The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-07-05


on which is marked the frailties of his
flock these, for the welfare of the
State or society, have to be stamped by
the profoundest secrecy. A lawyer re-
tains.as secrets his correspondents and
informants-the character and affairs
of his clients. A physician would soon
lose all his practice if he did not keep
as private and confidential the peculi-
arities of his patients. If you were to
90 on the anti-secret platform, and
carry out it's enunciations to their log
ical extent, you would have to avoid
sealing letter, you would have to re-
frain from voting a folded ticket at the
polls, and you would have to set aside
the teaching Of Jesus of Nazareth
''thou, when thou prayest enter into
thy closet and pray to thy Father which
seeth in secret" For if secrecy is wrong
t all such instances as those I have men
! toned are wrong.
! Secrecy in Odd Fellowship is an es-
sential. We have a mission to per
form-We have special principles to
teach and apply, requiring q selected
number, possessing certain aptitudes
and qualifications. We have cases of
error to rebuke which the outside
world should not hear to scandalize
and punish the unfortunate. We have
distress to ameliOrate, where sensitive
mess should not be injured by public
exposure. We have character to Gull
tiYate, the modes and processes of
which should be screened from the
prying and impairment. And, broth
ers, the more sacredly we preserve in
linviolable secrecy the talkings and do
ings Of our Lodges, the more we con-
tribute to the well-being Of each other,
and to the successful operation of the
chain of fellowship in which we are
integral links.
The I. O. 0. T. was instituted on
this continent So years ago, although
to ssmueh earlier date. the existence of
separate lodges can be traced-as far
back as 1902 there was one in working
order in the city Of Baltimore. AT the
institution Of this order only men,
bers were present. But that band of 5
brethren has grown into q mighty
army, and has Overspread the land
with it's lodges and encampments.
During those 50 years there have been
gathered by initiation into our fold
more than 100000 members. The
revenue from these members has
amounted in lodge fees alone, to $780,
i OOO,OOO-of which amount for the
relief Of the sick, the burial of the
dead, and the education of the orphan,
there has been applied upwards of
l$13,000,OO0 It would be impossible
to tell the poverty that has been re-
lieved, the loneliness that has been
cheered, the suffering that has been
abated, the ignorance and selishness
that have been driven back by this
extended organization.
! Odd Fellowship has its own unique
administration, it's peculiar decorations
and drapery, it's ritual and ceremonial,
but these alone do not constitute its
progressive life. Neither does it con-
|sist only in deeds of mercy and charity.
They are some of it's outward mani
festations. But it's aim is still higher
1t seeks to produce and foster an in
ternal, living spirit of love. The
fatherhood of God and the brother
hood Of man are it's great principles
towards which all its accessories are
made to bend, and in the heartfelt
recognition and practical execution OF
these principles is the highest style of
true manhood The words inscribed
on the monument, at Baltimore, to the
father of American Odd Fellowship,
Thomas Wildey, are words true and
forceful, that shall ring out their clear
chimes through the coming years: He
who realizes that the true mission of
man on earth is to rise above the level
of individual, influence, and to recog-
nize. the Fatherhood of God over all,
and the Brotherhood of Man, is Ma
lures true nobleman." @2i tt@a
( Most advantageous in Odd Fellow
ship is its system of Symbolism. This
can only be fully appreciated by those