The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-01-27

htcl thty Jake III husohlNs " lo'o 10
brethren" to be tender Of each others
good name, TO make a brothers wants
and welfare their own, to be courte-
Gus, faithful and true But this spe-
cial tie binding Freemasons together
works no i'll to anybody else
NOT oFrENsIvE1Y EXCLUSIVE.
What is often miscalled the exclu-
siyeness of Fremasonry is so called
from misapprehension of its place
and purpose. We do not call church
exclusive, though it imposes conditions
as to faith and characteron its members.
Do you say that the elective franchise,
the civil right to vote, has no condi-
tons prefxed? May aliens, or non
residents, or minors, or women, or the
insane, or paupers, vote and make
laws? Yet the charge of exclusiveness
is hardly the proper word to apply in
the case. The ocean is all very well in
its way, also the broad river, the rain
falling alike On good and bad, on field
and forest, and of which all are equal
" and Internationally the recipients.
But it is necessary to gather the rain
into private cisterns, to dig wells, to
hold springs as private property, to
lay aqueducts and establish pumps,
and guard them from common use, at
least from abuse, in order to distribute
the bounty Of Heaven and make it
available to the supply of mans do
mestic needs. And though a well, a
spring cistern, is private property
and can not be used without permits
sion Of the owner, yet we do not call
these arrangements exclusive; we on
~ denonGnate, in that way, the i'm
proper Withholding of good from men
IN distress where it is practicable to
assist them. And Freemasonry is
not opposed to general benovolence,
though it has its field of special, or
ganized benovolence 1t is not, in any
offensive sense, exclusive, while it in
cludes in its scope and its charitable
circuit not only every brother, but his
family, and makes special provision
for his widow, orphans and depen-
dants. The charity of the order obeys
the fundamental law Of its crganiza-
ton, and flows silently and secretly
through the appointed channels to its
appropriate objects, i. e., % brethren
and to their families when they are
needy Within its sphere of Operation
and influence, it is charity admirably
contliyed and adapted to its end. 1t
must not be held .culpahe for not do
ing impossible things. IT cannot abol-
isl all ss.qerlng. It's power and means
are limited. All human instrumental
tiles are imperfect because men are so.
Does any one ask why Masonry
should limit its charity to Masons? l
answer I do not know as they do, I
hope they do not act SO contrary to
Freemasonry as to limit their charity
to members of the order.
A true Freemason, / think, will do
no such thing. But allow me to ask
if there is no preference to be shown
in selecting the objects of our charity,
no selection of persons to receive our
special regard, confidence and sympa-
thy Is there no limit to our means
of relieving distress? No conditions
requisite to gaining the esteem and
securing the confidence of mankind ?
These questions suggest their own
answer. | might indeed ask why the
town of St Adams should not vote
money to all the poor ir the County
and State as well as to the poor within
our own limits? The town has no
power, no right, and is under no obi
cation, as town, to exercise each pro-
digal and boundless liberality Nor is
one State under any sort of -obligation
to provide for the poor or pay the debts
of other States. The resources of a
Lodge are limited, and they are ex-
pended ON the well-known, common
sense principle that every one should
provide for those of his own house
hold before he engages in enterprises
of indiseriminate benevolence Who
then has the first and strongest claim
on the charity fund Of a Lodge, if not
those who contribute to form that
fund, and their families? Charity,
among Masons as among christians,
begins at home, and then flows out
ward as widely as possible towards all
who are needy.
I Freemasonry teaches us to keep a
brothers secrets as our own, subject OF
course to the duty of allegiance to gov
ernment and our civil obligations.
The brethren Of one family do not, il
they are wise, diyulgo and blazon