"We your committee find that these 650 so-called Negro Masons are not
Masons, and have no business with us nor about us, neither of us. If
Ephriam is joined to his Idols let him alone."
Now the record further shows that this Grand Lodge has sent delegates to
the General Masonic Congress on several occasions, and these delegates
were rejected. The first was in Sept. 4th and 5th, 1887, at Chicago. Mr.
Gillett of Kansas, offered the following resolution and it was
unanimously adopted:
"Whereas, The facts are before this convention that the Grand Lodge of
Texas, Colored, under C. C. Dean as Grand Master, was organized by
subordinate lodges instituted in the State of Texas by W. D. Matthews,
Grand Master of the Compact Grand Lodge of Kansas.
"Be it Resolved by this convention that the said Grand Lodge of Texas,
above mentioned, is hereby now declared by this convention to be an
unlawful and irregular Grand Lodge, and that this National Masonic
convention will now refuse and neither recognize or admit their
delegates in this convention."
And similar resolutions were adopted at the General Masonic Congress
that was held in Pittsburgh, Pa., July, 1904.
HOW THE MOST WORSHIPFUL KING SOLOMON GRAND LODGE, A. F. & A. M. WAS
ORGANIZED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
The origination of the M. W. King Solomon Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. Masons
which was organized March 19, A. D., 1908, and incorporated under the
laws of the State of Texas, March 27, A. D., 1908, of the following
Lodges, viz:
Mount Nebo Lodge No. 14, Galveston, Tex., Brackenridge Lodge No. 21,
Excelsior Lodge No. 25, San Antonio, Golden Jewel Lodge No. 23, Taylor;
Eureka Lodge No. 12, Hempstead.
These (5) five Lodges held their warrant of constitution from the M. W.
St. John Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. M. of the State of Illinois of which
the Hon. John G. Jones, 33rd degree, is Grand Master, and the M. W. St.
John Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. M. held her warrant of constitution from
the M. W. Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M., of Washington, District of
Columbia, of which Hon. H. C. Scott, 33rd degree is Grand Master. This
warrant was granted to Hon. H. C. Scott, 33rd degree Grand Master in the
year 1895. He was the first and only Colored Mason in the United States
of America to ever receive a lawful and regular warrant from any White
Grand Lodge of Masons of foreign jurisdiction, and he is now healing and
setting Masonically right the Colored Masons in the United States of
America.
According to Masonic law the only lawful and regular Grand Lodge of
Colored Masons in the State of Texas is the Most Worshipful King Solomon
Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. M., which was organized at San Antonio, Texas,
on 19th day of March, A. D., 1908 and lawfully incorporated under the
laws of the State of Texas on the 27th day of March, A. D., 1908, and it
is the only Colored Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M. in the State of Texas that
is recognized by foreign White Masonic jurisdiction of which C. L.
Mitchell, 33rd degree is Grand Master.
In Reference to the Circular Matter Relative to One John A. Bell
of Grand Rapids, Mich., Claiming to Hold a Warrant of Authority
From the Grand Lodge of Liberia, I Beg Leave to Submit a Copy.
The Original is Now in Possession of the Ill. Capt. W. T. Grant,
M. W. Grandmaster of the M. W. St. Andrews Grand Lodge A. F. &
A. M. of the State of Louisiana, and President of the
International Bureau of Masonic Information of the World. Office
331 Corondelet St., New Orleans, La.
Masonic Hall,
Monrovia, Liberia
Oct. 18, 1908.
Bro. W. T. Grant,
Grand Master of the M. W. St. Andrew Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M.
State of Louisiana.
Most Worshipful Brother: I beg to acknowledge the receipt of
your favor of the 29th of August, inquiring if this Grand Lodge
or the Grand Master has a Deputy in the person of John A. Bell
at Grand Rapids, Michigan, and if any authority has been given
him to open a lodge in America.
In reply, I have to say that this Grand Lodge has no Deputy in
the person of John A. Bell, nor has any warrant been given him
authorising him to open any lodge in America or to do anything
else. If he is doing anything Masonically whatsoever, he does it
without the knowledge, consent and authority of this Grand
Lodge.
I beg to remain,
Fraternally yours,
A. B. STUBBLEFIELD,
Grand Master of Masons in the Republic of Liberia.
CERTIFICATE OF HEALING AND LEGALIZING MASONS AND LODGES IN THE STATE OF
TEXAS MARCH 19th, 1908.
Chicago, Ill., April 25, 1908.
To All Whom This May Concern, Greeting:
Whereas, in the course of Masonic events it becomes necessary for one
regular and legitimate Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons to heal and
Masonically legalize Master Masons and Lodges and a Grand Lodge when the
Masonic degrees have been conferred and Masonic work in subordinate
Lodges has been irregularly and un-Masonically accomplished.
Whereas, there was a certain number of Masons viz: Chas. L. Mitchell, W.
