Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-04-07
rnE soNs or mALrA oyEnHAuLED.

The Springfield (Aiass.) Republican turns
its attention to the Sons Of Malta and treats
them to the following pointedlecture:
As mere hoax, sport for overgrown
boys, there is no very serious objection to
such Of the performances Of the Sons Of
Malta as are within the limits Of deeency.
The grotesque dresses and silly munmeries
ofthe lodge room are Of special consequence.
It does not harm a nlaff essentially 10 BE
masked as a donkey, or to be tossed in a
Blanket, Of dropped into tub ofWet spong-
Is, or put through series Of imaginary
periIs and real discomforts, ii order 70 bring
Eoiu lis pluck The joke once OYER, the
whole thing ends, and tho association dies
out when II has hoctssed III the fools in
any community. We presume it is worth
$5 to some young men to he sput through
a course ofsprouts' in this way, for once
that they may BE on their guard against
stupidity aud nonsense for the rest OF their
mortal Ewes. II this were Ill there is in the
order, it might be allowed u live its brief
life and die unnoticed
But there is positive mischief and degra-
dation in the Order. We dc notprofess to
disclose its secrets. 1t has none aside from
IFS mode of initiation. But we know that
some gifts practices tend to debase all con-
nected with it, to destroy their self-respect.
This is the first effect Of the ritual of the
Sons. When a man is proposed as can
didate, his name lies over week or two,
and in that time the members busy them
sell es in hunting up The history of his past
life, and ifhe has been guilty Of any pecca-
diloes OF indiscretions they are pretty
sure to be found out Then, on disturbance
for examination, when he is brought blind
fold INTO the lodge, leading questions are
put to him that show familiarity with his
history that startles him, and in his alarm
and confusion he is induced to confess acts
which a man should confess only to his
own coneience and his God Especially
if he has been Guilty Of any indiscretions
with the other sex, particular effort Is made
to bring them out, and in a manner to place
vice in a humorous light, and to represent
the ruin of female virtue as an admirable
practical joke, The man who has BEEN
through such a confessional as this, must ill-I
evitably feel degraded in the presence of
those who have heard and seen his humili-
alton, or if he stands up under it he does it
by boldness and shamelessness which are
evidence Of a still more hopeless moral de-
pravity
There are also in the regalia and APP
pointments Of the lodges things that node
cent man can contemplate withoutshame-
things positively disgusting and licentious
in their tendency. No man of proper self
respect, no man Of cleanly habits and purel
thoughts, no man who honors virtue inl
women or true gallantry in man, viii fail
10 be shocked and disguised by the indecen-l
cies tolerated in the lodges OF the Sons oil
Malta On this account many men Of char
acter who are entrapped into the lodges
never visit them afterwards. And on this
account young men who aim at respect-l
ability 81 ould avoid them altogether. Thel
Sons of Malta arc a grand leyeling institute
ton; but they level down. net up. They
bring decent people ipso fellowship with
the filth of the gutter. Young men Who'll
respect themselves, and do not wish III lose
that protection to integrity and character
had better save their FIVE dollars and dol
without the information the Sons Of Malta
can give them. They lose nothing at ALL
By staying out; they may lose u EVeat deal
besides their money by going in.