The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-06

they will see that the same men are promi-
nent in both institutions. Indeed, as a
matter of fact, there was hardly clergy
man in Vermont, or one interested in her
benevolent and religious enterprises, that
was not, at the same time, massn. And
vet this truthful critic would have US be-
lieve that IL is an "open secret" that these
men, in the lodge from, declared that they
nut their trust in the devil rather than in
God
But let us make a local application of
this vile Islander. Rutland was, at that
time-about 1S23-the headquarters of
Vermont masonry. The sessions of the
grand chapter and of the grand encamp-
ment of Knight Templars were usually
held here, and from here were their officers
generally selected. Jonathan Wells, a large
hearted and public spirited Rutland mer-
chant, was the first grand high priest of
the grand chapter Benjamin Lord, the
celebrated Rutland jeweler and clock
maker, and member of the Congregation
al church, its first grand king Ezekiel
Porter, the foremost physician of Rutland
if not of the state, its first grand scribe
and Cephas Smith, a leading Rutland law
yer, its first secretary. Cephas Smith sub
sequently became grand high priest, as did
also the late Governor Williams and the
Rev. Joel Clapp, d. D. and DR.. Clapp
was present in Rutland at meeting Of the
grand chapter at the period referred to, and
for years before and after. William Page,
deacon in the Congregational church Of
Rutland and for many years cashier of the
bank of Rutland, was grand secretary dur
ing the years 1912 and 1918. Joel Green,
a'physician of Rutland, was grand secretary
from 1918 to 1884, and during the greater
part of the time was, also, member of the
Congregational church.
Among the other masons of this period,
pretty tolerably well known in Rutland,
were Rev. Leland Howard, for many years
pastor of the Baptist church here, at
Windsor, and elsewhere; Silas II. Hodges,
a Congregational clergyman and deacon
of the Con gregational church of Rutland /;
| James Barrett, also, deacon of the Con-
gregational church and very many others
who are still remembered as good citizens
and consistent christians. Some of them
remain with us until this day-among
whom we may mention AmaSa Pooler,
Luther Thrall and Lorenzo Sheldon, repre-
senting three different denominations Of
christians-and yet this truthful critic
would have us believe that such men as
these, that Williams, and Page, and How
ard, and Barrett, and Hodges, and Clapp,
and Green were accustomed to go to the
lodge room, declare that they put their
trust in the devil rather than in God,
offered up their prayers TO the devil, and
taught that the Bible was dedicated to the
service of the devil and was his gift tc
man!
| And these very same men, these minis
tiers and officers of the churches, these most
estimable citizens, were accustomed, after
having thus profaned the holy name Of
God in their lodge room, to form public
procession and, carrying the Bible with
them, march to this same Congregational
church and listen to sermon preached fol
their benefit by such clergymen as the Rev
Samuel Williams, LII. D., Heman Ball
D. D., Lemuel Haynes, Daniel G. Sanders
LII. D., the first president Of the Univer
sity of Vermont, Ebenezer Hebard, ant
Amos Drury. They were, if this "open
secret " is true, hypocrites as well al
blasphemers. 1t is well for the PEG
pie of Rutland and of Vermont to know
what kind of men their ministers, deacon
and church members have been, and tn,
character of the men they have, heretofore
delighted to honor. Either these men wer
' blasphemers, hypocri,es and knaves, or tn
It retailer of this "open secret" is a slandere
= OF the dead as well as of the living-w
i leave 1t to the people who have know
e these men, or of them, to decide which.