The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-19
SECRET SOCIETY
 BAN LIFTED Swedish Lutheran Church Synod Changes Its
 Policy. A POSSIBLE SECESSION. Church Members May Now Join the Secret
 Societies.
A POSSIBLE SECESSION

New Britain, June 1S-After a hot
 discussion lasting all the afternoon
 the synod of the Swedish Lutheran
 churches late Monday afternoon vot. ed to adopt a compromise measure
 which practically removes the bar
 from all secret societies. so that mem bers of the church are now free to iotn
 any secret organization, as long as it
 is not of an inhdel character. The
 debate arose over report from the
 committee on new constitution recom-
 mended for the individual churches,
 which struck out all reference to se-
 cret societies.
 The committee was of the opinion that the prohibition was better out
 than in as it was dead letter
 throughout large part of the East
 and in some of the western states, but a storm of protest immediately arose from the Minnesota conference where the rule against membership In secret societies has been as scrupulously re- garded as if 1t were part of the Ten Commandments. The state of Minne- sota is thickly populated with Swedish people, and some towns are as much Scandinavian as if they were the heart of King Oscars realms and the people adhere strongly to the traditions of their native land
 When the discussion reached white heat, Rev. MT Olander, one of the old est and best known ministers through out the Minnesota conference, arose from his seat and declared that If the report was adopted Minnesota might secede from the synod. The excitement was intense after this innammatory speech, when Rev Dr. s. P. A. LIndahl of Rock Island, editor of the August ana church paper, who Is considerable of a diplomat, poured oil on the trou- bled water, by making motion that no members shall belong to secret or open intidel societies This leaves it to the individual churches to determ- inc as to what constitutes such a so ciety. Rev. MT. Lindahl has in years past been one of the most bitter op- ponents of secret societies, and at one time published a paper against them. His motion quietened the storm from Minnesota and was carried by large 
 It seemed that two interpretations were put upon his motion. Some of the Minnesota delegates regarded it as restoring the ban in the committees report as they consider all secret so- cieties as coming under the head speci- fled in the motion, but in most other quarters 1t was interpreted as a prae- tical annulment. The action ends a matter which has been bone of con Lention in the synod for years. Before 1870 there was nothing in the constitu- | lion against secret societies, but that | year a ban was put on Free Masonry. In 1887, this was amended to read Free | Masons and all other secret societies. | Tn 1894 the denunciatlon of secret so- | 'ieties was still further elaborated | 'haracterizing them as organizations l which deny the leading doctrines of | Christianity and follow out antl-Chrls- ion ceremonies. At Jamestown in 9O1 an effort was made to repeal the ecret society restriction, but it was -oted down by a small majority. Now t last 1t has finally succeeded, as the measure amounts to vlrtu- lily the same thing.