The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-31
MAHABoNE's CRITICISM ON MAsoSRY-Is IT ALL
AN ANAcHRoNIsM

To THE EDITOR OF The HERALD
In the contribution OF Mr.. Elwood Thorne re-
gardIng the origin ana aims Of Freemasonry. a
long quotation from tho address OF General Ker
shaw. delivered at the dedication Of the Masonic
Temple in Charleston, forms the burden or MS es-
say / would call the attention 81 your readers TO
the contradictory claims OF Masonry, as presented
by General KershaW at Charles on, and those OF
Grand Master StudeV at the dedication OF the
Masonic Temple at Boston. Mr.. Studley said that
Masonry originated in the seventeenth century y
as he called the year I7l7 when Desagulllies. the
mathematician, FIRST concocted it. NOW, il SHOWS
now little we can trust the learning OF Freemdson
historians Ike studley, who cal an event at the
beginning of the eighteenth century am a. in
the seventeenth century. But Studlsyis blunder
was through mere ignorance, while that OF Kerr
shaw, when Elwood Thorne mas appropriated Is
an old romance OF Preston. Way, sir, Masonry as
put forth by such fellowsls purely an auachron-
ISM Like most ol the utner guilds oil England, ir
even as high as tue Bakers Guild or Trades linton.
Desaguhers. Frenc1 Hu2uenot, wnlle living
In London, mace all that speculative and
vague philosophy about geometry Of which
Masonry is now composed. lie Invested IL
oil its mere operative features as trades uAlOn
an turned II INTO a seml-regious ORGANIZATION,
by compromising CHRISTIAN history with jewish
traction for the sake ri fraternity. We see ia IL
all the Old officers 81 the Englsn guilds, ana oven
or the Engsn Church government OF the present
day-tne junior and senior wardens, Inc master,
&c.-all English names oil feuda origin. In select
Ing the Temple OF solomon as heir masterpiece
they did so merely to identity themselves with
antiquity and TO give religious cHst 20 their
romance. Wny, sir, they claim TO have come nom
Tubal Cam even. as ne was the hrst mechanic
mentioned In the Bible.
General Kershaw modestly says that thew do not
claim 10 know the real name OF God, but they
know the traditions IN regard 70 II. Very modest,
mdeed Hut, General, master Mason knows
nothing about this. IL IS ony the elect VINO have
climbed Jacobs adder 10 70 tnat degree Of Per-
fect0n, where sucn "1Entn rs thrown upon the
darkness OF their UNDERSTANDINGS.
In some OF the lectures as given 70 master
Masons, tney are told that the lost word was
known only 20 solomon 70 Hiram, the King of
tyre anu to Hiram Abil, or the widows SOM
ana that she ''word" was the prophecy " the com
Ing Of Christ the true iogos or WORD. Nov, how
can lew be reconclled ~ all thus er past itictO
prophecy as to tue RedeemerY Ana how
ca a Christian be recunciled 20 the Jewish
superstition OF the nerable name ~
GodY Tue master or a lodge wears his hat on. as
the Jews a. IN their synagogue, aud the brethren
wear reQaIta ON the ssnoutders M Jews wear
scarfs he intersectlng triangle, wncn Desaku-
liers, In his enthusiasm Tor geometry, mas gwen
so prominent place IN the ritual ~ a Jewish
tradtiOn. indeed, the letter wltnln the triangle
stands for Geometry rather tnan Tor God. Inen
or a keystone, aud Jon viii see on IL the initials
II. T. r. w. s. ;, 4. X, ;. those are the lniuals OF
the words "Hiram of Tyre, the Widows son, sent
TO King Solomon Are those Initials ~ accord
ance with tn. Hebrew the English language Z
Was solomon an Enplishman Verify, Washing
ton Irving has well SAID IN "salmagundi' OF the
bombastIc pretensions Of Masonry -
In hoe est hoax, cum reNel CT Pretences
TT blendem, boastem. foolena que Folkses
Freemasonry was very useful 70 tue rascals OF
the French Reyoutlon-suen as Danton Marat
aud RoDespiorre-al OF wubm were Masons. IN
ueed, sucn reign OF terror could no. have
existed without 1t. 1t has been useful TO every
royal rascal, ike the old Prince OF Wales, ever
since, IN retaining their powers over the popular
Will IL - exceedingly useu IN tins country IN
getting 0tllce ana position without merit, IN COW
erng up raud ana cheating society 81 tts'dues.
IL substitutes selnsbness for charity " subYerts
the CHRISTIAN religion by Symbolism Wnca IS
based on lnfdellLY, ana worship OF art and ma
ture in the abstract IL Is good religion for THIS
world, but bad one Tor the next
MAHABoNE~