Bitter Masonic War.

Hiram Lodge , and deposed from office several of its Officers for neg lecting to conform to said edict ; now , therefore , be it Resolved that , in the opinion of Hiram Lodge , the due guard and sign of the third decree as always given in this Lodge is one of the landmarks of Freemasonry ; that the Grand Lodge , in

trying to compel " old Hiram " to conform to their edict of 1885 , is attempting to change a required landmark and hereby violating its own constitution and the contract and obligation solemnly entered into by and between the Grand Lodge and Hiram Lodge No . 1 , when it consented to the formation of a Grand Lodge—to wit , " that

it is not within the power of any man or body of men to change the ancient landmarks of the Order ; " " carefully regarding the old landmarks which are on no account to be removed or defaced ; " and that the due guard in question is one of the old and original landmarks of the Order as exemplified for 135 years by Hiram Lodge

No . 1 , and that the aotion of the Grand Lodge in refusing to investigate , but assuming that the only question involved is whether Hiram Lodge has violated an edict of the Grand Lodge , no matter what that ediot may be , is a dangerous precedent , and subversive of the true interests of Freemasonry throughout the State ; that if this

assumption of power is correct , then there are no landmarks or anything else in Freemasonry , however ancient or venerated , whioh may not be changed at will by the Grand Lodge , and the Blue Lodges must obey ; that Hiram Lodge has never delegated any such power to any man or body of men , and that in the opinion of the members

of " Old Hiram here assembled we believe ourselves unjustly attacked by the Grand Lodge , that we will stand by her Officers duly elected at the last annual meeting of this Lodge . Other correspondence was had between the Grand Master and the Worshipful Master and the Seoretary of Hiram , the letters of the

two latter officials being exceedingly sharp , and explicitly defying the Grand Lodge and its presiding Officer . On the date named in the second order for an election to be held in Hiram Lodge , the Grand Master , accompanied by the Deputy Grand Master , Senior and Junior Grand Wardens , Grand Marshal ,

District Deputy Grand Master F . E . Prince , and Past Grand Master John H . Barlow , visited Newhaven . After a conference with some of the members of the Lodge—when the opinion was expressed that the Grand Lodge was right , but that the members must go with their Lodge , right or wrong—the Officers named above presented

themselves in the ante-room of Hiram Lodge . They found the door guarded by four men , who volunteered the information that none but members of the Lodge would be admitted . Later in the evening the Grand Master was waited upon by H . Lynde Harrison , Julius Twiss , and James D . Dewell , and personally invited to visit the

Lodge . As tho Lodge was opened in due form , with the deposed Officers in the chairs , this was , of course , refused . An effort seems to have been made to get the Grand Master into a trap by opening the Lodge before he arrived , with the deposed Officers occupying their respective stations . In this way it was hoped to entrap the

Grand Master into recognising the deposed Officers . But the scheme did not work , and the Grand Master , with his suite , remained in the ante-room , contenting themselves with sending a verbal demand for the surrender of the Charter of the Lodge . The meeting of the Lodge was kept np until a late hour , and speeches were made in

favour of standing out against the authority of the Grand Lodge and contesting the matter to the bitter end . The next move was a summons issued by the Grand Lodge to Hiram Lodge a 3 a body , and also to F . M . Wiser , John R . Hutchinson , Newell T . Burritt , George E . Frisbie , William A . Beers , James D .

Dewell , Julius W . Twiss , and H . Lynde Harrison , members of the said Lodge , to appear before the Grand Lodge and show cause why the Charter should not be revoked , and the recalcitrant members be expelled from the Order . These charges were served upon those interested by a sheriff , and were to be answered to at a special

communication of the Grand Lodge to be held at Hartford , 20 th April . Various charges were preferred , as follows : —Hiram Lodge was charged with uumasonic conduct and with wilful disobedience of the order of the Grand Lodge and edict of the Grand Master , and using threatening and defiant language toward the Grand Lodge and

toward the Grand Master , with passing resolutions defying the Grand Lodge , with refusing to surrender its Charter when lawfully demanded , with holding communications when its Charter was arrested and its Master and Wardens deposed , with holding a communication 24 th February with the deposed Officers in their chairs

and with permitting violent and abusive language against the Grand Lodge and against the Grand Master to be published in the newspapers of New Haven without protest , together with reports of interview

s with leading and influential members of the Lodge . Hutchinson , Burritt and Frisbie were charged with wilfull y disobeying an order of the Grand Lodge by occupying their chairs after they had been deposed , and with assenting to the passage of certain resolutions

against the Grand Lodge . Wiser was charged with wilfully disobeying an order of the Grand Master ordering a new election for Wardens and Treasurer , with presiding after having been deposed , and allowing other deposed Officers to act , and with sending a letter to the

Grand Master containing abusive , contemptuous and uumasonic language . Beers , the Secretary of the Lodne , was charged with disobeying an order of the Grand Master , and with writing to him iu disrespectful aud unmasonic language . Harrison , Twiss and Dewell

were charged with supporting Hiram Lodge in its defiance of the brand Lodge by word and by vote ; with advising the Lodge to maintain its defiant attitude , with threatening to form a new Grand Lod < n > , and with securing the publication of various documents which con ' tained violent and abusive and unmasonic language . The Lod » e and the

members named were summoned to appear at Hartford ^ 20 th April , and show cause why Hiram ' s Charter should not be revoked , * ts funds forfeited , and its members suspended or expel ' ed . Hiram held a full meeting on 13 th April , and voted unanimously to ignore the summons of the Grand Lodge , and ordered the preparation of a secret circular to be sent to all the Lodges in the State . A circular was accordingly drawn up and transmitted to the Lodges

