Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-05-07
HENRY |. PAL MER
RESIGNS HIGHEST
MAS0ND OFFICE
LAYS DOWN BURDEN AS SOvER.
EIGN COMMANDER OF NORTH
ERIN JURISDICTION OF Us.
HAS A REMARKABLE RECORD,
Rose from Humblest Place in Fraternity
and Served as Head of Every Branch
of Ancient Institution.
ILL HEALTH COMPELS ACTION.

MILWAUKEE,, Wis, May /, 1909
| The resignation of Judge Henry L
Palmer from the highest position In
Masonry in the United States, that of
most puissant sovereign grand com.
mander of the supreme council, Ancient
and Accepted Scottish rite, 33d., northern
| jurisdiction of the United States, has
been officially promulgated among the ac-
tive members Of the supreme council,
| whose grand least" is situated at Bos-
| ton, Mass.
This resignation, which marks the of.
| fetal close Of the most remarkable
| Masonic record in history-a continuous
| service as sovereign grand commander
! of period Of almost thirty years, and
| of slxty-eight years as an active mem
| Der and officer in that fraternity-is sor-
| roWfully announced in an official circular
issued on April 20, 1909, and signed by
Gen. Samuel Z. Lawrence, Boston, the
| puisSant grand lieutenant commander,
who succeeds Judge Palmer until the
next regular session of the council, in
September next, when a regular sue
| cessor will be elected.
|. Relinquishes All Cares.
In this announcement to the members
of the council, the grand lieutenant com
| mander says:
| Dear Brethren: To my sincere regret, II
| becomes my duty to announce to the mem
| bers of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite
| that our beloved NJ: P: Sovereign Grand
Commander Henry L. Palmer, 33d, of Mil
| has with the advice Of his physician, de
| cided to relinquish all cares and RESPONSE
/ bllities, and he has consequently resigned
Of the l cornc gan1 fh
| ern jurisdiction Of the United States.
The announcement is also made that
| under the constitution the lieutenant
| commander shall succeed to all the
rights. titles and prerogatives of the
sovereign grand commander, and that
no election shall take place until the
! time fixed by the constitution" which
will not be until in September next.
General Lawrence Now Head.
Gen. Lawrence in consequence is now
| the supreme head of the grand council
acting as such until Judge Palmer
| successor may be selected through the
course mapped out.
In laying down this great responsibility
and honor which have been his for al
most thirty years continuously, Judge
| Palmer retires from the highest place in
the Masonic organization of North
| America. save that of one other, James
Daniel Richardson, Washington, d. c.,
most puissant grand sovereign command
| er of the Scottish Rite bodies of the
southern jurisdiction of the United States
| The record as grand commander made
! by Judge Palmer has never been
equaled, as to continuous years of serv-
ice, in the history of the organization
| and probably never will be in the fu-
ture. In 1879 Judge Palmer was elect
ed to the highest position after having
! served since 1871 as a Mason and dur
| ing those years having occupied every
| position in the various bodies, from the
| lowest to the highest.
Served Since 1879.
| He succeeded as sovereign grand com
| mander in 1879, the late Judge Josiah
| H. Drummond of Portland, Me- Every
| three years since 1879 Sovereign Grand
| Commander Palmer has been reelected
| without "a dissenting vote. and no of
fetal or member, high or low, in the
| organization ever retired with so much
| feeling Of sorrow among those with
| whom he has so long been associated
and who have loved him as no other
man has been loved by fraternal breth
rem. In a letter received today by
| Thomas E. Balding, for twelve years
past grand master general of cere
monies, James H. Codding, grand secre,
tary, Boston, says: Il regard him as
cloud, no shadow" Tender words also
come today from John Lloyd Thomas
| commander of the New York
| consstory, who writes sorroWfully be
cause Of this retirement.
| Judge Palmer, who has been confined
! to his residence continuously for nearly
| two weeks, is resting quietly and com
| fortably at the present time, and hopes
are strong among his close friends and
fraternal brethren that he will again be
| out when the weather improves and
| spring advances.