White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1869-06-24
much so as it is for Christians to meet in
Lodges with the same class of men.

mucu 80 % u - ioi SufsSttons " uueei ~
Lodges with the same class of men.
Another piece Of CANNON. is the talk
about secret societies being dangerous to
the Government. There msy be SECRET
societies with snch objects in view; but
as for Masonry and o Id Fellowship. this
assertion is without Foundations In their
Lodges. they are strictly prohibited from
discussing church or party matters; while
outside. they are divided among ell par
ties. all religions. and no religion. II
they were opposed to the Republic. how
comes it that many Of the staunchest
friends Of the Union were Mssons and
Odd FELLOWSHIP fact, IKE the religious
denominations. their members take acme
one side, end some the other, according
to their predictions. May Of the leading
men who fought 10 the Revolution and
established the Republic. were Free Ma
sons. Singular, is it not. in an order
that is antagonistic to . Republican Gov
ernment:
The esrly Protestant Christians. when
persecuted BY that powerful fos Of secret
societies. the Obnrch of Roms, were
compelled to meet in secret. 10 the woods,
among the hills. or in caverns. and had
their passwords and signals. Even the
Bible was preserved from destruction by
such means. If it was allowable for
them to Go so. it is allow able and right
for men TO do so now. for any olj'ct Of
good to many or 9 few. II those old
fellows had belonged to the United
Brethren Church. how Brother Weaver,
and Brother Klinkenfuss, AMI Brother
Swackelhammer. would have sdmonish.
ed them, and read to them the rule OF the
Discipline. snd il they had not turned
from their ways Of unsodly secrecy, how
they would have kicked them out of the
Church, a-r.
Perhaps the editor Of the Era does not
know. bot we do. and will tell bin, that
the lectures, and lessons. and ceremonies
OF several Of the leading secret orders are
mainly taken from the Bible, which is
found in every Lodge Room-wbere the
texts OF sermons are taken from-but
they are illustrated and rendered more
impressive and beautiful. and calculated
to produce better and more lasting ef.
feet. than ninety nine hundredths of the
sermons that are preached. There is no.
thing taught in those Lodges but the
purest morals and the noblest sentiments.
In many cases. we are sorry to say, the
seed falls on poor soil and produces no
fruit. the same as with many sermons.
There is ss much immortality and ras-
cality in churches as in such orders.
That is their misfortune, and is no carse
TO denounce the churches. We have
even known preacher. who was exceed
ingly jealous in pitching men overheard
Tor belonging TO secret societies. who
was afterwards himself pitched overheard
or seducing sister in the Church.
That is no argument against the Church
-por is it very strong one sgainst the
'ecret societies that he fought.
We endorse the charitable systems Of
sveral secret societies. We plead guilty
o the charge that secret benevolent Or
'ers have no especial partiality for loaf
re- and drones. and others of the class
by the Era as "men having
10 visible means Of support" II his
Jhurch is different in that respect, there
'au be no rivalry on that one point. |
Secret societies make certain kinds of
barities rule. They often. like chur.
hes. make too much of a display Of it
'ut they also do . great deal Of that
wicked. secret kind Of charity spoken Of
q Scripture, wherein the right hand
not what the left hand doetb-l
he charity that vaunteth not itself. and
) not pulled up. Perhaps the editor of
he Era may not believe it. bat it is no.
ertheless true. that we have known q
ecret order to privately supply widow
member of his Church with necessariss
or which she was suffering, and the
'hurch afterwards took to itself the credit
fit! 1t was rather against the rules of
he order to boast of the act, bot the
'hurch was opposed 10 secrecy. and
ould vaunt herself. When . mem Der
{ secret order is away from home, and
eeda assistance, he seeks ont members
bis order. makes known his wants,
nd receives the aid to which be is enti.
ed. There is large class Of preach
.. who make it point. when stsrtisg
D . journey. to lay off their land. some
ing like this: "Now, there is Sister
o-sud- SO. hss plenty Of nice chickens.
I'd al kinds of good things. and knows
st bow to cook them right. and has /,
bod. soft beds-I'll take it easy, and
snags to reach there just about sun. !.
'wn. and will stop there over, night"
. starts of. makes the connection just
he had calculated. and polls nm v;th