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MASONS. 149 MASONS. William.) The Order is also prospering in British America, while in the republics of South America, whore the Catholic religion i.s in the ascenilenl, 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 hy white members of the Order, or their grand and subordinate lodges in this country, although receiving full recognition as to the regularity of tlicir organization from some of the foreign Grand Lodges. The parent lodge was opened in Boston. jMarch (i, 177.5. 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- bers 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. 420 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 death of the charter members, was subsequently revived, but failed to receive recognition from the Grand Lodge of England. The African Grand Lodge of Bo.ston, now known as Prince Hall Grand Lodge of llassachusetts, was organized in 1808. and there are at the present time in the L'nited States twenty-eight colored Grand Lodges, iind 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, Kentueky, Louisiana. Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jerse,v, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Penns,vlvania, 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 Koyal Arch, Councils of Royal and Select ilasters, Commanderies of Kni,ghts Templars, subordinate bodies of the Ancient Ac- cepted Scottish Rite, a Supreme Council of Sov- ereign Grand Insi)ectors-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 duties of a ^lason are always to be 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 which has led to much of the opposition it has encountered, on account of its being a secret institution. It differs from other secret and beneficial societies in the matter of its beneficiary features, for theie is no obligation expressed in the ord<'r of pro- cedure set forth as part of its fixed policy. The measure of relief to be extended to fellow members in di.stress and the participation in any work of charity are matters implied rather than commanded. Some of the lodges volvintarily 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 loilge. A sojourning or visit- ing Mason, in any locality where he may be tiui- porarilj' staying, if in distress, has a claim on his brother ilasons, in accordance with the spirit and teaching of the Masonic fraternity. A system of benevolence has been adopted in many of the American jurisdictions which is characteristic of the fraternity. It is the establishment in difl'cr- cnt jurisdictions of Masonic homes and inlinua- ries for the needy and distressed of the Order. The first of these homes was established in 1807 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, W"icli- ita, Kan., 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 liomes are. like the English institutions, largely supported by voluntary contributions, but in some States a per capita tax is levied upon each Master Mason within the jurisdiction. The teachings of Freemasonry are symbolical, ceremonial, and allegorical. Rites, almost with- out nmnber, were formed by degree-makers dur- ing the past one hundred and fifty years, but most of them had but a short existence. There are now ten JIasonic rites or systems in use throughout the world, all having as their founda- tion the three s.vmbolic degrees of Entered Ap- prentice, Fellowcraft. and ilaster Mason. The two rites that .are ranked as universal are the York or English rite, and the Ancient Accepted Scottish rite of thirt.v-three degrees. The Eng- lish rite comprises the three fundamental sym- bolic degrees, and the Royal Arch degree, ap- pended in 181.3. The English rite has been en- larged and changed in this country and Canada and is known as the American rite. It consists of thirteen degrees, grouped as follows: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft. and Master Mason, con- ferred in sj'mbolic lodges : jMark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent ilaster. and Royal Arcli, conferred in chapters of Royal Arch Masons ; Royal Master, Select Master, and Super-Excellent Master, conferred in councils of Ro.val and Select Masters; and Orders of the Red Cross, Knight Templar, and Knight of Malta, conferred in commanderies of Knights Templars. Of the tliirty-three degrees of the Ancient Accepted Scot- tish rite the first three or symbolic degrees are never conferred, all control of them and right to use them having been relinquished b.v the Supreme Councils of the Scottish Rite to the Grand Lodges of the United States and Canada. The degrees from the fourth to the fourteenth are conferred in the Lodge of Perfection ; these are Secret Master, Perfect Master, Inti- mate. Secretary, Provost and Judge, In- tendant of the Building, Knight Elect of Nine, Knight Elect of Fifteen. Sublime Knight Elect, Grand Master Architect. Knight of the Ninth Arch, and Perfect and Sublime ilasou. The degrees Knight of the East or Sword and Prince of .Terusalem are conferred in councils of Princes of .Terusalem. The degrees of Knight of the East and West and Knight of Rose Croix are conferred in chapters of Rose Croix. In con- sistories of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret