The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1877-07-19
ADDRESS OF JUDGE W. P. CAMPBELL
The OCCASION PUBLIC INSTALLATION OF THE
OFFICERS OF THE ]. 0. 0. F. No. SO.
Ladies and Gentlemen !:

According to the ritual the ceremo
mony of installation closes here, an'
it only remains for the Grand Marsha
| to make the usual proclamation there
of. AT this point it is customary 70
the Grand Master, or some one spe
cially selected for the purpose, to dc
liver short address BETTING the &C
casion. Inasmuch as the COMMITTEES
having the matter in charge have Sc
lected me, | beg leave to submit few
brief statements concerning the origin
and growth of Oddfellowship, the oh
jects and purposes of the organization
and its influence upon the age in whicl
we live.
You will bear in mind that there ar,
two distinct organizations of the Or
der in the world-one is called tn,
Manchester Unity, and it has 400
lodges and little more than bal
million of members, distributed owe
England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales
Deunos Ayres, Gibralter, Malta, Tur
key, West Indies, Africa, Cape o
Good Hope, Canada, Nova Scotia, Aus
tralasia and the United States.
Our branch, known as the Indepcn
dent Order of Odd Fellows, has 6.00i
lodges and little less than half mil
lion of members, principally i'll thu
United States, but having lodges and
Grand Lodges in Canada, Nova Scotia
Australasia, Germany, Switzerland
Chill, Peru and the Sandwich Islands
The name of Oddfellows is common
to both branches both are governed
by the same principles and practice
the same duties. There is the utmost
good feeling between the two, and the
question of their consolidation is one
merely of convenience.
The origin of the Order is involved
in obscurity. 1t has been traced to
the ancient Greeks and Romans,to the
Jews in the times of Moses and Aaron
and, also to the Egyptians and North.
men. There are undoubtedly striking
resemblances between some Of our
rites and ceremonies and those of the
secret societies of antiquity, but the
evidence that would connect US with
any of them as one and the same or
ganization, is vague and unsatisfacto-
ry, and our Grand Lodge has discard
ed the theory of an ancient origin, and
the great mass of Oddfellows consider
it doubtful compliment to say of any
association, claiming to be benevolent,
that it is the work of men imbued
with the fierce passions of antiquity.
Oddfello wship is the outgrowth of
Christian civilization, and borrows its
inspiration from the more humane and
enlightened ideas of modern times.
In the last century there were in
England great number of societies
among the common people, formed for
mutual protection against the acct
dents and misfortunes incident to men
of their calling. These, 'guilds" as
they were called, were composed prin-
cipally of mechanics, artisans and la
borers, and among the more important
of them occasional mention is made of
1.-The Ancient and Honorable Loyal
Oddfellows." They held their meet
ings in back rooms of taverns, and
cultivated friendly relations around
the convivial board. The company
was often not select. and the song and
jest not always elegant. Their beer
mugs and pipes have long since been
excluded from the lodge room, and
their noisy hilarity displaced by cour-
teous and cordial discussion for the
good Of the Order. In whatever light
we consider the change, let us judge
kindly our uncouth predecessors in
this great work of philanthropy, and
earn to initiate their hospitality and
friendship, as exhibited to those of
their number who were compelled to
travel in search of employment.
will now speak of the organization
md work of lodge of Oddfellows,
is laws and usages, and the practical
luties they enjoin upon members:
An intelligent and observing lady
,nce asked me why we were called
secret society. l must confess my iu-
Ibility to justify this general misap-
,lication of terms. Secret societies
re those whose existence and OBJ
ects are hidden. There have been
many of them in the world, and they
ave been generally, and in most cases
Justly, viewed with distrust and fear
But there is no effort to hide either the |
xistence or objects of our Order. Our
odge rooms occupy the most promi
ent sites in our towns and cities, and |
he members. are well known. Our
AVIS, and the proceedings of our grand
odies are printed and freely distrib-
ted. Our meetings are private. We
ransact our own business, apd in this
aspect our practice is not different
.om that of the directors of your
avings Bank, or the official board of
ne Methodist Church, and none but
he morbidly curious or impertinent
-ould seek or desire to obtain a
of their transactions. If
le personal affairs of brother are
admitted to us for counsel or aid, it
his secret, not ours. Ii a brothers
,nduct is such as TO call for admoni-
on, rebuke or punishment, it would
. both cruel aud indiscreet to expose
in. Our signs and tokens are only
language we have to guard against
lposition. This is about the extent
our so-called secret work, and if I
lis constitutes '.secret society,"" why ;
OF apply the term TO a family, or a !
or a church, each of which {
S secrets it would be both wrong I
ID foolish to divulge. The organiza- {
On of Oddfeliows is for purposes {
rely benevolent. A Jew or Moham- c
.dan may be as good an Odd Fellow f
a Christian, without damage to his Il
til, or surrender of any of his i
erished opinions, if he recognizes p
men as members of one great fami v
governed by one universal father. a
d is willing to exhibit that charity K
,ich not only bestows the "pittance' ii
d loaf upon beggary aud hunger, "