White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1872-01-18

Ineea1loa5oo CRoOoa4eo-AA4sseees ~ Or.
GssIeEi.6 e Psspss.
Having bean invited to attese the Installation
exercises at Odd Fellovs' Hall lnst evening, ouI
reporter dnly presented himself and was direc-
ted by Inside Guard w. 8. Jenkins to . seat in
front of the hail. where table had been provided
for reporterA The hall was completely filled; the
members of the Order With their rcgalia occu-
pied seats around three sdes, the visitors filling
up the body Of the room. Tho Musical Associs-
ton Of South Leavenworth was present, Miss
Maggie Dougias presiding at the piano. The
installation Of officers in presence OF the gaping
public is novelty in Odd Fellowship, and the
rites attending it, were, doubtless, witnessed with
much interest. The ceremonies were conducted
by Lewis Mayo, D. d. G. H., assisted by Q bril-
liant STAFF with regallas Of silver and gold.
The officers installed were 7. L. johnson, No
Davis, Secretary; A. D. Niemann, Junior Secre-
tary; J. 8. Crow, Treasurer. The ceremonies
were of tho simplest and most eOmmon-sense
character, aud those Who attended them expec-
ting 10 see IN amounA sf ground and LOFTY tnm-
bling must have boon intensely disgusted. After
our irrepressible friend, the Noble Grand, had
appointed his numerous corps of adjutants for the
ensuing term, and they had publicly signiied
their willing acceptance Of their Offices, Miss
Nellie Leg.se very plsssiagly sang solo to Miss
D0uglaS piano accompaniment.
Dr.. Logan, Dep. Grand Sire G. L. u. g., was
then introduced, who delivered an able and in
teresting address on "Odd Fellowship - So
cret Society" We have not space to give more
than very brief digest Of the position taken by
the speakst. The Doctor alluded to the hostile
attitude a1sumed by some political parties and
religious socts against secret societies He would
not admit that there was any incompatibility be-
tween Odd Fellowship and Christianity. The
secret principle at the birth Of our religion had
opment Tho order to-day embraced more pro-
fessors Of religion than any other non religious
society on earth. The ideas which have longest
possessed the minds of men, the speaker held,
must possess an essential principle, which if
properly worked out, would become of use to
humanity.
The doctor then went cursorily through ancient
annals to arrive at the origin Of secret societies
The mysterious religious rites of the Egyptians
were produced in tho Eleusnian mysteries of the
Greeks; and from these exercises by indirect de-
scent, were derived the school of mystics which
during the decadence of ROme the
members arrOgating to themselves all the lear
ming of the age. Coming down to modern times,
during the sixteenth century in Germany, the
Rosicrucian school was founded, whose object
was to diminish human suffering, and elevate the
race by the diffusion of intelligence. Some as
sumed that Masonry was derived from this source.
After dwelling with great ingenuity upon the
religious scots Of the Jews-the Phar- |
sees, the Sadducess. the Essenes-who carried on
their religious rites in secret to avoid prosecution
the speaker enlarged upon the benefits derived |
in the present day from secret orders. The preva-
ding voice Of our race was selfishness, distem- |
per in the human disposition which operates |
against the interest Of tho community and |
leads to individualism. An unsocial condition of |
the use OF unfair advantages, which extingushes |
all sympathy with the human race and sinks |
to the level Of the brute. Man was |
not designed to be hermit, but to live in mutual |
dependence with his fellow. This diseased feel |
ng must be countracted by an influence capable
II ixspirlng 1t with lofty sentiment. No better