The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-05-24

f. =.
work of lmeeslSe 80 4I
men, IS outlaws yIa II
tons which the fnage &
mutual aid ap6. pEpfe
al obligations W&Fe 6lgFg
moral principles of ~
men, soers speewlatiges tqt
tons for mutual aid and hEn k1l III
operative. Had both bs1n eIIke
the danger could n0s hayei1nI
these cases there would hn4o
pirate nor 6rigdnd. h os1Gr7
societies shall stand trlthfully
world, both the moral and tffH
ments in them must be'opeFpaiNn
| cannot here refrain from intpb
What do Temperance organi3aiiona pin
by engrafting on them the element 81 30
crecyP They are uHfer no obligations t0-
render to each other material aid. Wh6
are they that they would guard against4
What impesters are they afraid off What
is it m theSt organization SsStsufuAE b..
hedged about with mysteriesf Secrecy
and mystic rite are exotic plants, thai cam
not weO 4e enSEs0sd On Yedarp reforms,
because they have now no vitality.
ln this outside cieso Of secret societies,
| have confined myself strictly to the
principles Of these societies, as published
under their supervision. / have not in
tentionalIy misrepresented any OF their
principles. Ef from view strictly out
side, have come to wrong conclusions,
it is the result of circumstances arising
from the limit I prescribed to myself, at
the outset; but confined as have been
to the outside, think all will cay that,
however you may surround ideas aud
principles by mysterious forms and csre-
monies, they cannot be concealed, for
they are intended to influence our actions,
aud in our actions they will stand re-.
vealed.
would not '6sS ~ ssU6N them Sshgle
iota of the praise they deserve for their
generous acts of kindness and help. I'll
would attempt 1t, the praise of the wtd.
ow and the orphan, and the gratitude 1t
the sick and the sorrowing, who have NJ
ceived kindly care and sympathy. Naoia
rise up as tribute Of praise. F0KAlE aeta
deserving praise, award them the, fnll
need. But in The moral platform there .
weakness, and for this evil there ID within
the societies no radical power Of reform.
can say that man who wears the rega-
liza of Mason or an Odd Fellow, and ID
an immoral man, is not good member d
either Order, because he does not abide
by the principles that the societies enjoins
The design of these societies is landa-
BILE one, and If it could be carried out,
would deserve the cooperation of all ]; but
they have in them elements Of weakness
that bring out strangeincOnSiStencies.
In summing up this outside view, I en-
led to the following conclusions LIST.
That as mutual aid societies, they are the
most efficient of any mode now extant
I'd. That their mysteries or secret GER
cmonies are not morally derogatory but
consist in such forms, as taught Only
in the Lodge room, prove protection
against imposture. And here is the only
point in which mysteries can be Of utiIi-
ty; and if not immoral, are not objection
able, because they are then like the mer.
chapt's cost.price trademark.
Sd. That while they embOdy in their
tenets pure code of morals, still they are
deficient in failing to make this moral
code obligatory.
4th and lastly. Without this neral ele.
ment raised to position Of equal obIigA.
ton with the charitable and mutual aid
element, they must soon lose their high
and honorable standing. They stand hA=
fore the world like man of noble mind,
with warm and generous feelings, and .
heart Of kindness and love but who 10
abandoning the paths Of rectitude and vir.
tue, under the demon of intempeFance.
His good qualities of head and heart, and
his speculative love of all that is true and
good cannot save him; the principles Of
goodness and truth must become opera
tive in him, or else he is lost. '---'-------s, =