WILLIAM.) The Order is also prospering in British America, while in the republics of South America. where the Catholic religion is in the ascendent, the same influences operate to its hindrance as in the European countries where Church influence is powerful.
A system of what is known as Freemasonry exists among the colored people in America, which, while admitted to be regular, is not recog nized by white members of the Order, or their grand and subordinate lodges in this country, although receiving full recognition as to the regularity of their organization from some of the foreign Grand Lodges. The parent lodge was opened in Boston, March 6. 1775, through the exertions of Prince Hall, known in the archives of the Order as the father of Freemasonry among colored men. There were fifteen charter mem hers and the lodge was known as African Lodge. It received a warrant from the Grand Lodge of England in 1784 and was organized as African Lodge No. 429 in 1787, with the rank of a Provincial Grand Lodge and Prince Hall as pro vincial grand master. This lodge became dor mant after the dealh of the charter members, was subsequently revived, but failed to receive recognition from the Grand Lodge of England. The African Grand Lodge of Boston, now known as Prince llall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, was organized in 1808, and there are at the present time in the United States twenty-eight colored Grand Lodges, and one in Ontario, Can ada. These are distributed as follows: Ala bama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Con necticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Flor ida. GeOrgia. Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Al aryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey. New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia. There also exist among the negroes bodies of the higher degrees of Masonry, viz. Chapters of the Royal Arch, Councils of Royal and Select Masters, Commanderies of Knights Templars, subordinate bodies of the Ancient Ac cepted Scottish Rite, a Supreme Council of Sov ereign Grand Inspectors-General, and Temples of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
Concerning the rites. ceremonies. and princi ples of Freemasonry it should be said that the underlying principle is a belief in a Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul. Next to
that is the recognition of fraternal obligations among members of the Order. The ditties of a .Mason are always to he held subordinate to his duty to his God, to his country. and to his fellowmen, a fact not generally credited outside the fraternity, and ignorance of whidt has led to much of the opposition it has encountered, on account of its being a secret institution. It differs front other secret and beneficial societies in the matter of its beneficiary features, for there is no obligation expressed in the order of pro cedure set forth as part of its fixed policy. The measure of relief to be extended to fellow members in distress and the participation in any work of charity are matters implied rather than commanded. Some of the lodges voluntarily cre ate funds for charitable purposes, but this is a matter which rests with the particular lodge, which is independent in any line of action it adopts not antagonistic to the objects or prin ciples of the Order. As a rule, the dispensing of relief is entirely governed by circumstances, and is not circumscribed by conditions of membership in any particular lodge. A sojourning or visit ing Mason, in any locality where he may be tem porarily staying, if in distress, has a claim on his brother Masons, in accordance with the spirit and teaching of the Masonic fraternity. A sjoJem of benevolence has been adopted in many of the American jurisdictions which is characteristic of the fraternity. It is the establishment in differ ent jurisdictions of Masonic homes and infirma ries for the needy and distressed of the Order. The first of these homes was established in 1867 at Louisville, Ky., as the 'Masonic Widows and Orphans Home and Infirmary.' Other institu tions have been founded in Philadelphia, Chicago, Saint Louis, Nashville. Springfield, Ohio, Wich ita, Nan., Waterford, Conn.. Burlington, N. J., Richmond, Va., and in Michigan, Texas, and California. Funds have been established in many other jurisdictions either to found homes or to provide a systematic administration of charity. The homes are, like the English institutions, largely supported by vohmtary contributions, but in some States a per capita tax is levied upon each Master Mason within the jurisdiction.