Bitter Masonic War.

containing a statement of Hiram's position in the matter . The principal points contained therein were that the Grand Lodjje had exceeded its constitutional , right in adopting the regulation in question , and had no legal right to attempt to make any " change in the ancient form of work in Hiram Lodge , a form of work promulgated

by pioneers of the Order in America , handed down from generation to generation , and sanctioned by many years of use , not only in the Bine Lodges , but also in the Grand Lodge itself . " Hiram Lodge relies " upon the established nnd fundamental principle that it is not in the power of any man or body of men to change an ancient

landmark of the Order . " The Lodge emphatically declines to consider herself amenable to either trial or punishment by the Grand Lodge , holding that all tho aotion of that body iu regard to the matter was " illegal and unconstitutional . " In this , Hiram Lodge claims to be opposing the Grand Lodge " as a matter of duty to herself , as well

as to the Order generally . The circular states that similar regulations of the Grand Lodge have in the past been disregarded with impunity by other Lodges ; and that the singling out of the Lodge for punishment is an unjust and arbitrary assumption of power . The authority of the subordinate Lodges is exalted by the oircular at the

expense of the Grand Lodge . The charge is made that the action of the Grand Lodge is due to the influence of the life members of that body , and as this is an important point bearing upon the dispute , the extraot relating to it is given entire : — " It is fitting that attention should be called to a peculiar feature

of the composition of the Grand Lodge of our State which may possibly serve as an explanation of the rapid strides toward arbitrary and unlimited power which this body has lately taken . There has grown up in its midst an element so strong as to be at the present time almost , if not absolutely , its ruling power , which is

non-representative and at the same time irresponsible . Possessing a life tenure , representing nobody but themselves , and responsible to nobody , the men composing this element have managed to secure so potential an influence in the body as to make it at all times praotically subservient to their wishes . Against the rule of an oligirchy

Hiram Lodge will ever protest , and it now insists that the successful future of Masonry in Connecticut depends upon a more conservative administration of its affairs , and that to this end it is essential that such administration shall be entrusted to a Grand Lodge , acting at all times within its constitutional restrictions and with a purely

representative membership , directly responsible to the Blue Lodges of the State . " The growth of the powers of the Grand Lodge is severely commented upon , and the present powers compared with those granted by the original constitution . The question at issue is then clearly stated as " whether the Grand Lodge or the Blue

Lodges constitute Masonry ; whether the creator should in all things become the humble and submissive slave of the creat d . " In closing , Hiram Lodge claims that in seeking to maintain her own right against the encroachments of the Grand Lodge , she is fighting the battle of every Blue Lodge in the State . "

In thus ignoring the authority of the Grand Lodge , and especially in the publication of such a disrespectful circular , it is claimed that Hiram Lodge aud its members committed a grievous breach of discipline , and that the Grand Lodgo could do no less than take decisive action thereon . Nor was the Grand Lodge at all backward

in accepting the gage thus thrown out . The action of the Grand Lodgo was prompt and decisive . The Special Communication called by the Grand Master was held at Masonic Hall , Hartford , 20 th April . There were presont nineteen Grand Officers , seven District Deputy G . Masters , nine Permanent Members , and 256 Masters and

Wardens of Lodges or their proxies . An address was delivered by the Grand Master , which briefly stated all the facts relating to the case , contained the correspondence , and the action of the Grand Master and the Grand Lodire in each instance . He quoted the universal Masonic practice in regard to the formation of new Lodges , but mad *

no recommendations or suggestions as to the action of the Gran I Lodge . The charges against Hiram Lodsjje and th van us mernb T against whom charges had been preferred were read , and etch m turn called upon to answer . Answers were ma te in writing , and > if ¦•

a full hearing , all were declared guilty . The following resolut ¦ ms were passed in regard to the Lodge ¦ Resolved that the charter of Hiram Lodge , No . 1 of New Haven , be and it is hereby revoked .

Resolved , that all Masonic intercourse be and the same i * hereby forbidden with any member of said Hiram Lodge , No . I of New Haven , until he declare his allegiance to the Grand Lodge of Connecticut and promise obedience thereto . Such declaration and promise

must be filed in the office of the Grand Secretary , who is hereby authorised to issue a certificate of such filing , and the production of said certificate shall be sufficient evidence of compliance with the resolution .

Resolved , that iu the event that a sufficient number of the members of Hiram Lodge , No . 1 of New Haven , shall present to the Grand Master satisfactory evidence of their loyalty and obedience to tho Grand Lodge of Connecticnt , and shall request , a . dispensation for the opeuing of tho Lodge in New Haven in place of Hiram Lodge No . 1 ,

the Grand Master be aud he is hereby authorised to issuo audi dispensation , which shall remain in force until the next session of the Grand Lodge , unless sooner revoked . The members against whom charges had been preferred were all declared guilty , and expelled from the rights and privileges of

Masonry , except George E . Frisbie , whose case was continued until the next Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge , on account of certain mitigating circumstances . The charter of Hiram Lodge was

revoked by the decisive votes of 221 to 23 , while the members were expelled by equally decisive votes , though smaller . Immediately following this action of the Grand Lodge , Hiram Lodge passed the following resolution :

" Resolved , that any member of Hiram Lodge who has or shall declare his allegiance to the Grand Lodge of Connecticut while the present controversies exist between Hiram Lodge and the Grand Lodge , shall by such act bo suspended from membership while the