The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-10-28
HliooltOurp 4ltgisttr.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER as, 1873.
Secret Societies.

Aqua SOCiSlJ VI Ouintil OulNoisi'y 10
exciting considerable comment, and elicit.
ing no little discussion of the fundamen-
tai principles Of Secret Societies. 1t
seems that secret societies ore not 10 favor
ut Cornell On account Of the opposition
by the college authorities this society held
their initiation ceremonies near the brink
Of high bluff. The candidate was blind.
folded aud somehow during the ceremo-
MES he was precipitated down the preci-
pice and killed. Prof. Burt G. Wilder
of that institution has published an able
article in which he uses this circumstance
as the occasion, but proceeds to discuss
the underlying principles of secret socic.
ties in general, and their influence, es.
pocially III colleges. He deduces an
argument, from this circumstance, against
secret societies, and finds in them every
where, aud under all circumstances, an
uumixed evil. This calls out arguments
in support of the system, some able ones.
some Indifferent, aud some insipid and
weak. We were amused by the deduc-
tions of the Rutland Globe, the other day,
which found in the unfortunate circum-
stance above referred to, reasons why all
restrictions placed upon secret societies
III sumo Of ou~ colleges should be removed.
The gist OF the argument Is that the
young men will have these societies, right
or wrong, hence to avoid fatal consequent
ccs in initiation, the Professors should
foster and encourage them. If this ar
gument is worth anything We have the
benefit of it.
We do not here propose to discuss, to
any extent, the merits of this question
which involves too much to be settled by
any hippont or hastily drawn deduction,
but rather approach the subject as a seek
er after the truth. The system has long
had multitude Of adberents Many OF
our best men, as well as large proper
tion Of the worst elements of our COM
munities, have been and are, believers in,
aud members Of, secret societies. They
vigorously defend the principle when
asSailed, apparently conscientiously. 9th.
ers of the highest worth and ability are
equally certain that they are the agencies
OF the evil one himself, damaging to the
best interests Of society and destructive
of the principles of morality in their
members. Now who are right? We
must pot infer because young Leggett
was killed in the initiation that the in
stitution is therefore evil. Baptism has
been known to prove fatal to the candi.
date for the church, but we don't there.
fore infer that the church is not benef.
cent institution.
But why do some colleges prohibit the
existence Of these societies? Harvard,
and Oberlin, aud Princeton and Cornell,
we believe, and perhaps others, 10 this
country, and nearly all the universities Of
Europe, allow no societies Of this sort,
and have none unless 10 violation Of a
promise made by the students upon ma.
circulation. The officers Of other colleges
who were not themselves members OF
secret societies, and those who were mem.
bers when they have ouigrown the clan
nish feeling which goes with them into
the earlier years Of their professional
life, generally dcprecate the existence OF
secret societies in college The secret
associations which are more extensive and
prominent in the world usually involve
codes OF morality aud systems of benevo.
lence which commend them, 50 far as
those particular features 90, to the ap.
proval Of all. But, for all that, there is
widespread feeling among our elderly
christian people, especially educated PEG.
pie, that there are also elements of evil
connected with them which render il a
grave question whether the evil does not
greatly overbalance the good. The
Catholic Church has formally pronounced
against all secret oath bound societies and
the Masonic Brotherhood, by name,
though we have been informed that secret
societies in this state generally dispense
with the oath formerly administered to
candidates, and have substituted some
other form Of obligation There is no
question that the motive which leads a
majority Of men to join these societies, is
the idea that they will derive some per.
sonal benefit from their connection with
them. 1t is hardly presumable that the
idea OF promoting personal morality, or
OF finding an agency for the exercise OF
active benevolence Is uppermost in the
minds OF candidates for society relations.
Perhaps there is IN appeal to the vanity,
or the gushing narrowness Of minds not
comprehensive enough to grasp the idea
OF the universal brotherhood of man.
There are many who seem rather to take
this view Of the case. Not regarding
secret societies as wholly viciols in their
tendencies, yet they find them puorilc or
feminine, something which most men
outgrow but some don't" adapted to
"vealy youth in Colleges" aud certain
people who are just below politics and
are satisfied with mighty small honor if
it is expressed mighty big" If philan
throphy is coed feature, the selfshness
which couiines that philanthrophy to the
narrow limits Of society brotherhood is
not entirely eommcudable If the moral
code is to be approved, the question aris-
es whether 1t is any more efficient for the
glamour Of ceremony and parade and
pledged secrecy? We are not of those
who believe there is any promise, OK.
pressed Or implied, in any of our popular
secret societies, to protect one another in
any improper action. The daily life OF
the members is a sufficient contradiction
of that SANDER. And there is no danger
that the inauence ofthc fraternal relation
ship will, Of itself. work injustice in the
relations Of Society men and outsiders,
for the extensiveness of these associations
makes such a condition impossible Then
where is :he danger, if any 1t seems to
US that the question is rather one Of
utility. Is the world benefited or in
Jured by the existence of these secret
associations?
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