, 1860-03-21
iattss Trihu1te.

The Sons of Malta Oyerlnu1ed.

The Sons OF Malta Oyerlln u1ed.
The Springfield (Nass) Rputtican turns its
attention to tic Sons Of Malta, mud treats them
to the following pointed lecture:
Aa d mere huas, & sport for oyergrown boys,
there is no very serious objection to such Of the
performances IT tbe Sons Of Malta as are within
tie limits Of .lrcency The grotcsque dresses
aud silly mummeries Of the lodge ROOM are Of
spccial consequence It does iot harm man
essentially to be NAKED rs donkey and to
play the part Of donkey, or TO be tossed ln q
6tank.t, or dropped into tub Of vet spon -es,
or put through serics of imaginary reriis md
The joke once over thu wholc thiug ends, and
the association dies out when it has hocussei
all tho fools in any community. We presume
it is worth & to some 5ohnE men to be ''put
through course Of sprouts" in this way, for
once, that they may be On th'ir guard against
tai lives II this wei a!l there is in the order,
it might be allowed to liye its brief life and die
upnoticed.
But there is positive mischief and degrada-
tion in the Order. VIC do not profess to dis
close i:e sccrets. It las none, asids from its
mode Of Initiation. But We knew that some Of
its practices tend to debsse all connected with
it, to destroy their sef-respect. This is the frat
effect Of the ritual of the Sons. When man is
uropoSed as q candidate, his uane lies orer
week or two, aud in that time the members busy
themselves in bunting up The history Of his past
Ii c, uud If he has heeu guilty Of any pcccadil
Toes or indiscretions they are pretty sure to be
ton, when he is brought blind1old into the lodge,
leading questions are put to him that show la-
miliarity with his history that startles him, and
10 his aIarnl and confusion he Is induced to con-
fess acts witch man should confess only to his
own conscience and his God. Especially if he
has been guilty Of any iadtseres'ons With tue
other sex, particular effort is made to bring
them out. and IN a manner to place vice in a hu-
morous light, and to represent the ruin Of fe.
maie virtue as an admirable practical joke. The
MN who has been through such confessional
Us this, must inevitably feel degraded in the
presence Of those who hare heard and seen his
humiliation, or if he stands up under II be does
it By boldness aud sbamelpssncss which are
evidence OF still more hopeless moral depray-
ity.
There are also in the regalia and appointments
Of the lodges things that no decent man can
contemplate without shame-things positively
disgusting and lircntious in their tendency. No
man Of proper self respect, no mau Of clsauly
habits and pure thoughts. no man who honors
virtue iu woman or true gal!antry in man, vii!
fail to be shocked and disguised by the indeeen.
cies tolerated in The lodges Of the Sons Of Malta
On this account many men Of character who are
cntrappcd into the lodges never visit them at
leI"hFuS- Auu O0 LUIS 8ECoHUL 5uuHE utu WIZ
aim at responsibility should avoid them alto
gether. The Sons Of Malta are grand leye'ipg
institution; but they leve1 down, not up. They
bring decent people into fellowship with 1ht
filth Of the gutter Young men who respect
| themselves, and do not wish to lose that protec
ton to integrity und character, had BITTER SAVE
their five dollars and do without the Information
the sons Of Malta can give them. They lost
| nothing at all by staying out; they may lose I
great deal besides their money BY going in.