The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-05-11


Our system of parliamentary law is the
same used in all deliberative bodies; sim
pli6ed, but still embodying all that is neces-
sary to the government Of any deliberative
body. When had the honor to preside
over the House Of Representatives of this
State, was struck in the outset by the fact
that certain members of that body, never
before in public life, and now professional
men, were much better posted in parliamen.
tary practice than other members ADLER than
themselves who, to some extent, were public
men; the reason was soon manifest to me.
They were old Oddfellows, and in their sew
eral lodges had qualified themselves, so far
IS parliamentary k lowledge could do so, to
discharge their duties as Legislators. Odd
fellowship is genuine Republicanism, not in
a party sense, but in the most extensive
sense of the term. In the dispensation OF
its government and in the bestowment Of its
bounties, the people, the members equally
bear rule, and equally share rights. Here
the homeless exile from foreign persecution,
and the needy brother from lands before the
sea, meet brethren to the manor born, upon
terms of absolute equality.
1t is philanthropic institution; it trains
men to be liberal with their means, and q
habit once sconired j. not easily ahandos,ssa.
It Is sometimes said that Oddfellows give
to their own members when more deserving
subjects could be found for the bestowal Of
bounty; suppose this is so, yet the truth
remains that the more men give, the easier
it seems to them to give; and my expe-
rience is: that whilst Oddfellows take care
Of their own sick, bury their own dead and
relieve the wants of orphans and widows of
their deceased members, they still perform
their full share in relieving suffering and
want, outside the pale of their own Order
The progress made by the Independent Or
der in the United States, has exceeded the
expectations Of its founders. From Wash
ington Lodge, No. l, consisting Of Thomas
Wildly and four others, formed April 26th,
A. d. 1919, it has grown until it contains
about three hundred thousand members.
It distributed, during the last year, for re-
lief alone, about one million Of dollars. Who
can estimate the suffering relieved and bless
ings bestowed by that sum of money, dis
tributed to worthy subjects from Maine to
Louisiana and from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific. Who can estimate the number Of
lonesome, sick chambers made cheerful
the timely aid carried to the firesides of
destitute widows and orphans-the foods of
scalding tears wiped from the eyes Of weep
ing mothers and children, by its instru-
mentality. Language utterly fails me in the
attempt to draw . picture from which faint
idea can be drawn Of its iAcalcuable bene-
fits.
Let any one Of you imagine yourself far
away from home and the endearments of the
family, among strangers, upon sick bed,
tortured by disease. You are approached
by strange brother whom you never saw
or heard Of before, he brings to your bedside
. pleasant smile, inquiries about you, then
about your family, assures you that wheth-
er your sickness be long or short, YOU shall
not be left without friends, brings YOU some
little article of fruit or other dainty, leads
your mind by his conversation away from
the natural anxieties of = sick man, talks to
you about green fields and pleasant ram
bles in the country, or the busy hum of the
city. Then imagine the amiable wife, and
interesting children bereft Of thier protection
by the hand Of death, Without property or
wealthy relations. Visited, comforted and
and aided, not by empty manifestations of
sympathy, but by substantial aid, such as
food, clothing and education for the chill
dren; and you may then have . faint idea
Of what that one million of dollars in the
hands Of hundreds Of thousands of souls
have done during the past year.
Many institutions protesting like princi- |
Piles to ours have sprung up within the last
half century and what Of them, except this
and Masonry none remains. And why have |
they failedy Simply because their principle |
Of association consisting Of the mere
Of benevolence, however good |
lu itself, embraced no community Of inter- |
est, no bond Of union, and consequently, |
wanting in the element Of life. It is the |
principle of secresy that forms our bond of
Union, that constitutes our Brotherhood, |
md enables us to preserve our organic |
capacity. And here come to consider this |
The only serious objection urged to our or |
der; and Of all the objections ever heard, |
L is the one with which | have least patience,
because it is most unreasonable and un-
philosophical. Mystery and secrcsy abound
throughout every department Of society,
md were it otherwise ours would be mis-
,rsble world and miserable society. The
dea Of hearing and keeping secret springs
alone from sense Of the importance Of i'm
plicit confidence, and those are the relations
IF life, whether domestic or business, whore
the greatest degree of confidence exists,
which result most happily and successfully.
For Instance . nxt's home is tho place
where his best and holiest affections rests:
but if I curious and prying world were to
stand BY, to note every word, look and gss-
;ure tsanspiring there, all the charms and
'acred associations Of home would Instantly
md forever depart. Yet upon the principle
Il this objection, unless 1 man prochims
III that transpires in his family, ioEsooth
here must be something wrong there.
Every well roOuIafed mercanfi1e Arm has