Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-04-18
DAILY DEMOCRAT.


~ ~ Ouuy WUeu tov mtUu H.
expended By q perusal Of the Great gns
Of Masonry, aud We havoc onsidsrss the
doctrines taught in the third degree. inst
We b gin 10 SEQ that the mission Of Masonry
10 not the more transmission Of forms ana
ceveuories, Of signs ami tokens; that our
work is not to b. con6aed to the csnferfing
OF degrees. We learn that though our path
10 beset wiih dangers, and though Ne aust
fall by the hand Of death and be Deposited
ia the tomb, yet w shall be raised 20 new
life and be admitted into the Celestial Lcd
&c above. &c. " Chase.
WuAr CONSTITUTES 4 Mason y-Many
thlnk that comforting The Degrees. 10 Ill The
machinery Of The Iaeeitution but sueh 10
not The ease; every oan roieed b set Q
Mason, nor every one soooead Ceopanioo.
any mcss then every ctses0soosd nan 10 .
child Of Abraham o. every eos eoptissd
Chr:staa. In every case e 10 he adepsiees
possession and development Of eertdn
clearly ds0ud psiasplss. vhleh ars eeeled
By The outward csrs0suy. Because eethie
missoaespliee. nany thisk ths CAaptee Uiu
b sustained, and Royal Arch nasese1 ID
vauesd By incsease Of us06ssship. R0aeh
material is presented, end uuskillful work
non mark t; bat u eaa sever b wsooeht
into that true building which true Assons
are sndsavoring TO erect. Numbers do nes
give prosperity or character worth dos.
do not believe there 10 . dormat chaPtss
in Virgins, whose death IVES not caused ~
unfit officers Or bad chapter OF prominent
Companions. Purge the Charac'ss BY true
Masonic discipline, and give them good and
qualified Companions for ofBcers. and they
will be more active than sver.-0. ~.
Dome
SYnsoLlc MAsoHsY new presents herself
redeemed from the Islander Of thu past and
the suspicious Of the preset. Still the
Order hes less cause for dread 10 prejudice
or passion, than 10 the utmost unprscsdsnt.
cd popularity Of the iastitstion now and
lately existing. Numbers are knocking ct
the door, Who perhaps never would have
given Masonry thought had net the last
lev years mere particularly brought its
practicable utility bsfors them, and In THE
the great danger lies. Among 20 many sp.
plyine for admittsuce there are not . few
Who are entirely unworthy Of our regard
and confidence. Il bsho0ves the lodges to
b particularly careful, therefor, whom they
admit. for ono upsousd ashlas placed in the
building. Of necessity, visiatss the strength
and security Of the structure. TO make .
good Mason one must not only b . good
msn, but be ooGht - pesDeso thsss Qusli-
ties which tsod y saiss hin In the scale Of
life. Your "good. sort Of fellow" seldom
makes COED Mason, o. even worthy one,
aud il 10 not to the credit Of the ffstefnity
10 admit such Q man on Tie cbeckered door.
where oil meet upon level. Wealth nsith.
IL 1~l l.
worth does. Better have soall member
ship, with peaee, COED will end content
msnt therein, than . large 0smbssship,
With sotton thinkers, sources q disease and
discord, which have 70 b plueked out.
The lodge sheuld well scrutinixs each ap-
plicaut's 4otivss, and Il 10 the unbounded
duty Of The lodge. isssvisSly, to give Ma
sonry the benefit Of any and every doubt
cannot too foreibly urge upon yos, ny
brethrsn, the advantage, nay, the asesssitD.
Of vigilasuy guarding the portals d ths
lodge. Better, fav better, reject score Of
really COED and worthy men than extend
our privileges 70 sNs doubtful. and mayhsp
unworthy, individual. -R. ". Brs. n, =.
Glenn, D. d., @. H.
A PAAcTlcAL AAsop.-"The ssase1 fer
reunions, balls. parties. routs. sociablss aad
Oh The other devices for keeping folks cut
late ct night and taking money out Of their
pockets, being over, does 10 not appear to
you that this might be good time fer .
lev words Of admoaition on the folly and
incon sistency Of Hasons indulgipg 10 such
practices, when the money they cost could
be used 70 . 20 much better purpose in
charitably relieving the wants Of the poor
av~l 10 -hA ssn
venting the bread which the mccoy put il
the pockets Of the fiddler might pay for ?"
Ansssr.-An old adsgs warns % not -
cry over split milk, % which principle Il
would hardly seem to Be worth while to
scold the brethren now that the harm ID
done and the season csacluded. But IL We
were at the beginning ofths season. instead
Of its cisss, W should hardly feel inclined
70 enact the part you would assign %. for
the reason that ~ discover nothisg in the
Aassnic system requiring Hasoss 10 fosseo
the established customs Of soeisty. Meth
OF do ~ understand Maseosy to b pure
y charitable institstieo, Of that Il u bound
70 make everything subordinate to the
mere giving Of temporary relief % thess
claimipg 70 b In used. 0oeons ~ men,
and needs must havs occasional Seceeatien
which cannot always % obtained without
Densy. They take no sscetic VOWS. and
fcsego no rights belonging to them Is mem.
bers Of the commonwealth. Aasons Or
their families in distress are the exceptions,
not the rule, and the relief given them i
intended to help them over . rough plass,
but by no means - encouragement 70 de-
pend upon il - certain means Of income !;
hence when 10 assume that Masons have
nothing to do with their money but to b
constantly giving it away in cases Of char
liable and quasi charitable character, We
make = mistake. 1t 10 not q supposabls
ease that the institution could have sur
vivsd single generation, much less the
hoary years that mark its history, had the
scope Of its operation had no wider range
than merely doing out funds 10 charity /;
there must Be something else to justily tts
forms and ceremonies and oil the intrisscies
Of ito government, for there certainly would
b. no nssd Of them il their highest aim
vsrs 70 secure the largest amssnt Of nonsy
for Benevolent purposes and give il away %
last as possible. II 10 equally true that
there 10 nothing in the moral code Of Ma
sonry to prevent consistent Nasous from
participating 10 such recreotiono % ere eea.
orally recognized in community. On the
controry, they Of oil men, ere The bsst 6e-
ted BY the instruction they rsceivs 10 esioy
an eccasional hour Of recreation with their
wives:and sweethearts, and, so.long a tAsy
keep within doe bounds, W are in favor Of
allowing them to do %. not only without
eensure or admooitien. but vish sppsoba.
ton. Mesnw bile, il il shall appear that sny
needy brother. any dss'itsts widow, and
helpless orphan has applied in vain for re-
lief, it will be time sseugh 70 wau The
brethren Of their duties in shis respect
National kfsemason. ~9
1885, sassa Arrsagsnss1s.l066 Is.