New-York tribune., 1874-01-01
SELFISH INTERESTS FoSTERED BY SECRET
SOCIETIES.

SOCIETIES.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: The innocent simplicity with which
"L NJ in your issue OF the 18th inst, uncogers
OF tho weak points in bis case, invites iorbearonco
almost as strongly as reply. Having declared that
nearly half Of the members OF college faculties II not
a ger proportion at least in New England. were, IN
their college days. members OF these organizations (e
cret socetiel, he In favor OF the raternties
because in Amherst last year the Society being less
than one-half OF the students, more than three
fourths of the prizes and than fourhfths Of the
value OF the whole given in prizes by the college,
because Of the first honOrs at last Commence
ment 70 were to Society mem because from this cle-
men are selected the orators and poets OF the classes
&C. The inference intended is that secret societies arc
highly favorable TO scholarship and culture.
The facts can be explained without accepting the in
ference These societies are not open TO all eom'rs
Admission is the hands OF existing members and they
select and from among the new students those
whose abilities promise to enhance the influence and
reputation OF the society. The societies naturally
therefore. include the picked men OF the College Be
sides does not l.. NJ ~" know that chief objection
urged against all artificial fraternes is that they
draw an undue proportion Of social distinctions ana adj
yautages to their members, to the disadvantage anu
injury of other men. The discovery that Freemasons.
though small minority OF the people held large ma
iorty OF the public offices, chief motive Of the
anti Masonic excitement Of forty years ago. John
Quincy Adams once illustrated the operations Of "tne
craft" in his own State in the following terms:
Boston, TO speak in round numbers has 10000 citizens
qualified 20 representatives IN the General
Court OF these 10000. 1000 may be Masons. Boston
had last year representatives in the House OF these
by relative proportion OF numbers, there should have
been six, or at most seven. Masons How many were
theref Nearly 80 D.. Ia the County or worcester
there are say 10000 citizens eligible TO the Senate one
tenth OF that number may be Masons; ono member IN
would he more than their fair proportion OF
representation. They have ve out Of six Now II the
Freemasons of Worcester County were like the patri
clans Of ancient Rome, order OF nobility exclusively
eligible Senate, what would be the dlHer
ence the result from that which Ia here Effected
Address to the people OF Massachusetts, 1888.
The accusation OF great statesmen oyerbeais the
defense your correspondent and turns into an
gument against his one OF our most serious
complaints against the fraternes" has been that. by
introducing an organized selfish interest into college
life they influence the bestOwment OF such prizes and
distinctions as the gift OF the students, and even
sometimes those which awarded by the faculty Tho
fact that an mind will not yield consciously 10 an
improper influence, is reason why that influence
should allowed exist and operate without protest
The statistics furnished by L. NJ NJ" are valuable, and
the opponents Of artificial brotherhoods will not fail TO
use them. l.
Philadelphia Penn, Dec. IT, 1873.