New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-22

wardness. Their testimony was 10 'no ro'' 90 WV .
of an arrow to that Of boomerang. ,s.o ,s.vs
Leaving now this particular occurrence 80
N or ANNA General considerations upon secret soVo
tics tho nrescntation OF which has been delayed TOT an
occasion when the subject is already under diScuSo"
Ana can think Of better medium than tne ever I'M
martial Tribune which Is always open W oo'n ouoS.
De- do,n0 So ought 20 say am not conscious OF
oorsoral hosty to secret fraternities. during my
I,,son, connection with the scientific and medical
$3.50 n, Harvard University lived at home, and
,,v nothing OF them except through felowstudent
whose intimate friend was member of one. The i'm
| n,ession received was not favorable bot when six
years later became connected with the Cornell uni
yersy think that no strong prejudice remained My
acquaintance with members OF secret societies, while
nov or very intimate has been njuriously affected
by the fact OF their membership nor have ever
knowingly done them injustice suffered II at their
hands clam, therefore, to be capable OF fair and
impartial consideration Of the matter, upon general
principles.
do not know whether secret organizations exist In
the scientific medical schools at any rate, never
joined one. and have, therefore, no direct information
respecting their purposes or their operations Never
theless. decline to be bullied into silence by tho
favorite argument that, IL you arc not member
YOU know nothing about them" Must We assist at an
ao dd M In order TO qualify for expressing an OPINION
upon the horrors of the Inquisitionf
An institution TO be judged IN part from its theory
easier way, 1t always the most trustworthy for
the nature of practice depends largely upon special
conditions OF individuals; and final judgment re-
cures vast collection Of In order to prove that
they not exceptional But the principles OF an IN
sttuton can be shown 10 antagonze higher laws OF
morals civil order, 1t may fairly be regarded as
cruel in its effects. 1t rs not denied that during
war or great political crises, under other exceptional
CONDITIONS organization may be needed Tor sell
pro ee ton but history shows that all such hidden
assoc latlons which persist after the occasion which
called them into being is passed tend TO degenerate
into Instruments of harm to society," to the State and 10
their members
That there are natural degrees of secrecy is evident 10
ALL Into the nmost soul of man God alone can enter;
and the attempt OF mortal, whether rs cOnessoF or
not is an effort toward the objectionable SIM" The
married pair are in theory at least in each others con-
fdeuce TO degree which the higher ANIMALS respect
among themselves aud which only the most depraVed
of human beings seek TO violate. There are family &C.
cres which result from the nature OF boodrelaonshp
for the family is in certain aspects unit IKE the mar
red pair So too the associations OF church. OF pohucS
Of mutual aims and tastes Of all kinds, IN varying de-
grees and harmless but only IN 80 far as ney o
not conflict with the fellowship of man-wth the recoe
milton Of the higher law. above all natiohS h"'u
ity." zoos, ,ha some
Not that all are associate together or upon the same
level; human nature forbids, and reason SHOWS inc
| pbysical mpossbilIty but the unbiased mind VIII
readily see that any bond which incapacitates hm nov"
ever little, for impartial recognition OF virtue anu
worth in all mankind, or which leads him. however
slightly TO uphold certain individuals or organizations
against his inner convictions OF right and wrong must
be injurious to his mental and moral freedom and pro
eress DO wise men form intimate business connec-
tops with aequaintances OF few weeks standing
Would not a merchant Justly suspect the motives OF
such q comparative stranger who asked admission 10
his commercial conHdencei Yet here is matter OF
mere dollars and cents aud the terms OF ooparner-
ship are openly announced. Is then youth justl-
tilted in forming alliance, defensive at leasI
with others whom he has known for Few months
az the most upon basis Of mutual agreement which
virtually binds him TO be intimate with them only ana
forever and 70 stand by them under nearly oil crcum'
stancesl And ought he not rather to infer that their
early solicitation is founded az the best upon his sup
posed social position means, rather than upon ther
conviction that he Ia calculated above all others 10
helm them in the hard work Of life In and out of college
No assertion here made but the question Ia fair one
And does he realize that in few years he Will be man.
member of society and citizen of the STATE placed
perhaps, In position requiring absolute freedom In
thought and acti that he may be husband and father
the center of family circle and the repository Of all
the secrets which his family relation nvoves Can he
fairly and honoraby keep up intimate relation with
large body of individuals whose corporate proceedings
are kept from his wife and children for reason which
one comprehend or which he could explain even II
he wouldi And ought he 10 complain when they in
turn have secrets from him. when his wife has friends
who are not his and when his form attachments
which may be well enough in themselves, but whose
clandesne nature in imitation of the parent tends al
most inevitably TO render them perniciousi
Yet this is what may be, and too often is, exacted
from every member of organization. whether in
or ont of college, the terribly dear price Of tho social
political or theological advantages which his member
ship confers. purposely enumerate these three, for
in in
in religion and would be very easy to show that in
these departments do secret organizations lind most
cOngenial soil Science, thank Heaven, is generally In
compatible with petty cOnceament Gods truth is free
TO ALL and the naturalist at least has too much earnest
work upon hands admit of learning grips and pass
words, and the nOn-signifcance o, Greek initials.
The most powerful and the most mschieyous OF
all secret organizations the ablest aud most unsorupu
lous opponent of religious freedom and Of scientific
progress is that of the Jesuits and deny
that in far their secrecy and their social
and political tendencies asecret societies are Jesuitca
IL is claimed that members of secret organizations
bound to render ard, pecunary otherwise under all
circumstances Its difficult to why the kindly
relations cannot maintained without the secrecy and
1t is sur upon both Providence and human nature 10
hold that the door OF charity be opened only by
peculiar twist Of the handle, which In point Of fact
secret 10 outside barbarians" Nor all giyers
Of aid immaculate relative who had been Mason
from early youth and had travelled extensively over all
sections of the country told that whenever a
man gave him the Masonic grip, he avoided his
society; and 1 know members Of this and OF
other secret organizations with whom 1 would
not trust the integrity of my dogs tail.
Not that there are rascas Just black outside the
pale no such question is raised need TO be. What
urge is that he who Joins a fraternity OF any kind
whatsoever runs the risk OF warming VIPER" or OF
being taken by rogue, whose only claim upon
acquaintance secret sign, which they know in
mon and which any md ont who takes sufficient
pains In short for the slender chance OF benefit from