand representa-
tive from Indian territory, who was
magnificent man and than whom a bet.
ter Odd Fellow never lived, secured the
adoption of an amendment permitting
grand lodges to admit to the order In
their jurisdictions persons of mixed
white and Indian blood. He himself, he
stated, had discovered that he possessed
Indian bloods He did not
discover this fact until he was grand
master of an Indian territory lodge. On
account Of his splendid manhood the
sovereign grand lodge adopted the
amendment referred to.
This year, after the personal influence
exerted by this Indian Territory rep
resentative had passed away. the lodge
decided to reconsider its action and
close the doors>to all except those who
are Of full white blood, thus exclud
ina the possibility of future legislation
to broaden the exception, and which
might eventually lead the admission
OF colored people. The chester Unity
lodge of Odd Fellows and the American
offshoot Of that order is one relating
to the qualification Of members with
reference to color. English lodges of
Odd Fellowship admit colored persons:
American do not. This, it is supposed,
is one OF the reasons why the order is
so strong in the southern states.
"A strong committee of the sovereign
grand. lodge, appointed at a former ses-5
sion, and Of which Massena Billiard, of
Helena, Mont, is chairman. has been
making up a report this week of Its
work looking to the forging of link
between the American and English
lodges. It is proposed by the commit \
tee. and this session Of the sovereign
grand lodge will act on the proposal.
that an arrangement be effected by
which Odd Fellows belonging to either
Of the branches of Odd Fellowship may
receive benefits from lodges of the
other branch, those lodges to be re-
by the lodges to which the
stance il an American Odd Fellow is
the system proposed will insure him
the receipt OF these benefits from the
English lodge most nearly adjacent,
the English lodge to be reimbursed by
the American lodge to which the bene-
ficiary belongs.
But in order to meet the embarrass-
ing distinction between the two branch
es with respect to the admission of per-
sons of color by English lodges and
their exclusion by American lodges, it
is proposed by the committee that a
provision be inserted in the agreement
making the members Of the English
branch who shall be entitled to the
benefits Of the agreement described
only those members who would be elig-
ible to membership in the American
order.