Show i Thomson Says Utah Grand lodge is a Fake F ke Organization Are You a Mason Christopher Diehl Diehi Says Thomson is a Faker and Then Some On AJ Aug 13 there appeared in The Her Herald Herald ald aid a dispatch from Crom Helper the burden of ot which was that Mathew Thorn Thom Thomson son conferred a large number of oC decrees of oC the Masonic Iason order in that place the hl 1 and that there was grave gravo question as to the authority of oC Mr Thom Thomson Thomson Thomson son to confer any degrees in Masonry at atall atall all aJl the tue prevailing belief bellet being that he was without power to institute lodges or orto to do the tue things which he did do Yesterday esterday there came to The Herald of fice a Il letter from Crom Mr Thomson who lives at Ida This letter reads Ida Aug 18 Editor t Lake Herald Dear Deal Sir In The Herald of oC the h there was a special under the caption Fake Masonic Rites Hites In Utah As it was entirely false falsa and reflected severely on my m character will you Jou kindly In the interest of fair fall play pia all round put the enclosed letter in The Herald at an early date Respectfully M 11 THOMSON THO The letter Is written upon stationery stationer with this heading Liberty Equality Fraternity Universal Freemasonry T T G O 0 T G C A O 0 T U Masonic Federation Incorporated under the laws of or the state of oC Idaho Board of oC managers President gen Jen general Jeneral general eral Mathew Thomson thirty third degree Montpelier Ida treas treasurer treasurer treasurer general Herbert P Jefferson M D degree Boston Mass lass secretary general Jeneral Robert B Spence degree Evanston Wyo The letter head further contained the symbol of a sword crossed with a book labeled Constitution What the Letter Said Mr r enclosure is given In roT nfl and without alteration It reads FAKE MASONIC RITES IN 11 UTAH Editor Salt Lake Herald Dear Sir SirI I am certain that I am doing you no more than justice in believing that you ou in inserted Inserted inserted the Paragraph with the above heading in your issue of the that the statements contained therein were true and that you ou were thereby ex exposing exposing exposing posing a fraud other papers with like good motives have published par paragraphs all equally equall false and misleading mislead In InIn In the Interest of justice and fair play therefore 1 I hope you will find room for this reply The paragraph In question contains but butone butone butone one true statement and that is that I Iam Iam Iam am a Scotsman I am also an American citizen and am proud of both It is ab absolutely absolutely false however that I gave Dia Din Diamond mond ville Wyo VO as the seat scat of oC my Grand Lodge It Is absolutely false that I ever Have nave been exposed In Massachusetts Idaho or for tor violation of oC any law of or my myRite m myRite Rite on the contrary contral I am and ever have been in good standing therein It is absolutely false that I have not full Cull and ample authority for Cor what I do In fact tact the writer of the paragraph Is either woefully Ignorant or orwill willfully will fu II malicious In Charity I prefer to believe the former Cormer to be the case The facts are these While masonry is the same everywhere In cere ceremony ceremony I mony mon and government It Is divided Into Rites of oC those the principal are the Scottish and York Rites the first which is also the one most widely practiced practiced practiced is also styled Universal the lat latter latter latter ter Is local or sectional and Is confined mostly to the United States each Rite s 3 independent or of the other as much so 50 for Cor example as the Primitive is from the Episcopal Methodist church The Rite to which the lodge In Helper I belongs Is the Universal Scottish Rite the is vested in the American Ma Masonic Masonic Ia sonic Federation which derives Its ma masonic masonic masonic sonic authority by Charter through the oldest legitimate supreme council in ta n America having continuous records from 1813 and its civil authority by b Incorporation tion under the Laws of ot the State of oC Ida Idaho Idaho ho iio the Grand Secretary is R B S Spence Attorney Evanston Wyo its Grand Treasurer Is Dr H P Jefferson M I D tt 14 Tremont Building Boston Mass ass Its Lodges and Grand Lodges are spread I from the Atlantic to the Pacific its of official official organ the Universal Freemason Freemasons Is s published monthly So much in vin via vindication vindication of myself but what of those who are so 50 ready to assail others of oC whom they seemingly know so little The Grand Lodge of oC Utah of oC which James H Brown Is Grand Master and Christopher Diehl is Grand Secretary Is self constituted and can show no char charter charter charter ter Warrant or other Authority for its and several Grand Lodges re rt refuse refuse fuse to recognise It as a masonic body bod Every statement I have herein made I stand prepared to prove or bear the con consequences consequences sequences Can the anonymous water witter of the paragraph In question do as much Thanking you In Anticipation respect respectfully respectfully fully CUn M I Thomson Montpelier Idaho Not Worthy of Notice Christopher Diehl Diehi secretary of the grand lodge of Utah the oldest grand rand lodge sec see secretary In the world a degree Mason Iason and a Mason Iason who has