The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-04-05
For The Ceci! Wig.
Z. AGAINST III MBUGGERY.

The brothers attempt to make great
ado about the BeneUoleace of their Or
der, but know something about this
same Benevolence,, the Jener-half of
which is sheer prodigality. Some, of
course, on whom are conferred ''6enefts"
are real objects Of charity; but if a men,
Der mains his toe, Or cuts his finger sui-
iciently to frame a reasonable excuse
for quitting business a week Or two, he
goes to his Division and claims 'bene-
fits" then lounges about, nursing his
wounds, in no hurry, it is probable, to
get them healed up. And, again, all
members are objects of charity, when
sick or disabled, in the eye of the I'M
partial law-the rich as we'll as the
poor. Now eheminacy is the hot-bed
of disc ase, and to whom does it belong
but to those who are above the Deepen
dence of physical labor? The conse-
quence is, that those who are able to
pay their own doctor bills, are the ones
who receive the most "benetits;" while
the frugal and industrious, whom sick
ness seldom visits, are taxed for the adj
vantage the voluptuous, who have al
ready more wealth than they judcious-
ly use. There is but little Bcnevolence
lii all tbs, more than the mere show of
it, and the sounding name; but the law
cannot disc inmate, therefore 1t must
be prodigal spendthrit in nine cases,
in order to be benevolent benetactor
in the tenth.
But this is not all. Where is the
utility Of this rcg"lia that performs such
a conspicuous part in the Order! If
cannot be shown that it assists Temper
ance, Brnevolcncr Sc, then its cost must
be noted down to the account of prodi-
gality. We will suppose that the Order
numbers three hundrcd thousand mem
bers, and each member must have a col
lar which, placed at the lowest estimate,
will cost l2a cents. These three hun
dred thousand balges, consequently,
amount to the snug sum of thirty seren
thousand fire huudred dollars worse
than thrown away; but question much
whether this sum will cover one half of
the cost, for much Of the regalia is made
of the finest material and richly orna-
mented with gold and silver, costing as
many do(lorS as the common muslsn
collars do cents. So that we may safe
~ put down the cost of this useless ap-
pendagc at 515, 900 to 100000. This
sum added to one half of the benefits that
are supposed to have been conferred du-
ring the past year-and it is certain that
not more than one half was consumed
by objects ofreM charity-and we have
a sum bordering on a quarter of mil
lion, which must be set down to the ac-
count of prodigality in the
cost of regalia and the expenditure of
one year only.
In attacking The rcgalia of this Order,
lwould state to other societies which use
characteristic emblems, that / know
nothing ortheir motives for doing so.
here are many Orders whose members
belong to certain trades and professions,
and who fratcrniZe for mutual interest
and protection in pecuniary affairs.
These are pricate institutions and have
a right 10 use just whatever kind of in
sigma they please. But this Order of
the ''Sons" processes TO be Temperance
Society, and as such concerns eccry man
in the community. Individual appetite
and vanity, which employ one third of
the labor ofthe world already in produ-
cling luxuries and gewgaws, it would
seem are not sufficient, but we must
have regularly constituted society,
with one of its cardinal principles pro-
noting the same object.
have heard it alleged in support of
this trapping, by some of the brother
hood, that the making of it was bestow-
ed upon poor women. And what spe-
cies of charity is it to employ poor women
to do nothing-aye! worse than nothing
and pay them out of the earnings Of
sober industry! can't, for the life of
me, perceive the difference in employing
these poor women to stitch up useless
rags together, and in sending them out
IN the street to toss marbles. The ad-
vantage to mankind would be about the
same. | don't know but physiology
will give her verdict to marble shooting,
lnasmuch as exercise in the open air is
more conducive to health and happiness
than the confinement of indoor occupa-
ton. But in place of making collars for
the "Sons," were these poor momen en-
ployed in making the muslin they thus
waste, into shirts for the ragged urchins,
who run the streets, the work, then,
would be one of real Benevolence and
Brotherly Love!
once heard an anecdote told by a
very intelligent member of the Order,
illustrative of the usefulness of the re-
gala, the purport of which is as follows:
A little girl once saw a man imbibing
the poisonous fluid, whom size afterwards