Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-05-12

, pour forth its fullness In music, or that II
, a world in which the tears OF the Son hayt
fallen, the erring, misguided, suffering
child of earth may not turn his eyes mp q
Heaven and supplicate the blessing of hi
Father. We aim to do TO each other wha
the Good Samaritan did to the wound
ed and robbed way-farer whom the Levitt
!. and the Priest passed by on the othel
, side. af
Il We keep nothing hidden, except wha
lis necessary to give efficacy and perma
lnence to the Order, by preserving iti
unity and guarding it against imposition
The question is asked, how far do yor
perform the duties laid down by Oddfel
Iiowship. So perfectly / answer in a word
that it is nearly impossible for an Odd
fellow to be overwhelmed with calamity
without finding assistance. II SANDER
merciless breath strikes him, there is &
brother near by to defend his reputation
for in this association we are taught to de
fend brother when unjusl.y assailed ant
despise the robber of the good name OF &
fellowman. He is the foulest of burglars
1.-THE meanest of highwaymen.
The Oddfellow cannot suffer honest
poverty. If his hand of labor is paralyzed
at his toll, he is aided till his muscles
grow strong. This comes not il grudg
ing charity-it is his right. His wife and
children are not driven into the street tc
ask charity while he is sick. The dignity
of manhood is spared this humiliation
In his old age he is not driven to the
Aims house for home. He is man tc
the last-he never becomes pauper. The
Oddfellow cannot die alone, brothers
stand by him in the final hour, and bali
the bitterness of death is forgotten, in the
thought that brothers will stand beside
his grave-that his widow will be cared
for and his orphans protected. These
gentle being are not left unprotected On
the "heath of time"
This argument is Nos limited to the
poor man, for no man has so much gold,
he may not sometime lack bread none of
us have SO many friends, he may not one
day be deserted and our children are sure
one day to be orphans.
It administers relief to men in their
homes. They are not dragged from the
sacred enclosure of the family and parad-
ed in fever wards and watched over by
hirelings or farmed out at the Poor House.
It should be no cause of complaint if
we limit our benefeence to the circle of
our own Order, for we cannot Gsl011e bear
the Atlean world of human suffering, and
if we do not care for Odd Eellws who
will AS an organization, our most i'm
perious duties are toward one another !;
but we regard every man as sacred when
ever we meet him he is Gods child and
our brother man, and if we can help him
we will. So far as our means allow, we
open wide our hand.
Panama is crowded with thousands
waiting TO embark for the Golden Coast,
and pestilence is filling every dwelling
with dead. The mass of dying adventur-
ers are strangers in a strange land, but
there are sure to be Oddfellows there.
A magical signal brings them together.
A Lodge is organized, aad the work of
helping one another is begun
on system. The needy are aided, the
sick healed, the dying comfort
ed and the dead are buried.
No distinctions are made e; man is suffer-
ing, man is sacred. A secure and beauti-
full burial ground overlooking the ocean
is purchased, and before the caravan goes
on it's way an appeal is sent back 10 the
Lodges, which was at once responded to
for the Strangers Cemetry founded by
the Oddfellows at Panama.
A thousand facts in my possession
would Justify me in words of exalted
eulcgy but it is far better the eulogy
be breathed, as it has been, silently in the
ear of Heaven, with the last prayer of the
dying, by the widow over the pail OF her
husband, by the young orphan over the
grave of his father.
And throughout these herculian regub-
lies, by concentrated efforts, this good
work is going eeaselessly on. 1t follows
the sun in mis- circuit, and even in twenty
four hours it has made the Good Samari-
tan circuit of the globe.
Association is the chief instrument or
power In modern times, IL fact, men
have ceased acting alone. They now move
to the achievement of everything in
masses; whether it be to bridge the At
lantIc with steamers, or uproot the dy-
nasty of Bourbons, or build 8 railroad to
the Pacific.
In Oddfells ,gship we blend the energies
of vast multitude of men. We converge
the rays of hasy twilight, and flame them
forth in local light. We bind the Starry
Spangle into a central sun.
Why should the advantages of concen-
tration be monopolized by government
and commerce. When this government
strikes the strength of millions is in the
blow,the power, the wisdom, the wealth of
these millions are in every negotiations of
the government-in every effort she puts
forth. These forces are in all her acts ::
they ride with her navies, they march in
her hammered ranks, they attend on her
legislation, they enforce her DEGREES.
For different purposes we have seized
upon this great secret of success. To ac-
oomplish good objects, we combine the
strength, the wisdom, the affiuence. the
hearts, the of hundreds of thousands of
men.
We lift these numerous shields over the
widows unprotected head we place these
myriad arms under the unsupported or
phan, so many night watches, so many
day visitors to the sick, so l.any to swell
the funeral trains of departed brothers to
their final rest. We act together; and
when Oddfellowship utters its voice, like
the morning drum of England, it beats
around the world.
The absolute simplicity of our object,
unfettered and unembarassed by any con-
nection with ecclesiastical, political or
philosophical distinctions which obtains
among men peculiarly fit Us to benefit
our fellow men.
In looking over the world we find men
divided into hostile encampments in phi
losophy, politics and religion. We assail
none Of these encampments. Let them
keep their banners flying over their re-
spective hosts all of us belong to one or
more Of these party divisions for Odd
fellowship interferes with none of our
other engagements or obhgations-it i'm
pairs in no degree our personal independ-
ence. One conviction fills our hearts
one purpose nerves our arms. Man is suf-
fering, man is sacred. We can better his
condition, we can elevate his character,
we can inspire him with noble inspirati-
ons if we will.
To accomplish this our order was form.
ed. Man-poor, feeble, benighted, need
ed something more done for him. Odd
fellowship heard the signal, and sent back
a response.
Such are the wants and exigencies that