The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-01-26
CONTINUED from page one).

ana thereby maze a statute by nearly
every Grand Lodge i'm the United states
declares that but one Grand Lodge can
be recognized as legitimate i'm each
of the States of the American Union.
and that where a Grand Lodge has been
established in any state for the gov
eminent of the Craft within the con-
fines of such state, no other Grand
Lodge has the right to assume jurisdic-
ton. 1t is claimed by some good au-
thorites on masonic jurisprudence that
the American Doctrine" COS even
further in this particular by asserting
that no foreign Grand Lodge has the
right to assume jurisdiction nor issue
charter nor dispensaton for the for
nation of a subordinate lodge upon any
portion of the territory of the United
States.
The Grand Lodge of Scotland in con-
prevention of this principle, in the year
1904, subsequent to the acquisition of
the Hawaiian Islands by the United
States, which occurred August u, 1898,
established a lodge at Waikiki, on the
island Of Maui, Territory of Hawaii.
named Maui Lodge This violation of
the principle laid down by the Ameri-
can grand lodges was officially brought
to the notice of Past Grand Master
George W. Hunter during his term of
office, through the medium of an APP
plication by the Master of Hawaiian
Lodge, No. q, of Honolulu working
under charter from the California grand
lodge, to permit the comforting of two
of the three Degrees of Masonry upon
a candidate who had received the first
degree in that body by Maui Lodge of
the Scottish jurisdiction. The incilent
involves some fine points of jurisprud-
ence, and raises the question whether
the American Doctrine as laid down
by the American Grand Lodges should
obtain, or whether the Grand Lodge of
Scotland should be upheld in it's con-
tention of universal jurisdiction, that
grand body claiming authority through
out the civilized world.
The story is interesting and is best
told in the words of Past Grand Master
Hunter, as found in his annual address
from which the following is taken
From Grand Master Hunters Address
Near the beginning of the year a com
munication was received from Bro.
John Rothwen, Mast OF Hawaiian
Lodge No. 81" asking me as a per-
sonal favor to Bro. j. J. Smiddy who
had obtained the First Degree in "Ha-
waiian lodge that the other two
should be conferred upon him by Maui
lodge at Waikiki. This brought up
the subject of the standing of Maui
lodge, the right of the Grand Lodge of
Scotland to establish it upon the isl
ands at the time it did, and it's rela-
tion to the Masonic Grand Bodies with
in the United States, and more par
ticularly to the Grand Lodge of Cali
fornia.
Believing that my reply to Bro. Roth
wells communication fully and fairly
presents the matter, ii is set forth here
in as follows:
Eureka, Cal, January 20, 1905.
]. G. Rothwell,
Master of Hawaiian Lodge No. u,
F. & A. NJ, Honolulu r. H.
Dear Sir and Brother: Your commu-
nication of January 9TH, together with
the note from Bro. J. j. Smiddy who
has been elected to receive the Degrees
Of Masonry in Hawaiian Lodge, No. q,
and who has received the first therein,
but for convenience, is DESTROYS of re-
ceiving the other two in Maui lodge at
Wailuku and still retain his m mber-
ship in Hawaiian, No. q, is at hand
and has been carefully considered.
If both lodges were under this juris-
diction there would be no question but
upon the request of Hawaiian lodge,
No. 21 Maui lodge if it saw fit, could
confer the other two degrees as re-
quested, and possibly this would be
so even if the two lodgt were in
separate jurisdictions and the rela-
tions and circumstances We're such as
usually prevail between lodges of diff
ferent Jurisdictions.
These communications bring up the
questions as to the right of the grand
lodge of Scotland to grant a charter or
dispensation to Masons in Hawaii to
form a lodge within that territory at
the time it issued a charter to Maui
lodge.
In this connection l desire to quote
from your letter as in a measure ex-
pressing your views on the situation
and the local sentiment of the craft in
+ gard to the matter, the following:
Past Master Lewis has turned this
matter over to me as part of the I'M
finished business of Hawaiian lodge
from last year, and informs me that he
has replied to the letter of Bro. Smiddy
to the effect that a decision on his APP
plication for the degrees to be conferred
by Maui lodge would be d ferred until
instructions had been received from
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of
California.
Hence 1 beg to submit the matter
for your ruling, and refrain from offer
ing any opinion of my own other than
to say that l should appreciate an early
| response to the following question: do
you rule that Maui lodge is regular and
legitimate?' and is there any reason
why Hawaiian lodge or any other lodge
under the jurisdiction of the Grand
Lodge of California may not hold full
Masonic intercourse with Maui lodge,
or, otherwise?