The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-02-07

political strife-with charity as broad
as the ether surrounding .us-and, inf1u-
enced BY none but motives Of purity
truth-and faith in an Allwise Being,
aims to bind together the whole human
family, with the easily worn pleasant
cords Of fraternsl love.
With objects 80 glorious-with mo
tives so pure, and with precepts 80 ele-
vating, the question is often asked why
Masonry has been in the past and is yet
subjected 70 persecution. In answer, we
point to any. or all, Of the institutions
ever devised by the mind ofthe philan-
thropists, wherein they pointed outs way
whereby the human family might be
benefited. Notwithstanding the volca-
noes Of vi;uperation that its enemies
have opened against it-while the
church has become sectionalized and
riven-while other institutions have had
their morning Of glory, there meridian
of splendor, and passed away in the
night OF death-while empires, king
doms, nations, cities, have perished amid
their smoking temples-Masonry to-day
stands u1tarnished and unchanged-its
charity unabated, its principles unal.
tered, and the purity Of its objects, and
it's fraternizing power is the same yes
terday, to-day, and forever" Masonry
stands today as firm as ever sin the
past" and we have every convincing
reason TO believe that to it the church
even owes its preservation through the
dark ages OF our own first great light
the Holy Bible.
Among the many objections that have
been made 10 Masonry, that of its Sc
crecy is probably the greatest. Secret
societies have existed in every age, and
in every cline. Masonic principles,
Masonic objects, Masonic ends, are pro
claimed aloud in the world-their bust
ness meetings only are secret. The
church-the theological convention
public and private institutions, from our
State offices to the Senate Of the United
States, cabinet and committee meetings,
are secret. Even a county caucus, or
nominating convention, are secret IN
many or most Of their important convo-
cations. Every family is, or ought 10
be, secret society OF the most sacred
character. Tie minds Of every man,
woman. and child, are to themselves a
secret society Of thought, desire, and am
bition. Every man is a sealed book to
his neighbor. What are all business
partnerships lut secret socletlesY and
what would business man give for a
partner or employe who would not, or
could not keep his business secrets?
Even Christ and his disciples on the eve
of every eighth day closed their door
on intruders and eavesdroppers.
Another objection is that Masons have
secret signs and passwords. This simply
shows the total absence Of reflection IN
the objector, for secret signs enter into
every relation o. life. Who has not
given the sly wink, the sneer, the motion
to others, only Intended for the person
80 addressed? Where would be our
national independence but for secret pass
words and count.rsigns? BY the use OF
signs and words thousands have been
saved from death; and we trust that by
Masonic signs aud words, unborn mill
ions may yet be rescued.
Other objections are, oaths and penal
ties, exclusive clarifies, political corrup.
ton and danger 20 the government, bad
members, exclusion Of females, DC, DC:
All these objections could be answered
to advantage, no donbt, at length, and
perhaps may be N future article. Suf-
tice it 10 say at PRESENT that the answers
are as easily made as the foregoing. and
that ignorance Of Masonic institutions
is the one great tug.bear to and in those
who make them.
Masonry teaches both the existence
and worship Of Supreme being, the
resurrection Of th, body and the immor-
tality OF the soul it institutes no liturgy,
but recognizes revealed religion and
leaves mankind 10 determine each for
himself his duty to God, his fellow man
and himself, As revealed in the Holy
Bible to ward from peril and guide us
through the rolling ages TO rest beyond
the skies, eternal in the heavens.
We now leave the readers to draw such
conclusions as they deem best.-hft
Boat