The Washington bee., 1907-07-13
IS It REBELLION2
uSTORY OF DISTRICT GRAND
LODGE No. %, G. U. o. OF o. F.
OF ALABAMA, UNDER HON.
c. A. HOWZE'S ADMIN
ISTRATION.
ISTRATION.

Hon. c. A. Howe was elected Grand
Master of District Grand Lodge No.
., G. U. o. of o. F. at Tuscaloosa, Ala,
Argust O. 1899 When elected there
rsrs 90 lodges and $500 members under
his jurisdiction with not dollar in the
,-.asury. and outstanding obligations to
the amount of $500 as was shown by
,re Grand Treasurer's report at that ses-
SION. There was no endowment law in
fra State. and when a brother Odd Eel
low died, the only legacy left for the
widow and orphans was an eight dollar
nine coffin. Soon after he donned his
1airial robe he began that memorable
-amDaign for the adoption of an endow-
-reat plan for the Odd Fellows OF his
State. Everywhere he went he tound
fae order sickly, diseased and helpless
He nursed them, consoling them with
s-rs Of love and charity, promising them
that God being his helper, he would
briId I'D their depleted treasure and
hiring light out of darkness. he traV-
sI-5 among them at times very poorly
clad and at times had hardly place to
law his weary head, wishing to meet
~. LODGES IN the rural district, he would
have 20 walk six and seven miles. AT
ether tir1es he would have to ride horses
from twelve to fourteen miles. After
,b,r-robly educating the Odd Fellows
af the State as to their duty he asked
for vote. and more than two-thlrdS
NJ rl- lodges voted for the plan, but Z.
n Morris Grand Master of America,
and majority of the 5. {. OF M. were
bitterly opposed to the plans, and with
first one technical point then another,
refused to ratify our votes as cast Hon
c A Howe and his loyal Odd Fellow
brorhcrs had in the person OF Hon. Geo,
E Temple. of Missouri a strong and
persistent friend who never gave up the
fight for a square deal for Alabama TIL
2 recanyass Of the votes was secured
and the plans adopted. 1t was, how
ever. after Prof. ]. McHenry Jones OF
West Virginia had become Grand Mas
ter of America. Since the adoption OF
our endowment plans in this State there
have been more than $25oOOo paid into
the treasury of District Grand Lodge
No. p of Alabama, and more than
$4,000 has been paid to the widows
and orphans. The membership has IN
creased from 90 lodges and $500 mem
bers to go lodges and $4,000 members
The widows and orphans were receiving
$500 at the death of each member VINO
was in good financial standing with the
denartment at their death. Peace and
ouietness reigned and the only disturb
ance was from few broken-down Bir-
mingham preacher-politicions, led by l.
F. Johnson of Mobile, who IS at the
head Of ten cent insurance company
that promises everything to its members
and gives them practically nothing.
Nearly every single one of the KICK
ers IS either at the head of some little
insurance company or in some way con-
nfrted with one, and with the Odd rel
lows only paying IS cents per montr
and receiving $500 at death, while those
little companies were tooling the people
out of AZ cents per month and proIlS'
ing them $40 at death, they were com
oeIled to trv and destroy the Odd Eel
lows endowment plan or die themselves
As to the Florence meeting that was
ser aside bv Ed. Morris, subcommittee
II was as orderly as could be expected
and the only acts committed un6ecoInint
Odd Fellows were by the very parue:
that Mr.. Morris is trying to have nj
subcommittee put in charge OF the Ala
hama affairs. Under our scheme o.
government the s. c. of NJ. had no jur'
isdiction except on appeal, and there
was none taken, no costs paid, and Meth
er did Mr.. lin Needham notify MI
Howe and his executive committe'
that they were in court. The very sam'
law was applied to Alabama by the ,
c. of NJ. in the case OF johnson vs.
Howe. ct al. as was applied by MI
Roosevelt in the case of the 25th Y. ;
Infantry when he dismissed a whoi
battalion because rufians thought then
guilty. One of the blunders was Jus
as angelic as the other, for both wer
for the purpose of satisfying a Polihea
deal As the supreme court OF our OF
der, the S. c. of NJ. could have set asid
the Florence Grand Lodge had the.
proceeded according to section 9, arfici
4 of District Grand Lodge Constituto'
but that would have ended their func
ton. They had no right to say whel
nor where they should meet and rign
their wrongs.
GRAND TREASURER DAVIS DlF
FERS FROM HIS COLLEAGUE!
AND STATES HIS POSITION II
TERSE LANGUAGE.