Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-01-06
AN IGNORANT MINISTER.

c. A. McFadden, pastor OF st. Charles
Church, Mahoney City, Pa, in letter
to the New York Herald, denounces
Free Masons, Odd Fellows, and kim
dred societies as "enemies of religion
and morality The Herald of a few
days later contained the following re-
sponse, which, being but a straight
forward statement of facts, should be
read by all:
Gan attack has been made in your
issue of the 9th ult. by a correspond
ent who signs his communication &C.
A. McFadden,' that demands at least
a passing notice. l have no desire nor
capability of writing long article,
but would simply state that l am a
member of Unity Lodge, No. 238, |.
O. o. F., and member of Fortitude
Lodge, No. 10, f. d A. M. Being,
therefore, an Odd Fellow and Mason,
l regret exceedingly to find q gentle
man so far deficient in knowledge,
though entitled to the prefix of rever-
end, denouncing the societies of odd
Fellows and Masons as one of the
great curses of the country, and the
enemies of religion and morality 1
will not follow in the footsteps of the
teacher of morality by affirming that
he is stating 'falsehood,' but in the
spirit of friendship, love and truth,
assert that he is perfectly ignorant of
the principles, actions and teachings
of these institutions, when he writes
that they are curse to the country
and the enemies of religion and NOR
ality.' The secresy imposed on me
stands not in the way, nor is it a bar
rier to my giving the reverend gentle
man such information as he seems to
lack. All lodges of Odd Fellows, of
the independent Order, Subordinates
or Grand, are opened and closed with
prayer, solemn and fervent, addressed
to the same Heavenly Father as the
| Rev. G. A. McFadden prays to; and
after reading the minutes of the pre-
vious meeting, the first business is for
the principal officer of the lodge to
make that beautiful and Samaritan
inquiry, Does any brother know of a
brother that is sick or in distress ? ,
The information given, the necessary
relief, always at hand, is without
stint afforded. 1t is with feelings OF
pride thai | make the assertion that
Odd Fellows relieve their own dis
tressed; relieve, visit, watch and at
tend their own sick, no matter how
long the sickness may continue re-
lieve their own widows and orphans
ay, and send their thousands of dollars
to the relief of Shreveport, Memphis
and Chicago in their great calamities,
all out of their hard earnings. No
aid sought from the outside world, no
throwing ourselves upon the charity
of any corporation; but, as good citi-
zens and Christians, knowing that
God will help those who help them
selves, we lessen the taxes and bur-
dens that, as natural result, would
fall upon the State, were it not for the
existence of such moral and religious
institutions.
Robert Burns, the poet, says that
facts are chiels that wunna STAN dis
putin'.' | shall give my friend and
brother few facts that should satisfy
him or any other friend whose mind is
not warped by prejudice or bigotry.
The Independent Order of Odd Eel
lows in the State of New York alone
number IS, 655 contributing members,
and 402 Lodges. The aggregate amount
of relief paid by the Order last year
amounted to S., l,490,274 y, or nearly a
million and a half of dollars. We
number nearly half million in COM
pliance, and our annual aggregate ap-
prOximates $5,000,0 / may, there
fore, with some equity ask the ques-
tion, What immortality, what irreli-
gion am guilty of in thus combining
with my fellow-man, no matter what
sect or creed he may advocate, to ele-
vate oar characters and prepare for
adversely in the days of our prosperity,
making ourselves better husbands,
better fathers, and better members of
society? There are many more Odd
Fellows than ministers, and 1 would
advise my worthy friend, the Rev. G.
A. McFadden of Mahony City, when
he next wants to write about the i'm
morality of his neighbors, to take a
short excursion to Philadelphia, Brook
lyn, New York, Jersey City, and sew
eral other places where strong suspi-
cious circumstances among brethren
of his own cloth might produce the
text for good letter about 'The
Enemies of Religion and Morality
a MEMBER OF UNITY, 2S3.n
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