The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-11

were thirty-siX stay at home lodges,
a slight improvement over the year
previous.
This was the year in which it was
voted to move or not to move the
capital from Jefferson City to Sedalia,
and the hospitality of the Jefferson
ians knew no bounds. Visiting Masons
declared that they were not allowed
to spend their money for anything.
not ever for small articles purchased
in the shops. Long lines of carriages
stood waiting to transport sight-see-
ing parties about the city free of
charge, the state prison was made a
pleasure resort and Lincoln Institute
was a fairyland of smiles. The X. Y.
club was in its element during all the
week, its meetings were frequent,
sometimes long, always delightful.
Perhaps it should be said here that
it is a fact worthy the attention of
the historian that during all the years
"a half century-of the travels of the
Grand Lodge about the jurisdiction
the private conduct of its members
has never cast the slightest reflec-
ton upon the honor and dignity of
the organization. Such pleasures as
the younger set may have pursued
during the hours of "refreshment"
have always been distinctly moderate
and prudent. The atmosphere of the
Grand Lodge of Missouri has never
been encouraging to the presence of
either bad women or bad men. The
high order of department upon part
of IL representatives has been the
constant theme of admiration from
the leading white citizens of each COM
munity which we have visited, and it
is from these that invitations to re-
turn have been most insistent.
Prof. Inman E. Page, the great pio-
neer Negro educator, president of Lin
coin Institute, an orator, real scholar,
Christian prince, master of Capital
City lodge, babe the visitors a formal
welcome and was responded TO by DR..
M. o. Ricketts, in a manner thorough
ly befitting. Several of the state Off
Gals listened to this exchange of ora
tory and rhetoric and observed with
unconcealed amaZement the marked
intelligence of the great body of Ne
gro Masons.
or course there vas a vein of CAPT
tai removal politics constantly in evil
dence, but aside from this the meet
ing was most pleasant and profitable.
Capital City lodge, under the inspira-
ton of such Masons as Page, Dupee,
Dorton, Anthony, Dorsey. Carter, Win
ston and Moore, was capable of large
things in the way of entertainment,
and none of them were overlooked.
The usual street parade was bigger
han usual and a picnic was held
which brought back memories of old
times.
In his annual address Grand Mas
ter Pelham was panied to report the
death of Brother Amos Johnson, sec
rotary of the Masonic Relief. Broth,
er Amos Johnso had long been re-
garded as one of the foremost clergy
men of the state and had rendered
great service TO the Masonic frater-
nifty. He was a man of positive char
acter, strong and pronounced in his
likes and dislikes, of high ideals and
prudent demeanor, His manner of
conducting the affairs of his office was
subject to almost constant objections
from a considerable part of the fra
ternity, but his strong alliance with
the Grand Master protected him from
being deposed during his life. Grand
Master Pelham appointed Charles G..
Williams to fill u the unexpired
term and he was rechosen by election.
Brother Williams took hold of the
somewhat mixed affairs of the office
with great energy and ability, and to
him is due the placing of the relief
work upon a systematic and business
like basis. He held the office until he
was chosen to be Grand Master sew
eral years later.
About this time and for several
years prior one of the most ~conspicu-
GUS members of the Grand Lodge was
the Hon. j. Milton Turner. Brother
Turner was a man of really unique
character. He was exceptionally alert,
commanded a fine range of language
and possessed an infallible memory.
AS a Negro Democratic politician he
won fame in two continents and had
a wider acquaintance among public
men than any Negro who ever lived.
He is credited with having founded the
first public school for the education
of colored youth and he was at all
times an audacious champion of the
rights of his people, even to the point
of actual unselfishness.
At the meetings of the Grand Lodge
he was in his happiest element, for
he loved Masonry with his whole