probably ta taken taken taken ken ken every ever degree that Is smiled a kindly smile when the communication communication of oC Mr Thompson was read to toMm Mm him Ve We would like Mr Diehl Diehi to have an official statement from you inasmuch as you OU and Mr Brown are personally re referred referred referred to and aud a d the grand which you OU represent Is declared In this letter to be beIn beIn bein In existence without warrant Well It is really absurd in one sense and yet I feel sorry for the dupes who have hav been taken In by this or any other man replied Mr Diehl Diehi As an official statement you OU may publish this dictation if i you ou desire The grand secretary of Utah deems It unworthy to take notice of the letter sent you ou by b Mr lr Thompson His statement that the grand lodge of Utah was nota not a regu regular lar grand lodge l dge and was Is entirely false The grand lodge of oC Utah is recognized everywhere from the pre premier mier Ier grand lodge of England and every other grand lodge on the face of oC the globe and as a grand si nd lodge has an enviable rep reputation reputation reputation everywhere It Is a Masonic law that only one grand lodge can exist in a state province or territory Thus every ever state in this and other countries has only onh one grand lodge which is the su supreme supreme supreme preme power and governs the craft in the jurisdiction Where Authority Lies LiesS So S much for tor symbolic or blue lodge Masonry As to Scottish Rite Masonry there are but two supreme councils in the United 1 States viz the southern and northern Jurisdictions The cil en of the former Is located at Washing Washington ton D C COo and has for Cor its grand com commander commander mander James D Richardson and its It sec secretary secretary general is A B Chamberlain The seat Is at Charleston S C The northern jurisdiction seat Is located In Boston This being hying Ing the case and well established established established Masonic law any other man or body of men claiming to have hav rights to establish lodges of oC symbolic Masonry M or Scottish Rite Masonry is fraudulent and clandestine has no standing and any an person claiming to have hae received the th de derees derees rees in such a clandestine body will nev never never never er be recognized reco as a Mason Iason in the juris jurisdiction jurisdiction jurisdiction diction of oC Utah or any other jurisdiction throughout the world In accordance with these facts the grand master of or Utah James H Brown has sent to every ever lodge In the tion an edict warning the loyal loal Masons against this Intrusion Laws Against Impostors At this time there are laws passed by legislative enactment in the thc states of or New York and Massachusetts which are aimed against persons who without au authority authority authority confer degrees in fraternal organ organizations organIzations organizations The offense in New York is made a misdemeanor but the punishment may be as severe as a sentence of three years in prison A movement is now on foot with fostering headquarters so to speak to secure similar laws Jaws for Califor California nia nm the hope is that the statute will within a reasonable time be written Into the codes of ot Utah Prominent local Masons regard the Hel Helper Helper per incident as a good deal of oC a joke One of the laughingly speak speaking speakIng ing lag of the matter yesterday said Since the article in your paper came out a number of or the boys bos have told us about the Helper meeting They say the meeting was held in the back room of a saloon and that mostly ignorant foreign foreigners made the vic victims victims ers Greeks and such were tims Urns They rhey were given all of oC the degrees known to Masonry In a single night at 5 i per degree with many man of the degrees doubled up We e are arc told that a man could become a degree Mason in inan Inan inan an hour or two and that If he were really rean ambitious he could get the for tor another Jo 5 I believe the boys said credentials could be had ex exceedingly exceedingly ly cheap also but I am not sure whether hether I understood him correctly about this Boys Are Eligible We e are ase told too that boys of IS were taken In It Is the established law of or Masonry that no person under the age of or 21 shall shan be entitled to membership No I Ido Ido Ido I do not know what work was given them but I do know that a number of or loyal Ma Masons Masons Ia sons and sensible men have been stung When asked why they did it they the invariably reply that they did not know that everything seemed to be all an allright right and that not being familiar with all an of oC the work they thc took It for granted that the people who took their money mone and gave save them their degrees were all an right This sort of oC business is not especially harmful to the order but It Is harmful In that a lot of or innocent people suffer sutter The grand lodge of oC Utah was organized in 2 with three local lodges the lowest number permitted In the organization of or ofa ora a grand lodge When a grand lodge Is organized communication is had with oth other other er grand lodges and as soon as these other grand lodges recognize the newly created body bod it is a grand lodge with all the power and jurisdiction with which the laws Jaws of oC Masonry t Invest It |