The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-06-18
NOn.A Utilization.

cussed in Grand Masters addresses ane
reports of Correspondence Committees
that of non-afiliation appears to occupy
a prominent place, and it is on all hands
admitted to be one of danger in the future
Notwithstanding the Importance 0
this subject. and in spite of all that ha
been written during the past ten years
there does not appear to have been any
general comprehension of the causes
leading to the increasing evil of non
affiliation, and with one exception NJ
common sense application of an ade
quate remedy. Writers generally seen
to think that they must surround theil
propositions with certain quantity O
smoke to excite the admiration of the
multitude, and this process seems tt
obfuscate their own ideas to such ar
extent that they fail to give us any ade
quate comprehension of what they
would do if they had the power.
The diagnosis of the complaint is
however, very simple matter, and the
remedy, somewhat surgical in its nature
is very easily applied, once we are con.
vinced of its necessity and propriety.
The prime cause of non-ahiliation is
one for which Lodges themselves
are to blame, and is merely an effect
which will continue until the cause ia
removed This cause is the overcrowd-
ing OF Lodges with membership among
whom there is no real bond of affection,
because the business being transacted
by wholesale, individuals are brought
together without the slightest inquiry
into their personal habits and tastes,
and without any regard for that union
which ought to to distinguish the chill
dren~ of the mystic tie. The leading
idea seems to be, that Lodge must
have work and plenty of it !; this car
ries with it a necessity for candidates
and plenty of them and hence, lose
ness of inquiry fatal to the idea of max
ing each stone fit with such exact NICE
ty that wooden mauls may alone suffice to
adjust it. Nevertheless the true aim
of the Masonic association is to aggre-
gate men specially selected for their
mental and moral qualities, and to
afford a. bond of union stronger than a
three-fold cord and free from the dis
integrating influences Of the outer world.
This requirement cannot be complied
with while the present standard of fit
ness exists and governs. We now seek
to ascertain that a candidate has no
bad qualities, and rarely, if ever, in
quire whether he has any good ones.
Instead of scrutinizing his tastes, habits,
and propensities, as if be were about to
marry into our family, we accept his
personal appearance and the recommen-
dation of friend as sufficient guarantee
for the most intimate fellowship and
participation in our time-honored privi-
leges. We hazard nothing in saying
that such was not the intention of the
Fathers, and they never supposed that
Lodges would ever be suffered to grow
into such UNIV ieldy proportions that the
members should be comparative stran-
gers to each other, and when meeting
abroad need the formality of an intro
duction as prelude to the ordinary civ
ilities of intercourse between gentlemen.
1t is, however, difficult to see how it
should be otherwise, when, as is fre-
quently the case, Lodges run up a men,
bership of two, three, and four hundred
members, or. how it, is to be expected
that there should be any unity or accord
Of feeling among the masses thus fortui-
tously thrown together. What follows?
Why naturally luke.warmness, then neg
lect, and then some other attraction
provides for that total forgetfulness of
the Lodge and its duties, and one after
another drops off without his absence
being noted, until the Secretary, making
up his accounts at the close of the term,
finds that SO many brethren are in
arrears for dues !; another year, perhaps,
rolls around and their number is in
creased, and the Lodge, to save itself
from carrying SO much dead weight,
strikes them off Of its roll, and they go
to swell the ranks of the non n-affiliated.
To the individuals this, as a general
thing, makes but little difference they
had seen as many degrees conferred
as they cared for, and, the conferring of
dergees being the staple Lodge attrac-
tion, nothing is left to make them
regret the privilege Of membership.
More than this. they find little or no
difficulty in visiting, whenever they hap
pen to feel like it, because in the too
liberal spirit Of the day, no one cares to
offer censnre, or even, want of respect
to brother, merely because he has not
paid his dues and SO the earnest, zeal
GUS, industrious Mason, who pays his
dues, attends his Lodge, and discharges
the duties of Masonry according to his
ability, finds himself on par with those
who neither work nor pay. Bad ex-
amples are notably contagious, and thus
many a member is led to initiate those
whom he observes to be slipping the
honey without in any way aiding in its
production.
We see, then, that to avoid the ten
dency to non-athllatlon we must, to
certain extent, restrict the luxurious
growth Of our Lodges, make them home
steads instead Of mass meetings.. and
not allow their members to increase
beyond the point where al may be well
acquainted. and enjoy the meetings as
reunions of friends and brothers instead
Of mere csremoniala, tickling che ears
and feasting the eyes, but leaving the
heart untouched.
And then the final remedy can be ap-.
piled with absolute certainty Of success.
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