The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-08-22
HE GRAND UNITED ORDER OF
ODD FELLOWS.


the Grand United Order of Odd Eel
lows OF America in 1913 have the
affairs of that organization been in
such Il deplorablc condition as they
are today. With the merits Of the
contentious Of either side The Advo-
cate has nothing to do, nor would
ii, bearing in mind the advice Of one
Of our contemporaries to another,
have anything to say. were the stu
alton not frought with SO much dan
ger not only to the Odd Fellows but
to all Negro Fraternal organizations.
While not the oldest, the Odd
Fellows with their reported member
ship of 261, 500 is undoubtedly the
largest secret order in the race. For
years and years the order has moved
along in the even tenor of it's way,
with each passing year. Friendship,
Love and Truth is it's motto and so
long as the officers and members
governed themselves by their motto
all was harmony. But vaulting am
bition seems to have o'erleapt itself
and chaos reigns where once all was
order and peace.
Ordinations and recriminations
are the order Of the day and charges
and counter charges follow one an
other SO rapidly that confusion is
worse confounoed. Equity proceed
ings have been instituted in a Phil
adelphia court for the appointment
of receiver for the Sub Committee
Of Management. Charges of misman-
agement, including wastefulness, el-
trayagance and violations of the by
laws Of the Order are made against
the members of the committee. They
are further charged with unlawfully
increasing salaries Of some and
refusing to countenance the author
lied increase for other officers. The
grand secretary is accused of with
holding and refusing to account for
funds to the grand secretary, as pro-
yided by law and the five directors
are held to be an illegal body, since
the charter provides for only four.
EX-Grand Master j. " McHenfy
Jones has asked the courts for
mandamus to compel the Sub Com
mlttee to recognize and provide for
the national endowment department
in accordance with the acts of the
last session Of the supreme governing
body and. win or lose, the Order
must spend large sums defending it
self, or, rather, the acts of it's Off
GERS.
In Alabama restraining order
of the civil court has been disrc-
garded, the regularly elected officers
ousted from Office and expelled from
the Order. This, it is openly charg-
ed, was the revenge Of the Grand
Master for their failure to support
his candidacy. At Vicksburg a few
days ago the Mississippi District
Grand Lodge, over which a candi-
date for Grand Master presides, all
after a lecture by the judge Of the
city court, occupying at the time the
presiding officers chair, hanked by
The chief Of police and six officers,
was order restored and the business
for which they had assembled trans
acted. This also is reported to be
the work Of the Grand Master.
AS was said in the outset, with The
merits of the contentious OF either
| side The Advocate has nothing to
do, but We can not refrain from de-
plOring these conditions which
| threaten to disrupt the Grand United
| Order Of Old Fellows and indirectly
injurc other organizations. Just now
when the white societies are exerting
every effort 10 crash Negro bodies Of
| the same name it behOoves those as
yet unmolcstcd as well as those
whose existence is in jeopardy to
stand tOgc her, for no man knows
when his organization may be at
| tackled. Meyer was there greater
need Of harmony within each society
and plan Of mutual assistance
among them all.
Would j. not be well for those dis
| satisfied with the present manage
mcnt 10 bear the ills they have than
to fy 10 oilers they know not Of?
But on" years must elapse before the
! next Biennial Movable Convention
when III" desired changes may be
made and the Order will escape the
scandal in>"parable from washing
It's dirty jin"N in the public square.
! Th" "dj'or Of the Outlook de-
parim"nj Of The Horizon is very