The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-25

AN
make the trip spent a happy as well
as a profitable week. The Springfield
brethren are always good entertainers
and with Brothers James Andrews
and William Smith at the lead all ar
engagements were delightfully."- carried
out. The mayor of the city delivered
a welcome address and the sessions
were held in the auditorium of Drury
college, both being an expression of
the high esteem in which the local
members of the fraternity were held.
A glance at the roster of grand Off
GERS present recalls the name of Bro.
S. w. Vaughn, Familiarity called Uncle
Sonny, who for many years had been
one of the most conspicuous and loyal
members of the organization. He
hailed from the little village of Wes-
ton. way up on the Missouri river,
and he was the Gibraltar of Masonry
in that section. His natural power of
leadership vas little short of remark
able and the honesty as well as he
common sense which he put into all
his work made him the idol of all who
we're fortunate enough to know him
well. To claim Uncle Sonny on ones
list of friends was easy if the claim
ant was straight, but difficult. other
wise.
Then there was Brother Rueben
Barbour, also a veteran of the body
n who is still with us with the same
high, christian ideals and honest de-
votion. His influence has been equal
ly felt and acknowledged in the north
central sections of the state, and he
is, on account of his untarnished char
acter, beloved by all the brethren.
The Masonic Gleo club with George
w. Diggs, manager; Prof. n. Clark
Smith, pianist; Joe f. Hereford, So.
prano; G. w. c. Bryant, alto; Prof.
E. w. Perkins, bass, and DR.. NJ. o.
Ricketts,, tenor, was a big feature at
this session and made a big hit at
all the public affairs. Perkins, Rick
etts and Hereford are still with the
Grand Lodge but they have quit sing
ing-for good and sufficient reasons.
The brethren learned with sadness
that A. B. Moore who for SO many
years had been a commanding figure
in the organization, was unable on &C.
count of serious illness, to be present
at this meeting. He never met the
Grand Lodge again, being called be-
fore the passing of another year to
meet the G.. A. o. T. L.
One of the recurring topics in the
annual address of the Grand Master
occurred regularly under the caption
Lodge Dues" and was the usual
statement, in brief, that brethren
would not render to their lodges the
proper financial support. 1t IA again
pointed out that not even the more
prosperous members would pay their
dues. Some thought that they were
too good to pay dues; others thought
the dues too good to pay. All of these
were finely denounced but apparently
little disturbed. Their -complaisance
was upon the same order as that of
Brother Albert Walker who so pug
n~aciously held on to the ~discredited
factor of the Order of Eastern Star,
needing neither the wishes of his own
followers or the edicts of the Grand
Lodge until Graham lodge No. So, to
which he belonged, was ordered TO try
him for unmasonic conduct. Then
he vas stilled.
If the Grand Master had applied the
same medicine to those brethren
whom he denounced each year for re-
fusing to pay their dues he would
have saved himself and his successors
much annoyance. By his policy of
denunciation and liberation he not
only failed in his own right but
through his long tenure of the office
of Grand Master established a sort of
precedent of delinquency which other
Grand Masters could scarcely ignore.
Special worry was INDUCED in at
this session because the white mem
bers of the craft continued to refuse
the hand of fellowship to the colored
members, just as if it really made any
difference, and which agitation made
the white members all the more OBJ
durate, seeking refuge in their cover
all deceit of Discrimination for social
equality!
That agitation has long since ceased
and the Grand Lodge has found ore
important thing to worry about.
Brother Thomas G. McCampbell was
publicly thanked for having dealt the
final blow to "compactism" or Mat
thewsism" in the jurisdiction and well
deserved the praise, he having been
one of the most industrious workers
of the jurisdiction and still valued for
his perfect devotion to the cause Of
Free Masonry. His has been a life