L. Dorn, J. F. VanDuzor and their associates in the City of San Antonio,
Texas, and Phillip H. Matthews, Simon Smith of Galveston, Texas; Frank
H. Hicks, John Lowery of Taylor, Texas, James F. Harris, Nelson W. Day
of Hempstead, Texas, and several other brethren residing in the various
parts of the State of Texas, having received the degrees of Freemasonry
in an unlawful and irregular and illegitimate manner and,
Whereas, application having been made by the above named brethren and
their associates in the State of Texas and the Masonic Lodges which the
above named brethren were members of in the State of Texas to the Most
Worshipful St. John's Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons of the State of
Illinois and Masonic jurisdiction to be regularly healed and Masonically
legalized as Master Mason and members of the various warranted Masonic
Lodges in the State of Texas.
Whereas, the petition of the above named brethren in the State of Texas
having been duly presented and considered in open session of the Most
Worshipful St. John's Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons of the State of
Illinois in special session held in the city of Chicago, Ill., on the
12th of February, 1908, and the prayer of the above named petitioners
was then and there duly considered and unanimously granted.
Whereas, the Most Worshipful St. John's Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons
of the State of Illinois and Masonic jurisdiction having in open session
duly instructed and empowered the Grand Master of the Most Worshipful
St. John's Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons of the State of Illinois and
Masonic jurisdiction to repair to the State of Texas and there proceed
to heal and Masonically legalize the Lodges and the above named brethren
residing in the State of Texas and to assist them in the formation and
install the officers of the Most Worshipful King Solomon Grand Lodge of
A. F. & A. Masons of the State of Texas.
Therefore, be it known that I John G. Jones, 33, of the City of Chicago
and State of Illinois and Grand Master of the Most Worshipful St. John's
Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons of the State of Illinois and Masonic
jurisdiction did in the City of San Antonio, Texas, on the 19th of
March, 1908, did then and there under the instructions and authority of
the Most Worshipful St. John's Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons of the
State of Illinois did in said city of San Antonio, Texas, on the 19th of
March 1908, heal, re-obligate and Masonically legalize the above named
brethren who had conferred on them the entered apprentice, fellowcraft
and Master Masons degrees and did Masonically legalize the subordinate
Lodges in the State of Texas and did assist and was present in the
formation of the Most Worshipful King Solomon Grand Lodge of A. F. & A.
Mason of the State of Texas and did install Bro. Chas. L. Mitchell Most
Worshipful Grand Master, and the rest of the brethren as Grand Officers
of the Most Worshipful King Solomon Grand Lodge of Texas according to
the Masonic laws, rules and regulations of the craft.
And I now do proclaim to the whole Masonic world that the Most
Worshipful King Solomon Grand Lodge of the State of Texas of A. F. & A.
Masons has been regularly constituted according to the laws and land
marks of Freemasonry.
The Most Worshipful St. John's Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons of the
State of Illinois and jurisdiction further declare that the Most
Worshipful King Solomon Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons of the State of
Texas is the only regular and lawful Grand Lodge of Colored Masons in
the State of Texas.
Yours Fraternally,
JOHN G. JONES, Grand Master.
[Illustration]
MOST WORSHIPFUL KING SOLOMON GRAND LODGE, ANCIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED
MASONS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND JURISDICTION ORGANIZED ON THE 19th DAY
OF MARCH 1908 AT SAN ANTONIO.
A Masonic Convention of several warranted Lodges of Ancient, Free and
Accepted Masons of the State of Texas, assembled in Masonic Convention
in the city of San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, on the 19th day of
March 1908, and lawfully organized Most Worshipful King Solomon Grand
Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Texas and
Masonic jurisdiction, and the grand officers were elected and installed.
The Grand Officers were installed by Bro. John G. Jones, Grand Master of
the Most Worshipful St. Johns Grand Lodge of A. F. and A. M. of the
State of Illinois.
Addresses were made by several of the brethren and after the transaction
of considerable business, charges were preferred against Bro. K. R.
Rogers of Austin, Texas, and he was expelled for un-Masonic conduct,
from rights and privileges of Free Masonry.
[Illustration]
KEYSTONE GRAND CHAPTER OF ROYAL ARCH MASONS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS AND
JURISDICTION, ORGANIZED MARCH 20th, 1908, AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
A Masonic convention of seven Chapters of Royal Arch Masons met in
convention and organized a Keystone Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons
for the State of Texas, and the Grand Officers were elected and
installed. The Grand officers were installed by Companion John G. Jones.
33rd degree of Chicago, Ill., Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the
Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for the State of Illinois.
Companion K. R. Rogers, 33rd degree of Austin, Texas, was expelled for
un-Masonic conduct from all the rights and privileges of Royal
Arch-Masonry.
[Illustration]
MOUNT CALVARY GRAND COMMANDERY, KNIGHT TEMPLARS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS
AND MASONIC JURISDICTION, ORGANIZED ON THE 20th DAY OF MARCH, 1908, AT
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
A convention of Knight Templars, and representatives from seven (7)
warranted Commanderies of Knight Templars in the State of Texas met in
convention on March 20th, 1908, at San Antonio, and organized the Mount
Calvary Grand Commandery of Knight Templars for the State of Texas. The
Grand Officers were elected and Installed by Most Eminent Sir John G.
Jones, 33rd degree Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Knight
Templars of the United States and Canada.
Sir K. R. Rogers, of Austin, Texas, was expelled for unbecoming Masonic
conduct, from Knighthood throughout the world. All Sir Knights and all
Commanderies of Knight Templars are hereby notified of the same.
[Illustration]