The national forum., 1910-07-23


RECENT DECISION OF APPELLATE
TRIBUNAL ENDS STRIFE AND
DESJGNATES TIE MOST WOR-
SHIPFUL GRAND LODGES OF
FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS
AS VICTORS IN LEGAL BATTLE
GOT CHARTERS FROM ENGLAND
A controversy among the coloret
Masons of the District, which had aroused
much agitation. has been settled by q
recent decision of the Court of Appeals.
An attempt was made by one element
that had come into existence within the
last fifteen years to oust the other ee
ment, that had been the recognized body
of colored Masons in the District since
1925, BY the decision of the Supreme
Court, affirmed by the Court of Appeals
the older body came out of the lega
struggle victorious in all of its essentia
contentious.
In all of their long history the colored
Masons here had never before been ir
n contest of any nature before the courts
Freemasonry among colored men in the
District had its origin in the constitution
Of Social Lodge in 1925, Social Lodge is
direct descendant of the grand lodge
of England, through the Prince Hal
grand lodge of Massachusetts,, thence
through the grand lodge of Pennsylva
MIA, from which it received the charter
constituting just and legal lodge.
In September, 1908, the colored Ma
sons of the country united with the
Prince Hall grand lbdge in celebrating
in Boston its one hundredth anniver
saly. This grand body takes its name
from Prince Hall, the first colored man
raised to the degree of a master Mason
in this country, Heawas entered, passed
and raised in travelling lodge" at
tached to one of the British regiments
under General Gage at Boston in the
early part of l775. With fourteen other
colored men, who had been initiated
about the same time, Prince Hall united
in organizing lodge with the sanction
of the authorities under whom they were
made,
APPLIED FOR WARRANT
After the Revolutionary War, in which
Prince Hall served as a soldier on the
side OF the colonies application was
made by him to the grand lodge of Eng
land for warrant to establish regu,
lar lodge. In September, 1884, his peti
tion was granted and q warrant was is.
sued for the Organization of African
Lodge, No. 450. A copy of this warrant
may still be seen in Freemasons' Hall
in London The orig.Lal warrant is in
the possession OF the Prince Hall grand
lodge On account of conditions as tc
travel at that time, and the confusion
following the war of independence, this
-wsssrwssts- titeesiist setca 50 .hsswe reached
its destination till April, 1887
In 1877 two other colored lodges of
Masons were organized, one in Provi-
dence, r. L., and the other in Philadel-
phia, Pa. In 1908 these bodies met with
African Lodge, No. 4j9, in Boston and
formed5 African grand lodge which sub
seQuently became the Prince Hall grand
lodge, which is regarded by colored men
as the only source OF legitimate free and
accepted Masonry among them. Soon
after this Pennsylvania had her own
separate grand lodge, and, as has been
said, Social Lodge, of the District OF
Columbia, was called into existence by a
charter from this body In lS45 and
1916 the Pennsylvania grand lodge char
tered Universal Lodge of Alexandria, d.
c.. and Felix Lodge. of this city. In
lS4S these three colored lodges met in
Washington and organized what was then
called the Most Worshipful Union grand
lodge of the District of Columbia, with
Charles Datcher as grand master. 1t is
now known as the Most Worshipful
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Ma
sons
1t has existed for 81 years, and during
that time has had 33 grand masters
There are fourteen lodges under its ju-
risdiction and about LOO Master Ma
sons. Its membership composes the lead,
ing coored men of the Capital City, and
many of its grand officers have been
men who have distinguished themselves
in various lines OF activity in the life of
the community The present grand
master is Prof. Nelson +. Weatherless,
director of the department OF science in
the colored high schools. 1t may be in
teresting to give the names OF the past
grand masters as they are names well
known in this community They are:
PAST GRAND MASTERS.
Charles Datcher, John I, Costin, Rich
ard Phiske, Robert Robinson, Francis
Datcher Jr,, Charles Hunt. Ananias
Herbert. Carter A. Stewart, Edward
Evans, William Anderson, Edward NJ.
Thomas, Adolphus Hall, William Tunnia,
Robert Fl. Booker, William FL, Thomas.
John f. Cook, formerly collector of taxes
for the District of Columbia; William
Fl. Myers, William A. Taliaferro, Leon
ard G. Bailey. Charles c. c. johnson, Dr.
S. Roger Watts, John H. Lee, Charles Fl,
Lemos, Henry Coleman, DIR, Hamilton 5.
Smith, John II. Burrll, Judge Robert
II. Terrell, W. H. Judd Malvin, Prof.
John I. Layton, William IL. Grimshaw,
DR.. William A. Warfed, surgeon in
chief Freedmen's Hospital
The craft owns two splendid halls, one
at Virginia avenue and Fifth street ).
T., and the other in Nineteenth street.
ctween l. and NJ streets n. W. THE
odees are all in Il llomishing condition
md could be very much larger from
standpoint ii the greatest care
were not taken in the matter of the ac-
ceptance of candidates. The total value
of real estate owned by the colored Ma
sonic craft in the District of Columbia