The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-04-26

Judgment, but we do tell him that it will be |
3 blessing TO him in this life, and try 10
point him to another and purer life as re-
vealed in the book of God, which lies upon |
our affairs and from which we gather all our
noble truths and cherished sentiments.
Odd Fellowship is union ofsympathizing
friends, banded together in the interests OF
common humanity. All sectarisn and po
Eticsltopics are excluded from the Lodge and
thus Odd Fellows are secured against ,he
strife and division arising out of expressed
difference of opinion on these subjects. In
the higher degrees of our Order special les
sons and illustrations are given against al
forms of Religious and Polisicsi intolerance.
Our mission in the world is to soothe and
subdue the aspsrities and strifes amongst
men. We are the handmade or auxiliary
to religion by pointing men to the great
principles of all true religion-love to God
and our brother. The growth of our Order
IN the world has been most wonderful in
deed. There are now thought to be three
millions active Odd Fellows in the world.
What mighty host, bearing and loving the
banner of Friendship, Lore aud Truth amid
thu sel6shness and GOODNESS of SHINING hu-
the report for 1870, we have 1867 lodges
and 298,637 members, with an annual in.
come of about three million dollars, and
nearly one million OF this paid for the relief
of brothers, widows, orphans, and the burial
of the dead. Taking the lowest possible
view of Odd Fellowship, namely, the money
view, we have no reason to be ashamed of
our noble record. We are often asked it
the money feature ia not the leading one
amongst us. am not able to see the mo-
tives of men except by their outward acts
and circumstances. Judging by these of
my brethren, would say no Where will
you find q more noble, honorable and thrifty
class of citizens, taken as class We
would Judge from this, il from no other
reason, that they have not sought ad mission
to the Lodge from merely meroenary or
social considerations. A lady once said "our
daughter must join the church in order TO
get into good society" So it is sometimes
charged that men join Masonic aud Odd
Fellows lodges for social advantages. This
may be true In some cases, and is not at all
dishoaorable to the candidate. | should
love to see my sons seeking the association
Of such men. "But ell Odd Fellows are not
what you represent the Order to be aud to
teach" frankly admit it. Nor are all
church members what they ought to be or
have vowed to be Does this lnvAlidate the
claims of Religion 10 be a virtuouS aud holy
institution No one finds fault with relig.
ION because Judas was Devil, and proved
| false TO his master, and betrayed him with
kiss. So reasonable men do not blame
Masonry and Odd Fellowship for the irregu'
! t. - Z A
poser says why don's you make all men
Shom you receive into your Lodges
good men p 1t amounts to this
when they complain that any who are with
US are not perfect, and do not fully come up
to our standard ofmoral teaching Religion
yes, the Christian religion fails to even par
uaily reform many who profess her faith. Ii
Divine and God-authori2ed order thus
fails, may We not expect that merely human
organizations will much more fall short o
perfection? We have thus dwelt upon the
principles and aims of our Order that al
might be acquainted with what we cherish
as truth amongst ourselves. We have L
ask for the forbearing charity of our fellow
men, who behold our human weaknesses
and many failures to live up to the ful
measure of our noble professions and hol,
teachings.
But what of our political character AnG
influence We have none at ell as set fortl
IN our Obligations or ceremonies, but We ar
| taught that no one can be a true Odd Eel
low unless "he is grateful TO his Creator
fraternsl TO his fellow man, and true TO hi
own country"
Every man is swsyed in his actions polit
icGlLy as well as otherwise, by the principle
and truths to which he holds In the light @
this fact the true Odd Fellow will general
be found acting on the side of right an
safety in his political privileges aud suf
frAge.
We are sometimes called ian oath -boun
order" f4ll of terror and blood. | nee
hardly speak of this in this assembly to day
Properly speaking we have no oaths, oni
VOWS or pledges.
No penalties except such as may be en-
: forced by the simple rules of social inter
oourse. No bloody, cutthroat bar baris ms ar
T ever named amongst US. We oherrsh al
the finer and better sensibilities common t
humanity. We seek to develop Friendship
Lore and Truth In all the relations OF life
social, commercial, moral, and political
might refer with pride to the nota
statesmen and divines of all creeds of pol
tics and religion who have honored our fr,
ternity with their names and talents. Til
, honored Fice President of the United State
, Schuyler Colfsx, is the author of our I" r
be6ah Degree IS provided for the wives ,
Odd Fellows. Some Of the ablest and mo,
p Gus clergymen of our land are earnes
/ devotees at our shrine.
In conclusion, Isppeal TO you brethren
so adorn the profession You make befor
the world with blameless and useful live
/ that the world may read in you the highe,
? euiogy that can be paid to our glorious hrot
erhOod! Live so that your own hearts vi
{ be the receptacle of all the noble sentiment
OF our sublime ceremonies and emblem
d and that your daily intercourse with tt
e world may e1emplify the power OF Odd Fe
owship to elepate, reform, and even sancti
8 the selfish, hard heart of man.
Let your honorable lives loudly proclsi
D the vitality and potency of our glorior
mosto-"ln God we trust" and demoustrs
TO the believing, the beauty of FTiendsb,
Lore and Truth
Reference was made TO the Ladies' Degre
r or Degree of Rebehah as adopted by Ii
r Grand Lodge of 1851, and which went I'M
3 operation in 1852. Schuyler Colfax is Ii
author of this beautiful Degree. al is d
t signed to unite the wives of the mem be,
more intimately in the work of Odd Fellow
- ship with their husbands" You, dear sister
: are aware of the bigotry, sel6sbness, an
hsrdheartedness Of the world around 70,
s The finger of scorn will be pointed at 70
i. in your noble work of relief and Chart,
Woman has always been regarded as
o some measure inferior 10 man among tn
= barbarous and semi barbarous tribes Of GU
3 race She has been, and is yet, in man
3 parts of the world slave to mans passion
and necessities, but our noble Order seel
!, to place her in her proper sphere. and I
e clothe her with her natural rights and priv
I leges.
3 1t il eminentlV your Office to minister t
: the suffering and sorrowful. To watch {
] The bedside of the sick and dying, and t
smooth the pathway to the grave. Th
: noble examples to which your attention