The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1871-03-10
Important Edfct 81 the Grand
Lodge Off. 4 A. M reiatfns
Co Xutemperance.

OFFICE OF TIE GRAND MASTER, !
Of l. A. n, Of the State OF Ohio.
TOLEDO, O., Jan. 9th, A. ia. 1911.
To ths TT. H., WardMs and Broth
ers Of the p. d a. b.:
BRxTHRsr : At the last session
Of the Grand Lodge Of OHIO, begun
and held IN the eity of Springfield
October 18th, A. Ia. $50, the sslsc
committee 70 whom was referred q
much Of the a. W. Grand Master
address ~ relates TO in.emperanc'
and profanity, submitted . report
which was adopted unanimously a
follows That those vices have be.
come alarming and painfully prev
aient, even among the members o
our ancient and honorable f~raterni
~, marring the beauty and harmo-
ny OF our lodges, producing discord
and alienation and moral dsclen-
sions, st war with the very elsmen.
tary principles on which the whole
fabric of the Masonic Institution il
based. Every Masonic brother, by
the tenure of his profession, il
bound to obey the moral law, and
what says thst law
"Thou shalt not take the name Of
the Lord thy God in vain, for tbs
Lord Will not hold him guiltles,
who tAketh his name in vain"
In the first step which . mai
takes, 1t the very entrance of The
vestiDuls Of the Temple, with what
aolemnity is he charged, among
other duties, that which he owe.
to his God-never 10 mention biz
name but with that reverential awe
which Is due from q creature 10 biz
landabls undertakings, and TO es-
TEEN HIM as the Chief God. A.
gain, ss he ascends another step To-
wards the inner Temple, what bril-
liant hieroglyphIcs arrest his at
tenti,n, up towards which all eyes
are turned In mute and reverend
awe. And can even an sntered
Apprentice profane that sacred
name by imprecsting its curse ups
on himself or upon his fellow man.
How much more . Master Mason,
whose feet have trodden the sanc-
tum sanctorum, or Holy Of HOLES.
Drunkenness IA q vice of so hid
sous smisn, brutal;zirg the physic-
al man and rendering him an OBJ
ject OF contempt and dstestation,
mingled with pity.
Alas how many, even Of oHr
brethrsn-gsnerous, noble and gift.
ed-hsve fallen victims to this IN
satiabls vice, and are now molder.
ing in dishonorsble graves, or has
tenIng With trembling strides in
the Same broad road to destruction
and eternal death, unhonored and
unwep., save by the grief,stricken.
heart>broken wife and helpless orr
phans, or the doting mother, on
whose maternal breas. he in youth
pillowed his boyish head.
Your Committee deem il unne-
cessary 20 elaborate the evils rs-
shifting from these unmasonic vices,
Eot oaly to the fraternity to which
they were Once honored and below
ed members, but by their vicious
example IN the community where
their vices are practiced. your Com
mitIes recommended for adoption
the following
Resolued. That tho u W. Grand
Master be, and he 10 hereby aa.h-
orIzsd, and II is made his duty to
issue 3 circular to be addressed 10
the Subordinate Lodges Of this jur-
isdietion, enjoining the Masters Of
the several Lodges in action IN
these premises, by all the powers Of
moral suasion and brotherly kind
meas, to arrest the evil, and IN the
last resort, to cut off the persist
entity offending members, as can
cerous excrescences on the body of
Masonry.
BRETEREE Freemssonry 10 bas-
cd upon the practice of vIrtuous
principles, intoxicating the highest
standard Of moral excellence ; mor.
ality il its foundation and chief
corner stone every Mason should
be q noral'man ; no one of our fra.
ternity, however ~depravede or deba,
sed he may be, will for q moment
dare 70 deny this fact, and yet how
many, knowing their duty a. Ma
sons to the moral law, practice
what they profess. Our institution
has suffered more through our own
negligence IN allowing so much I'M
morality amongst our members
than from all the anathemas that
ever, from ignorance or fanatical
bigotry, have been hurled against
is its enemies, through our own
inconsiderats acts OF imprudence
and negligence, have been furnish
cd the weapons to assaIl 1t, and VIC
have thereby weakened the means
Of our own defense. A man addic-
ted TO deliberate profanity, intemp-
erance, gambling, or any other IL
centious habit or vice, 10 not 3 pro-
per person for reception into the
fraternity, much less to be q men,
Der thereof, unless be reforms I'M
medistely, for such . person may
with just proprieiy be classed as an
Irreligious lIbsrtins-hn habits
would AZ least sntitlc him TO that
credit. An Institution where the
prrest Of morals are taught, where
reverence to the High and Holy
God are eDjoIned, should nsvor be
contaminated with impure and dc,
fled elements. Good men and true
revolt at il, honor and honesty for.
bid II. and DIVINE justice will soen-
er OF later demand full retributlon
Tor all such deliHqusncies. Wehaye
nothing TO fear from oRtside press
ure ; the powers of Church and
State, with the feeble breath Of the
fanatic, have been hurled, time and
again, against our noble and time.
honored institution, and yet II oc-
cupies q nobler and higher posi-
ton throughout the world than ev-
or before, and &c 1t will ever con-
HI