Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-20
The Royal Arcanum Rates.
To the Editor of The Star:


In The Star Of the 18th instant find. on
page 3. an able expression of opinion by
prominent local member of the fraternaI
association known as 1.-The Royal Ar
canum.' concerning the recent action of
the governing body of that society in
creasng the assessments of members
In view of the single fact that there is
on hand in the treasury of the society an
avOwed actual surplus of over two millions
of dollars. there is no feature of this in
crease that can be justified upon any fair
or reasonable ground. 1t is, in fact, entire
ly indefensible as it now stands. In addi-
ton 20 the proposed increase in assess
ments per thousand we note large and
from an economic standpoint, extravagant,
and many believe wholly unnecessary in
creaSeS in the salaries to be paid to the
principal officers. Then we find the sum of
$35,25O for mileage for members attend
ing upon sessions of the grand body" con-
vened at a popular watering place. and tn
addition thereto. $40 per diem to each
member for such attendance. amounting
IN the aggregate to nearly $12 600 more
invite attention to the fact well under
stood by old members, that THE Royal
Arcanum was never organized "busi-
ness proposition" and never intended to be
such. but was simply instituted as a secret
fraternal and charitable association with
its grips. signs and passwords. for the prin-
cipal. II not sole. purpose of securing to it's
membership at reasonable cost, insurance
in a modest sum $1,000 being the maxi
mum). IN contradistinction to the great
charges for like assurance by the "old line
companies
We now are confronted with the PROPOSE
ton that those old members (of whom 1
am one, having been member of Oriental
Council BIZ, for the past twenty-six years.
who built up the society, and who joined
originally with the distinct understanding
that their assessments would never at any
or a TO ha httrd ,n1 xuytr
heavy increases. or driven out altogether
The assessments were not Increased until
the outbreak of the Spanish-American war
Up TO that time my assessments. running
twelve or fourteen year in number were
S1.90 each. At that time (1S9S) my assess
ments, and all those in the same class
were increased TO $3.44 per month. We
stood that increase without a murmur.
Now it is proposed. after a given date, to
Increase that assessment to S16OS per
month. nearly five times.
And all for what? Why, as many of
see it. to pay extravagant salaries to
grand officers, run steamboat excursions
build costly halls and such like tomfoolery,
all distinct departures from the original
purpose and intention of the order.
In point of fact the real business of the
association Is now. as 1t has always BEEN
conducted by the councils. But the grand
officers to be in the swim some feeble imi-
tation of the great insurance companies"
must obtain hence the salaries noted and
the hall to be built. In which latter will
probably be located handsome offices for
the selected few to run the machine
There is another feature of this indefensi-
BILE project which appears to have been
brutality ignored, or If given thought at
all the outcome is the more brutal. TIA e
my own case, and l know there are hun
dreds, IL not thousands. similar. As said
before, / have been member during
twenty-six of the twenty-eight years of the
life time of the organization; have regu-
larry paid every assessment levied and due
to membership. The last increase from
s1-90 to $3.44 is now to be increased to
sl60S, which, we will say. I cannot pay
What then? Oh, nothing only after
October next 1 will be without the So 600
assurance on my life that have carefully
nursed during twenty-six years. and can
get nothing in the way of assurance to take
its place Why? Simply because l have
bic, having already been twice turned
down" by old line companies. Yet / am
told. as a sort of sop to Cerberus, that /
have had the benefit of insurance for all
the years of my membership at very small
cost, That is to say: Take what we now
offer or go to the DEVIL" AS well might
an old line company say to policy holder:
I'VE insured you about ten years ago for
much at premium of so much, but
while you then paid 500 for your policy.
annual premium, and have continued to
regularly pay 1t, we now charge you 500
on the same contract; take II or leave it,''
One is on all fours with the other
I have briefly noted some of the salient
features of this case as made up Much
more might be said. But there Is one
thing just as certain as the coming day:
Unless the general movement. now under
way in councils of the order all over the
country in protest shall stay the grand
body" and drive 1t to reconsideration and
an equitable conclusion, the Royal Arcanum
Will go TO pieces and out OF business.
G.. F. SHOEMAKER.