Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-07
Election to Office in Grand Lodge Is
Wire Pulling Affair - PorterfieId
Would Like to lnaueurate Biennial
Elections So as to Have Some Con-
ventions Free.
,ecial to Times-Republican.

kus
Iowa is considerable ana the reports of
the grand officers will show that the
membership in this state is now about
10000, which makes Iowa one of the
most populous jurisdictions in the
country. The grand lodge now sends
four delegates to the supreme lodge
meetings and it is probable that here
after 1t will be entitled to five. which is
as many as any of the states. Grand
Chancellor Porter1eld, of Atlantic, who
is on the ground. says that the order
has prospered the past year and num-
5ber OF new lodges have been formed,
while several have effected consolida-
tions. He has had great deal of work
the past year in keeping the lodge on
the advance and Is gratif1ed with the
result. He purposes recommending to
the grand lodge that there shall be BIZ
ennial elections instead of annual cleo
tions, in order to get rid of the contin-
ual scramble for office at the grand
lodge meetings, which has become al
most scandal. He would dispense with
elections every other year and at least
have half the grand lodge meetings free
from the office seeking craze.
80
This matter of election to office in
the grand lodge is likely to create an
Interesting controversy. Several times
ins the past an outbreak has been mar
rowly prevented by those in control.
The accusation has often teen made
against the Iowa grand lodge that there
is a great deal of politics" in 1T, and
4; .;ss,t the. affairs of the, lodge are man
aged by. small Clique or ring. This
feeling appears to have been growing
among some of the members. Last year
it was charged that no person outside
of a very small circle had any chance
of preferment in the lodge. This year
some Of the candidates for grand lodge
offices have been making their canvass
on platform OF opposition to this all
legged clique or ring. Some OF the can-
aidates, in making their announce
ments, are alleged to have used harsh
conspicuous members Of the supposed
clique. One candidate for grand chan
cellor In particular is said to have made
an announcement to his fellow mem
bers that was bitter attack on those
who are In office and have held office
and to have stirred up the anger of a
large portion of the membership by the
candor with which he has treated of
the subject and called on the members
of the order to effect a revolution. Those
row holding official position strenuous
ly deny all the allegations and declare
that they will insist upon either an In
vestigation of the whole matter or an
open rebuke Of those who have attacked
the order. This is certain to bring on :
lively fight in the grand lodge.
The grand lodge has before 1t vast
amount of real work. The constitution
and by-laws OF the order are to be re-
vised. A committee was sappOinted by the
grand lodge meeting last year to report
a revision and this is now ready for the
grand lodge. The committee has COM
pletely revised the laws. making no
radical changes, but simplifying all
matters. One change will be that of
having two new committees of the
grand lodge, one on grand lodge work
and one on neurology. All committees
are to be appointed by the grand chan
cellor Immediately after the close of the
grand lodge sessions All committee
members are to be members of the next
grand lodge whether they are delegates
from their lodges or not. Another
change is to cut off compensation to
representatives Of lodges having less
than twenty members in good standing.
". 81 ~ In Sy,,,s
October session today. This is the first
appearance of Judge Charles A. Bishop
on the supreme bench He has been at
work. however, since his appointment
five months ago, the cases that We're
turned over to his predecessor, Judge
Waterman, having been taken up by
Judge Bishop during vacation. There
will be another term of the court, one to
file decisions only, in December. and
with that short term the work of c. l..
Jones as clerk will practically cease.
The law commission met today also and
took up the consideration of applica-
tions for admission to the bar. Twenty
eight applicants appeared for exanlina-
ton. The law commission will exam
Inc these during the week and report on
those who are to be sworn in as law
yers.
The state executive council has au-
thorized the purchase OF set of spe-
cial account books for the various state
offices in which shall be kept the ac-
counts of the officers of receipts and
expenditures for the entire year so that
there will not be any claim. like that
made last year. of an inability to re-
port in accordance with the law. The
secretary of the council had some trOu-
Bile last year in getting reports from all
the state officers and some Of them IN
sisted that they had nothing to show
their accounts and could make no re-
port. The council will prove them by
books this year.