Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-22
ODD FELLOWS
BEGIN WAR ON
SECTAR|AN|SM
Committee Appointed to Report
on Expulsion of Editor
from Order.

ATLANTIC CITY. Sept. 22.-sec-
terlanism in a new guise, which
threatened to embroll more than
100000 members of the Independent
Order of odd Fellows in a conflict of
far-reachng proportions, was side
tracked by wise heads at the OPEN
ing session here of the sovereign
grand lodge.
While the convention hall at the
ocean end of the steel pier was still
ringing with Grand Sire c. A. KEEL
ler's vehement denunciation of near
" two-score lodges in Arkansas,
Georgia, West Virginia, Pennsyl-
vania, Illinois, -exas, Missouri, Ken
lucky, Iowa, oklahoma and Kansas,
which assailed him bitterly when he
took A. c. Yeach, publisher of the
Sovereign Odd Fellow, at Gravette,
Ark, to task and expelled him from
TIE order for attacking the Catholic
Church in his publication, veteran
fraternity politicians on the floor for
mu.-sted and put through resolu-
ton referring the whole question to
q special committee.
This committee comprises the four
past grand sires of the order here for
the national conclaVe and the chair
men of several important committees,
a conservative body, which will re-
port its finding in executive session
on Thursday Whatever course of
procedure is agreed upon will be rail-
roaded through under the fundamen-
tai law of the order, which forbids
discussion of rectarian or political
questions in lodge rooms or conven-
ton halls. 1t is a foregone conclu-
sion that the special committee will
join with the judiciary council in sus-
tanning the action of retiring Grand
Sire Keller, and recommend that
every legitimate means be exerted to
prevent Veach, the Arkansas re-
volter. from continuing to use the
title Sovereign Odd Fellows" for his
paper.
Fight to Go Into Court.
The fight will go into the courts also
on the question of resembling the
charter of the Gravette (Ark) lodge,
which is standing back of Veach in
his fight The latter, in an open let
ter read before the convention today.
charged that Grand Sire Keller was
expanding $4,000 of the funds of the
order in defense of the Catholic
Church and in an arbitrary attempt
to prevent mel bers from reading the
Arkansas editors writings. The Texas
head of the order, in his reply, said
that he had financed so much of the
controversy as was personal to him
self out of his own pocket, and de-
MED that he ever had personal ac-
workmanship with bishop, priest
or other official Of the Catholic Church
In his life.
Grand Sire Keller alluded to the
controversy In responding to adj
Of \
General John w. Prescott, Grand
Master j. II. White, Grand Pa
triarch George H. Atkinson, Presi-
dent Ophelie Gregory, of the Rebekah
Assembly, and Commander William
g. Taylor, of the Patriarchs Militant
in New Jersey &C -lclave on the steel
pier.
Statistical Reports.
Statistical reports submitted by
Grand Secretary John r. Goodwin, of
Baltimore, showed net gain of so 3S9
members during the past year. There,
are 1888 subordinate lodges with
1873. 1863 members, $3.50 encampments
with 233,810 members, $3.50 Rebekah
lodges with 1901 members and 100
cantons of the Patriarch Militants
with 26,707 members There was a.
gain of Ga subordinate lodges, a loss
of 1856 encampments, a gain of So
women's branches and a loss of three
uniformed bodies.
During the year the total revenue
of the order amounted to $18,950, 500 AS,
gain over the preceding year Of
S27,851.10 During the twelve months
142,963 brothers and $3.50 widowed
families shared in the distribution of
relief aggregating S6,1s6. 015.50. The
Sovereign Grand Lodge has a balance
of $50, 41S03 after expending $101,-
1880 Odd Fellows Homes with Abs
inmates cost the order So, 1891, and
have a present val'@e of 1921, 596.
The cost of maintenance last year
was $790,00S.
Nearly 1900 Essex county Odd Fell
lows, their wives, FAMILIES and friends
are expected to go on the excursion
TO Atlantic City tomorrow on the
Pennsylvania railroad. The train
win leave the Market street depot at
1888 and returning will leave Atlantic
City at midnight.
The excursionists will arrive in time
to see the huge parade and some of
them will join In the march.
Brotherhood of America,