Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-07-14

This then admitted that the SUI
preme Lodge officials may have vio-
lated the injunction and may have
been guilty Of contempt, but they
were excused upon the ground that
such q violation Of the injunction
may not have been deliberate and he
gave them the benefit of the doubt
Supreme Chancellor Green then
admits that his own attorneys were
not able to properly interpret the
opinion of the Court. In view of the
ability displayed by those in charge
of the affairs Of the Supreme Lodge
at Washington, this statement is al.
most unbelievable, but he makes 1t
over his own signature. Here Is
what he says:
While the Supreme Lodge did not
secure all it hoped for and expected to
secure from the opinion of the Cour.
yet we believe we had secured sufff-
cient in our tayor to cease further
litigation and The expenditure of Su
preme Lodge Funds-to acQuiesce IN
the decision Of the court,-proyide
the decree to be issued by the Court
was in accordance with the view held
by our Attorneys as to the opinion Of
the Court.
Did the attorneys for tho Supreme
Lodge mis- cad Supreme Chancellor
Smith w. Green and his associates?
If they did, what must be the attitude
OF the Pythian Order in this country
pertaining to this condition of af-
fairs? We understood the opinion and
we correctly construed it just as our
attorneys seem to have done. SUI
preme Chancellor Green took the
position that the Supreme Lodge had
won the case and he and Supreme At
torney S. A. Il. Watkins attempted or
threatened to discipline the st. Louis
Argus for having published O. head
line saying that the Supreme Lodge
had lost the case.
The facts have left him in O most
embarrassing position, while no doubt,
the management of the st. Louis
Argus is smiling. Supreme Chancel-
lor Gre~a rtates plainly that he
thought that he had secured enough
In their favor to cause the Supreme
Lodge to cease further litigation and
to stop the further expenditure OF SUI
preme Lodge Funds. He has changed his
mind since he read the decree. 1t re-
moved the scales from the eyes Of
Supreme Vice Chancellor joseph L..
Jones Of Ohio. He tells just what the
decree says:
The decree Of the Court as issued
on June list, 1917, restrained and
permanently enjoined" the Supreme
Lodge from suspending or revoking
the Charter OF the Grand Lodge OF Vir-
ginla, and from collecting any tax or
Tor anything done by the Grand Lodge
OF Virginia prior to the date of issuing
the decree; and, in addition thereto
taxed the Supreme Lodge with the
costs OIL the plaintiff in the case.
( !
The decree brought the information
that "the tree done fall OIL daddy"
The platitudes OF the Supreme Attor-
ney could not alter the plain facts and
Brother Green found to his sorrow
that the Supreme Lodge had lost its
fundamental contention and must face
the Supreme Jurisdiction branded
with having wrung from the confid-
Ing Pythian knighthood in the sever
al States thousands and tens Of thous
ands Of dollars that he and his associ
atcs had no right to collect. He had
violated the Constitution Of the Order
that he and his associates stood
sworn to uphold and support and
had branded as traitors one Of the
most loyal Grand Jurisdictions in
the country and had suspended that
Grand Lodge and its members from
fraternal intercourse with the nation
al organization for a period of near
ly five years.
This made him and his associates
personally liable for damages to the
aggrieved body and with money and
prestige to enforce their right, these
outraged people stood ready to de-
mand an accounting at the hands Of
the Official, who had so outrageously
treated them. He has seen "the hand
writing On tho wall" and by putting
up bond OF ten thousand dollars, he
and his associates are attempting to
forestall and delay the inevitable,
Here are his reasons for taking an
appeal from the decision OF two able
jurists and a united court.
Being firmly of the opinion that the
faithful loyal Grand Lodges tina: stool