Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-07-22

A. NJ, that the shameful ana un-Ma-
sonic conduct of the colored Grand
Lodge of Missouri and her colleagues.
| die within the walls of the colored
Masonic fraternity, particularly at
| this time when many (white) Grand
| Lodges in America are on the brink
| of universal Masonic recognition. But
| it is evident by the publication
| through the Omaha Enterprise OF
Aug. 25th, of the severance OF ira
ternal relations with the Grand Lodge
of Iowa, that Missouri Grand Lodge
| is not content with the shameful and
! I'M Masonic manner in which she dealt
with Rescue Lodge while under her
| jurisdiction and which caused Rescue
| Lodge to seek protection under the
! Masonic wing of Iowa Grand Lodge,
but want the public to know that
since she can do no more directly
against Rescue Lodge she has now
concluded to make Iowa Grand Lodge
the object of her spite. Since TINS
appears to be the fact, the public
NAV know the cause as well as the
effect. Read and you will learn
something of the calibre of Missouri
Grand Lodge and her dictators.
This trouble dates back TO '95 when
number of members. then in lodges
Nos. "a and 10 under the Missouri
jurisdiction, honorably and regularly
withdrew their membership because
of the class of people in them and
their conduct, and the suicidal man
ner in which they persisted in con-
Quoting lodge affairs, proof OF this ly-
ing in the fact that both of Missouris
subordinate lodges in Omaha are de-
PENDANTS in the Douglas County
courts right now Those members
withdrew and formed a club, and ask
ed Grand Master j. H. Pelham for
instructions in the procedure. He
gave the same and advised the club
TO go ahead, preparatory to organi-
cation of a new lodge. Neither of the
old lodges would recommend the club
as per constitution.
After nearly one year OF constant
work on this matter, guided all the
while by Pelham, the following letter
| "a copy of which is on file and before
| me now, which was sent to Pelham
from the club will explain much:
Omaha, Neb., May Z, 1896.
J. H. Pelham, M. w. e. NJ,
| Dear Sir and Brother:-With pro-
| found respect for the honorable and
| important position you hold we have
! been made to assert our manliness in
| just defense. We now detach the
man from the office and state herein
a few facts for you to ponder over.
| Our long forbearance with you has
! l,,,r al Ntii
| you have been triVialing with our
| patience for ten or eleven months
| past We feel that in the end we
will find cur labors have went for
naught. Ten months ago we asked
! the Grand Lodge for dispensation
| TO organize a new lodge. Il was lef.
| 10 you with power to act You told
Our representative you would come
! 10 Omaha within six weeks and see
| how matters stand DID you do it 2
| We have On nile q letter from yoEl
I dated Oct 2Lst- 'ai, SAYING YOU wOuld
| be IN Omaha OH or about the 10Th
OF November Did you do EHE We
have on file z telegram dated Nov
18th, %, saying you would be
here the following Saturday. You
came. but did you do as you said YOU
would when you came? That night in
| open session did you not say the I'M
impaired Masonic standing OF this club
warranted you in granting a dispense
ton and that you would do so when
FIVE more members were added to the
| club? and that you would do so re-
CARELESS of recommendation from
either No. "a or 40, as you could
plainly see that the spirit of Opposi-
ton was so great that it would be
impossible to get the same?
Have we not compiled with your
every requirement, not in only this,
but in every particular?
On file. from you, dated March 18th.
so you say Il have concluded to
grant the prayer; send petition and
$4,000 and l shall act within ten days
after receiving the money" Have
you done it? The money was for
warded you by express March 18th,
go and you received the same. On
file from you, dated Apr. 14th, sc,
you say Il shall be in Omaha n a
very few days to organize YOU Did
you do SO?
Notwithstanding you have failed'-to
keep your word in almost every in
stance with us) we have confided
in you, and thought you would deal
with us justly and fairly. From
the way you have used and misused
us in this matter this body of men
and Masons-trusted Masonic advo-
cates-has been led to fear that the
Grand East has either forgotten a
very important portion of his obliga-
ton or has allowed himself to fall
into the wake of the class of Masons
% which was the cause of this i'm
portant move.
Even the limited experience some
IF <7ui~ n{uN rnenhecs haVe dad at Ms
souri, Grand Lodge sessions is suffi-
cient to give knowledge of the many
different methods (anything but Ma
sonic, to say the least used to &C
| complish an object, but we did think
! the Grand East far above such con-
duct. We speak just as we feel in
| this matter # We feel and know
that, a good cause has been murdered
by men Of brain, but void OF Masonic
| principle for a selfish reason.
On April oath, '96, we requested
that you either act on the petition,
or send it and our money back to
| US. which you have made no reply
whatever Now we demand that you
return petition and $4,000 we sent
you March 18th, '96.
| With due respect for your ofticia
| position, we must tell you that YOU
actions or rather inactions have
aroused a spirit of independence with
in us, and we feel there is JUS
cause for it, too.
We do this with much regret, bu
we are determined to bring this mat