The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-07-31
Passes Away at His Home in Muir
freesboro.

far County, Tenn, and when Is year
old enlisted in the Confederate army Al
private in the Forty-fifth Tennessee,
infantry, serving later for three years
as Adjutant OF that regiment. Aftel
the war he practiced law at Murfrees
boro and was elected Speaker Of the
Tennessee House Of Representative
when % years old, and later a member
OF the State Senate.
He was elected to the Forty-ninth
Congress from the Fifth district OF Ten
nessee, and served eighteen consecutive
years, being leader OF the Democratic
minority in Congress when be refused
another nomination.
RISE IN MASONRY.
Forty-seven years ago he entered the
Masonic order at Eufalla, Ala, and his
rise was phenomenal. Within few
months he was elected to office in that
lodge and later in the lodge at Murfrees-
boro. He was senior grand warden in
1871, deputy grand master in 1872 and
grand master in Tennessee in 1878, and
grand high priest OF the Grand Chapter
in Tennessee, Royal Arch Masons.
He was coroneted inspector general
OF the Scottish Rite Masons in 1884,
Supreme Council 1885, and was elected
lieutenant grand commander when the
position was made vacant by the death
Of Odel S, Long, OF West Virginia. He
became grand commander when Grand
Commander Thos. H. Creswell died in
1900, and at the next session OF the
Supreme Council was elected sovereign
grand commander for life.
He was permanent chairman OF the
Democratic convention at Kansas City
in 1900.
Under the supreme statutes he will
be succeeded by Lieut.. Grand Com
mander George Fleming Moore, OF Bir.-
mingham, who will hold that position
until the next meeting OF the Supreme
Council, when Mai. Richardson's sue
cessor will be elected.
Before Maj. Richardson died he ex-
pressed desire for kadosh funeral at
midnight, which was held in Nashville.
NOT THE HIGHEST MASON.
WAS not Maj. Richardson the high
est Mason in the world2" a representa-
tive OF The Tennessean and American
asked Secretary Smart Saturday after
noon. He replied That is question
that has been asked me times without
and wish you would explain
il in your paper. No man is the great
est Mason in the world. We have in
Tennessee Thomas j. Bonner, who is
grand master Of the State, and he is the
highest Mason in the State, and each OF
he other States has grand master,
who is the head OF the order in his own
State, but there is no general grand
master over all OF them, and each one
$ sovereign in his own jurisdiction.
Maj. Richardson was the sovereign |
,rand commander of the Southern juris-
fiction, and there is the grand COM
nander Of the Northern jurisdiction,
md one for each OF the other thirty or
more supreme councils scattered over
he world. They, like the State grand
edges, have no one over them, and
ach is sovereign in his own jurisdic-
ion. The only extra honor attaching
0 Mai. Richardson not possessed by
ach Of the other grand commanders
) the fact that the supreme council
yer which he presided was the mother
ouncil OF the world, all the other SUI
'reme councils being organized by either
be Southern supreme council or some
upreme council organized by it. So it
an be readily perceived that there is
o highest Mason in the world. /"
MAI. RICHARDSON'S SUCCESSOR.
Under the supreme statutes OF the
cottish Rite. Judge George Fleming
Ioore became the acting grand COM
handler upon the death Of Maj. Rich
rdson, and will possess all the powers
the latter until the meeting OF the
npreme council in October, 1916, when
a election viii take place. Judge
Ioore was born in Talladega, Ala, Au-
INST 3, 184S, was educated at the coun-
y schools and at the University OF Vir-
inia, where he also studied law. He
smoved to Montgomery. Ala. in 1874.