The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1867-05-30

~ N0 .EagA3l Isth ANg t-.1" -
EAddrssa AZ lAfnt4d sally. Esa.., Il,
r. City. April 36th, 1885,. 1T :
Ladies, Gentlemen and Brothers Of the Order:
o In my opinion the special occasion
which brings ~ together to-day does
notscall for an eloquent harangue or .
rhetorical speech, but rather for plain
words and simple facts tending to bring
before the public the history, the princi-
pies and the objects Of Odd Fellowship.
With this view Ipropoee to discuss first,
| its history; second, its principles and
objects; and third, its practical work !
ings.f 4ess".tA 19 ~" st.is7r1A s''' 10
a0iiElaq ITS EARLY HISTORY. asts@as Z
/ There am many legsnds and tradi-
! tionsa current among Odd Fellows as to
the hrst inception yof the Order. We
find in some books very plausible sto-
rythat II .was first originated among the
Cloths and Hunse In the 4th century
that it existed in Spain in the 5th, in
Portugal in the 9Th and in France in the
18th century, and from France it was
| carried across the channel to England.
Another writer with a greater stretch of
imagination, says that it had its origin
among the soldiers of Rome, In the
year IS, during the reign Of the univcr-
sally execrated Emperor Nero; that Ti-
tus Ceaser gave to those who formed the
Order the name ofIOdd Fellows OH ac-
count of their singularity in being able
to know each other in the dark as well
as in the extraordinary friendship they
manifested for one another. That it was
those same Roman o. F's. who carried
the Order into Germany and Italy and
afterward into Spain and Portugal and
that its after introduction into France
and from thence to England, can be ea-
silly explained by the nearness Of those
countries to each other.
Free Masons claim that Solomon was
the great founder of their Order at the
building of the first temple-so some
enterprlsing and enthusiastic O. F.
Jealous for the glory of his Order has
started the story that Adam was the
founder of the Order of o. F's.; and to
make the story still stronger aud if pos
sible to clinch its truthfulness, medal
was struck representing the great Faith
er of mankind actually laying the foun-
dations of lodge and 1 understand that
the medal speak of, or copy was Oh
tanned from an English lodge in 1926
and is now in the possession of the
Grand Lodge of the u. s.
The fact is that all these storys are
mere fabrications. There is spell--a
glamour thrown around all secret soci-
cites which give them an air Of antiqui-
ty and make even men of fcommon sense
believe in the fables which are told and
have become current as their age; and
while do not call in question the mo-
tives and honest beliefof the men who
have written these traditions, have no
hesitancy in saying that believe them
all to be without any reasonable foun-
dation.
1t is indeed very probable that from
time immemorial secret societies have
existed among men-that men have
banded themselves together for mutual
protection and for the accomplishment
Of purposes requiring secret and united
action. There have also from time i'm
memorial existed among men societies
for convivial purposes--drinking clubs
gambling clubs-and among the an
cient Greeks it is well authenticated
fact that there were numerous eating
clubs-and probably too-many of these
societies had their secret signs, words
and methods of recognizing each other.
It is an old saying THAT there is moth
ing new under the sum-" Both before
aud since the days of the flood men
have gambled and dissipated, eat, drank,
and made merry, and therefore I am
perfectly willing to admit that secret
societies for these purposes have existed
in all ages. But I cannot believe that
an Order similar to our own, have iden-
tical or even similar objects has existed
for such a length of time as the writers
have mentioned insist.
HISTORY OF THE ORDER IN ENGLAND.
The truth as to the origin of the Order
of 0. F's. is thatit started In the latter
part of the last century, in the city of
London-that it sprung from convivial
and social clubs composed of mechanics
and laborers, who met together frequent
ly in the taverns for the purpose Of eat
ing, drinking and having good time
generally.
After time it became custom in
some of these rollicking clubs for each
member to contribute penny a week
from his earnings to form fund for the
relief of the poor and more especially to
defray burial expenses aud to provide
for widows and orphans.