The weekly Butte record., 1867-05-18

And bind again the broken heart.
/ And when we consider that but forty light wears
have eIapsed-a little over half the natural life of
/ man-sinee the much beloved and lamented THoM-
I AS WILpEY, the father and founder OF Odd Fellow
ship. first unfuried the banner of FRIENDSHIP.
Love AND TKUTa and now behold the effect of the
labors of that great and good man, We are struck
with wonder and amazement; and are we not con
strained to say that God Is with US. No sect or
classification OF men formed upon the face of
the earth can present history OF such unparal-
leled success. To day, two hundred thousand souls
are enlisted under that banner-bound together by
tie stronger than that of consanguinity-a tie
which recognizes all mankind as brethren, and God
the father of all.
One great object in organization is protection
against the many ills incident to human lite. by
mutual relief in suffering and distress. And no
institution in the world can present better eXem
piiicaton Of the principle Of human relief than
Odd Fellowship does In this respect it has far
exceeded the most sanguine anticIpatons of Its
early advocates, and by its miastratuns has proven
TO the world that it is longer ehimera but
fact, that one human heart fBd sympathy in
another, and that FRIENDSHIP Is something more
than name-a living and substantial reality. Ii
has nourished and cherished in affilctOn sustained
and aided in time of need and brought comfort and
happiness To the sorrowing and discon>olate. In
evidence Of which let facts be submitted During
the wear of lS66 the members of the Order in this
State alone paid into the treasures OF the various
10 igcs the sum of SIT $40 of which s36.3ll,
81 165 was paid for the relief of widowed families
- 500 was paid for the BURIAL OF the dead and S32
paid for the education OF orphans, making in
the aggregate the sum of Si5 551 as the total sum
expended for the relief OF hu man suffering during
that year, which, after allowing So 900 tor Incl
dental expenses will leave the sum Of 500 900
the net income of capital 'or one year to be used
in some future time when greater need shall re
qure. Again by reference TO the Journal of the
Grand Lodge of the United States, We find the
ceipts of the whole Order for the year to be
81 500 900, of which 1864 ,ll9 was paid tor the
lief of brothers-Ss3 ,0S6 paid tor the relief OF
widowed famlies-SS3 ,jg2 paid for the burial
OF the dead ard slI Al was paid for the educa-
ton of orphans Thus. we that during the
year OF 1866, our Order expended 500 2,i in re
lieving distress, burying the dead, and educating
the orphan and added over million OF dollars to
the sacred fund devoted and set apart for the same
pnrposes. Are not these figures sufficient euogv
upon this part of the work OF our OrIer. II not,
words from me are more than VAIN. Every Odd
Fellow should carefully pegu>e these ANIMAL reports
of our Grand Lodges, and see the vast amount OF
good our order is accomplishing. 1t will awaken
the dormant energies OF his soul, and stimulate him
10 renewed vigpr in the path OF duty. And have
not great cause for returning our thanks to God
for the unbounded prosperity OF the Order we SO
much loye-ia that cur receipts tor the past year
were three times the amount OF expenditures
and vet not of our fraternity was ever compell-
ed to call on the cold charity OF the world or ill IA
pauper's grave? Nor does any brother ieel the loss
and fraterrual purposes; but the contrary, he
deeply feels the riches it brags to his soul III the
know edge that he has discharged his duty to his
unfortunate brethren, IN obedience 10 that DIVINE
command AS ye Woaid that o'heFs should % unto
Won, do We even 50 unto them we'll knowing that
IN the vicistudes Of life, the time may not be tar
distant when the heavy hand OF misfortune may
fall upon him, and ifom necessity he may become
the recipient OF the same tokens oil iraefhal love
aud thereby realize the injunction and promise OF
holy Writ, Cast thy bread upon the water and
after many days it shall return unto thee.
The relief OF human suffering however Is not
the principal object oil O1d relio">hlp-lar from
it. 1t is rather u means by which we seek to ac-
complish other and more Important results by the
cultivation of the social and moral faculties Of
nature, and the iuculcatl0n OF such principles
shall convince the mind Of the brother hood OF man.
and the father-hood o God. In this respect it has
doue much, very much towards destroying tue pre-
judiccS and hatred too often arising ron the artll
ciai ciasslhcaton OF huhlaE >oolet!' "ith such
classfcations Order holds no fellowship; party.
sect nor creed can ever ueStIoy IL, uy o! uiSturo
its harmony As these are forever oeudfird rom our
councils. While gathered within lts ioi are inen
OF almost every nat.oa and chme-ot All political
creeds and rel gious denVandtonS-oi all The clas
sifcations OF society aud oi every avocaton OF life,
the Jew and the Gentle, the rich and the poor tue
high and the low the educated and those less tora
nate, all meeting ana mlnsNnS together IN social
harmony and happiness, As no sacrifice OF opinion
is necessary in the practice OF tRlENp>HiP, LOVE
Fellowship only differs, in thar it enJoins the prac
tce Oar charity, therefore, Is not confined u our
physical wants alone, but IN the broade>t sense Of
the term is made applicable 10 cur social and NOR
nj intrmjtieS bv leaving the mind tree in regard to
an those subjects npOn which men do, and NAV OF
right couScientousy differ, while each aud ali
worship Almighty God according TO the dictates
Of his own conscience. Thus, it may be seen, we
do not seek to destroy the individuality Of man by
merging all into social and moral de>potism. but
To enlarge the sphere OF his affections, aud BY the
eentle influence of LOVE that all powerful remedy
for every evil. to harmouize the contendng ele-
,,cnts al our nature and education in one uuiver-
ssl fraternity. even as the immaculate laws OF God
control in their separate spheres and harmonic in
one universal affinity all the contendlng and antag-
oniSiical clements of inanimate nature. And |
thank God that in this asSembiiug together. and
the ceremonies of TODAY We have beautiful. prac-
teal and living exemplicaton Of those principles
bv which the whole world may vet become fratsr
riya5
Asa moral agent. Odd Fellowship wars against
-; -; oil 5f feTnns a. ali our rites and ceremonies
ars "a Ken iron, ts wori of God This sacred vol
,,re i The foundation Of all work. and vet we are
nr n variance with any Of the many creet> which
are drawn from its sacred pages But with frater-
nal feeling we tolerate all aud only require from
orr brethren that truth and honesty of purpose shall
govern all their actions by the practice OF that
which they nrofsss Every precsut and charge of
Oad Fellowship Is found m the Bible and 10 indel-
iblv stamp them upou our hearts we have system
atized them bv beautiful and ieeplv impressive
smheu1S which hang upon the walls Of oar lodge
roous-not as ornaments but that the lessons they
teach may not be forgotten. They are silent bat