THE LIGHT TURNED ON, ON BOGUS MASONRY IN TEXAS.
The record shows the first Lodges In Texas were organized by Capt. W. D. Matthews, Grand Master of the King Solomon Compact Grand Lodge of Kansas, on April 10, 1873, by organizing Mt. Bonnell Lodge No. 1, Austin, No. 2, San Antonio and No. 3 Houston, No. 4 at Galveston. On the 19th of August, 1875, these four lodges met at Brenham, Texas, and organized a Compact Grand Lodge with N. W. Cuney as the Grand Master, and J. J. Hamilton as Grand Secretary.
Some years after, about 1885, (the record is not clear,) C. C. Dean succeeded N. W. Cuney as Grand Master. Rev. A. Grant, W. D. G. M., and in the year 1886 C. C. Dean, G. M.
Rev. A. Grant, W. D. G. M., called a special session of the Grand Lodge and at that session declared and adopted the act of Secession from the National Compact Grand Lodge, elected delegates to go to Houston, Texas, as special commissioners to meet the Worshipful Grand Lodge of White Masons for the purpose of being healed and chartered.
Now, according to the record found in Sayles' Masonic Jurisprudence, on the History of Negro Masonry in Texas, emphatically states that these Negro delegates did appear and did present to the White Grand Lodge a petition to be healed and chartered.
Sayles does not give the names of the petitioners. The petition sets forth that there were 650 members at that time, to be healed.
The record shows that the White Grand Lodge appointed a committee to investigate the petition, and the record further shows that the committee made the following report:
COMMITTEE REPORT ON NEGRO MASONRY IN TEXAS.
"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.
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.