Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-31

Illinois, on that point and that the
legality of the action could not be at
fected by the bylaw. That assured
me on that point / told them that
couldn't tell anything about the matter
until knew the absolute condition OF
the American Home Circle and
whether It would be satisfactory to the
members of our supreme body and to
the membership in general.
tx. NJ. Whitman stated that he
would go upon the floor of every tri-
bunal in the Jurisdiction and convince
them that this was the thing to do to
make the order a success. l made
no promises, and would not until the
matter had been investigated by
committee it was proposed to send TO
Springfield. l wanted 10 know all
about the legality of the movement
and that it was square and right. They
assured me that it was and said hat
H. A Weld was coming up and that
they wanted to go over the matter
with him
Go over Same Ground.
The next day l was called over to
the Office of DR.. A. L. Craig in the Old
Colony building and found Msesrs.
Craig, Weld and Whitman. The mat
ter was talked over again in a general
way, covering the same ground as the
day before, laying particular stress
upon the condition of the Tribunes as
to the lack of growth and the increas-
ing death rate. They all seemed to
think that the best thing to do was TO
take another society in with us. |
again raised the point that the bylaws
prohibited amalgamations without be-
ing presented to the entire member
ship and was again assured by Weld
as well as the others that the bylaw
did not apply to the matter OF re-
insurance, as it was simply adding new
members to the order. This was Sun
day afternoon, Oct. 25, 1908.
DR.. Craig said they were to meet repre-
sentatives of the American Home Cir
Gle at the Majestic hotel that after
noon. 1t was before leaving for the
Majestic to meet Wilson that Whitman
remarked that if, on investigation
everything proved to be<all right for
the order, that these men, meaning
the board of the American Home Cir
Gle. would be willing to put up $4,000
of their own money. of which. he said,
ought to have $4,000, Weld $4,000,
and the remaining Sill 900 to be divided
between Whitman and Craig l had
absolutely no knowledge of any other
money in the transaction, or that there
was to be anything more paid.
First Met Wilson.
81 met with them later that after
noon at the Majestic, and was intro
duced to Thomas w Wilson as the
supreme president of the Home Circle
I had had no previous acquaintance
with Mr.. Wilson, and during the in
production he said that he had seen
me in the Harper house in Rock Island
during the state conclave of the
Knights Templar and had passed the
time OF day with me. but he said that
he realized that l did not know who
he was. I did not remember at the
time and had some difficulty in recall
ing the incident.
&C. F. Hatfield of the Western Re-
view was also present. Our conversa-
ton was along the lines of what was
best to be done with societies that
are in the condition which the Fra
ternal Tribunes was in. All the time
the American Home Circle was repre-
sented to be in fine condition except
ing that they had difficulty in growth
and that by uniting the strength and
forces of both all would be benefited.
Duh whole talk was along this line,
and the investigation of the condition
of the affairs of the Home Circle. they
promising me that nothing would be
done unless it was proved that the
condition of the Home Circle was as
represented.
Committee to Investigate.
1T was the understanding that a
committee would go 20 Springfield to
investigate everything in connection
with the proposition. 1 had no con-
versation with Thomas w Wilson or
any other representative of the Amer
ican Home Circle along any line other
than the condition OF the society and
the feasibility of the two orders unit
ing to successfully prosecute the work
of the order
AT the conclusion of that meeting
l said that everything would depend
upon the report of the committee we
were to send to Springfield. Only the
good of the Fraternal Tribunes was
in my mind at that and all other times.
After returning to Rock Island re-
ceived letter from Craig saying he
had been to see w. C. Galloway of
Aledo, the first supreme tribune, and
that he thought favorably of the idea
of taking in another society if all con-
ditions were right. In the meantime
| was informed that, in accordance
with our understanding at the Chicago
meeting, a committee was TO go to
Springfield and make a thorough in
vestigation of the condition of the
American Home Circle, the character
and standing of it's officers, and to
confer with the insurance department
as to the character and legality of the
proceedings l would have been glad
to have served upon the committee
but was not asked. l was later in
formed that the committee was to be
composed of K. NJ. Whitman, supreme