League of Friendship, Mechanical Order of the Sun (also known as League of Friendship of the Supreme Mechanical Order of the Sun; 1868-1868) was a fraternal beneficiary labor organization formed on April 30, 1868, at Meadville, Pennsylvania. From it sprang the Ancient Order of United Workmen (AOUW). The membership of the League was composed almost entirely of mechanics, engineers, firemen, and day laborers employed in the shops and on the lines of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad, later known as Erie Railroad. Its object was "to advance and foster the interests of its members by cooperating in effort and financial assistance whenever called upon to serve a worthy and approved cause." To this pledge each member was bound by a solemn oath to be obedient and faithful. The League was governed by a "Grand Council", and the dissension which led to the resignation of "Father" John Jordan Upchurch and the other founders of the AOUW, and to the final disbanding of the League, October 27, 1868, was caused by a tax levied by that Council, which many members regarded as an imposition.[1]
In the 1860s, secret associations, with signs and passwords, were established, the largest in point of numbers being the Supreme Mechanical Order of the Sun.[2]
On April 30, 1868, there was organized in the city of Meadville, Pennsylvania, a Subordinate League known as the "League of Friendship of the Mechanical Order of the Sun." There was in existence a Grand Council under whose direction the League in Meadville was organized, as evidenced by the fact that Grand Councilman Holstead is noted as being present and officiating. It is apparent also from the Minutes that membership in the League was restricted to the various kinds of mechanical and day laborers. The membership in the Meadville League was almost entirely composed of mechanics, engineers, firemen and day laborers employed in the shops and on the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad, later known as the Erie Railroad.
From March 1865, to December 1868, William W. Walker lived in Meadville. He was there employed in the shops of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. It was here, in the spring of 1868, that he first met John Jordan Upchurch. Both became members of Meadville's League of Friendship of the Mechanical Order of the Sun. Walker joined as a charter member on April 30 and Upchurch became a member at the eighth meeting on June 18, 1868. He was soon after elected as its presiding officer. This Subordinate League, or lodge, had about 100 members, all of them from the shops where Walker and Upchurch worked. About the middle of August 1868, Upchurch was elected presiding officer of this Subordinate League.[3]
The League seemed to have been very prosperous for a time, its membership numbering over one hundred members.
The object of the League was to advance and foster the interests of its members by cooperating in effort and financial assistance whenever called upon to serve a worthy and approved cause. To this pledge each member was bound by solemn oath to be obedient and faithful. It was an incipient effort striving in the direction of that which later was represented in the labor unions of the U.S.
The Mechanical Order of the Sun was an organization with an extensive ritual, having numerous degrees.
Soon, however, suspicion was aroused as to the integrity of the governing body and especially of the officers that were conducting the affairs of the Grand Council, as it was called. This dissatisfaction culminated when the Meadville League was called upon to pay a tax to the Grand Council which they apparently considered an unwarranted demand.
From a variety of causes, dissatisfaction arose among the members of this Subordinate League. Quietly and adroitly, Upchurch fed this dissatisfaction and sought to fan it into a flame. He had an ax of his own to grind, but because he kept his own counsel, his fellow-members were not aware of that fact. It was easy for Upchurch to pursue this course conscientiously. Rightly or wrongly, he had come to the conclusion that the Mechanical Order of the Sun was a fraudulent concern, the purpose of which was to exploit workingmen. Dissatisfaction increased quite rapidly. Many of the members lapsed in disgust. A few became interested in the idea of dissolving the Subordinate League and of founding a new organization. That seed was planted by Upchurch.
The action of the League of Friendship lodge, in dissolving its organization, started with the appointing of a committee to prepare a constitution and ritual for a new organization embodying the ideas advanced by Upchurch. The committee of seven members of the Lodge, consisted of J. J. Upchurch as chairman, W. W. Walker, J. R. Umberger, M. H. McNair, Henry Deross, A. Klock, and J. R. Hulse.[4]
The committee met October 10, 1868, at the house of Upchurch. He submitted plans of which he had dreamed and upon which he had labored for a good many years. The other members of the committee knew nothing about his dreams and labors, but his plans struck them favorably and they willingly left to him the preparation of the constitution and ritual, both of which were accepted and approved by the committee.
On October 27, 1868, at the regular meeting of the League of Friendship, the committee reported. A motion was made and carried to dissolve the League of Friendship and proceed to the organization of a new Order. Upchurch presented the constitution and ritual approved by the committee, which was adopted, the League was declared dissolved.[5] Then 14 ex-members proceeded to organize the first Subordinate Lodge of the AOUW.
Extract of letter of J. J. Upchurch to J. M. McNair, Meadville, Pennsylvania, February 3, 1873:—