Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-07-21

| Much Mooted Question D scussed
from Standpoint Of the Negro-Au-
thority anne From England in An
thority Came From England in An
Say.
| Today the United Grand lodge (col.
ored) of Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons Of Iowa convened in Cedar
Rapids in annual convention.
The position of this and similar
bodies throughout the United States,
| in relation to the general fraterni Y.
is a matter of considerable interest
and is greatly misconceived.
The Gazette has sought some infor
nation upon this subject. but finds
considerable difficulty in securing
brief, but comprehensive statements.
| So far as viii Masons are con-
cerned there is objection to even dis
cussing the theme, and. unfortunate
ly. but few members of the United
Grand lodge have given the subject
necessary study. In this dilemma re-
course was had to the the exhaustive
report made upon Negro Masonry"
by VIM H. Upton, of the Grand Lodge
of Washing on (white). This is 1t,
it is claimed. the only work bearing
upon the subject which presents the
cause of colored Freemasonry fairly.
History Of CoIored Masonry.
On March 6. 1875, tifty-eight years
years after organization of the pre-.
nlier Grand Lodge of England, Prince
Hall and fourteen ether colOred men
were initiated into the mysteries Of
| Masonry in an army lodge attached
to one of the regiments quartered
at Boston, under General Gage. These
were at once given a tentative organ.
izaticn. That is, they were given au-
thOrity to assemble as lodge. to
walk on St. Johns day." and to bury
their dead 'in manner and form. >
Such authorization, while it would be
considered irregular at this time, was
by no means uncommon at that date.
But being without warrant or char
ter from a regular grand lodge this
body did not work" until authority
as regular lodge was received from
England. The Mother Grand Lodge
of that coun ry, upon receipt OF re-
que st fro mthese colored men, issued
warrant bearing date of September
20, 1884, for African Lodge No. 459.
Owing to mischance and negligence
this was not received in Boston until
April 20, 1887, and the lodge was
duly constituted May 6, 1887. This
body remained upon the English reg
lister until the union of Grand Lodges
in tina, country--fCllowing the great
schism-.in 1913. At that time all
lodges in the United States were
erased fro mthe rolls of English Ma
sorry.
Prince Hail. the first Master of Al
rican lodge, was a man of consider
able prominence and acknowledged
ability He served in the American
army during the revolutionary war.
He was until the time of his death a
Jealous and well-infCrmed Mason. AS
early as 1892 he was yled Grand
Master, and without doubt or ques'
ton by his white contemporaries, did
from that date exercise the functions
of a Provincial Grand Master. Just
here is the weak point in genology OF
colcred Masonry 1t has been assert
ed that this lodge wi hout authority
erected itself into a governing body
But, an examination of the records Of
other and white Grand Lodges in
those early and confused years CT the
American republic reveals that sew
eral bodies of whose legitimacy and
continuity there is no ques ion were
simply outgrowths of some particu
lar lodge. Indeed the ancient theory
and to- some extent the practice of the
craft was tina; lodge possessed all
%~
but to authorize sufficient number
of brethren to assemble and organize
as a lodge The example OF Mother
Kilwinning lodge" of Scotland is oil
rectly in point
Organize in Philadelphia.
Provincial Grand Master issued his
license to thirteen colored men, VINO
had been made Masons in England
and Ireland to assemble and work
AS a. lodge in Philadelphia. Anothe!
was la er formed, and upon the same
authority at Providence. Rhode Island
In 1903 these three lodges joined III
forming the AFRICAN Grand Lodge
of Boston. afterwards known as the
"Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Boston
afterwards known as the prince Hall
Grand Lodge CT Massachusetts, Next
in 1915, there was organized the
First Independent African Grand
Lodge of North America in and for
he Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Hiram Grand Lodge OF Pennsyl-
yania' was afterwards formed IN
1897 these three united in organiZa
ton of a National Grand Lodge, and
,|from one or the other of these sources
all colored Masonic bodies CT the
country had origin and authorization.
Their Status in Question.
For many years the status OF ne
gro Masons was no. questioned by
the Whites. and examination OF lodge
records show that the latter were
frequent visitors in Pennsylvania ana
Massachusetts up to and incrudlng
the year 1888 The latter objection
hinged. not upon question OF color,
! but upon, says Mackey, supposed H.
legal Y of the charters The same
authcr thus sums the status OF those
bodies-a sufficient showing for the
ubiectors ADMITTING even the le-
eality of the English charter OF 1884
! il cannot be denied that the unrecog-
| nized self-revival of 1927. and he sub
seonent assumption of Grand Lodge
powers were illegal, and rendered
both the Prince Hall Grand Lodge
| and all the lodges which emanated
from it clandestine.' Yet in matters
of accurate history but few Masonic
scholars will allow Mackey as au'
tLority. This phrase of the subjec
has been carefully traversed by Up
ron. His trained legal mind, used to
the sitting of evidence and the rules
! or credibiIity, joined to an encyclo-
| ,odin Masonic knowledge. gives him