The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-05-15

sem to make com oIete the chain % owl
denee, with no missing link, save for III,
absence of one i'm portant feature-tbat q
undoubted truth tor although we may dis.
cover similtude in the fact of initiation
IN rites ceremonies and the graduation of de.
grees between those institutions and ODD
Fellowship, vet we find no trace of the
principles of fraternity which distinguish
/ eminently our association. Odd Fellow
ship has not, it is to be said. large stock al
/ ideas, sentiments. sublime theories and
fine W ought stories, that come down 10 II.
/ from the Old, old chambers of time. dustv
and mouldy with the touch of years Ruttbe
I idea, sentiment and theory which il doe.
/ have. is the idea OF to-day, the sentiment al
/ progressive good the grand theory of life
| and those elements are noble and dignified
/ aud spring from that practical simplicity
which we ever find in "decds, not words.''
Thus all attempts to construct analogies
/ between secret societies in the early DAYS.
as referred to, and Odd Fellowship. has but
foundation of sand. We may then turn
from these dim apocrypha chronicles to
that history of our Institution whose words
are undoubted.
The common misfortunes, desolation.
poverty and want, which are incident to all
nations and all ages, seems to have sug-
@ested some organized protection against
those ills, and out OF this, along with other
| beneficial societies, came the order of odd
Fellows
Reference Is found to Odd Fellows as
early as the year l745. From that period it
seemed to have drifted down the river of
time until it reached the year 1913
when its original intents had become SO
grossly perverted and abused by the con-
ViVial character into which ft had deoener-
ated, that a spirit of reformation was in
voked, resulting in the formation of the In
dependent Order of . Fellows at Man
chester, i'm England. Under the impulse of
improved practices this Order advanced rap
idly; and as thus constituted found its way
to the United states with the tide OF immi-
grafton that brought to our shores Thorn
Wiidey. After his arrival in America, the
presence of a pestilence, that (which walked
abroad at nOonday aud was ted at midnight"
eX erciSed his sym pathy and showed the
necessity TOr an order like ours. He deter
mined on its establishment, and TO that end
he Inserted q modest notice in a Baltimore
paper, inviting any of the Order, whose
eyes should chance to fall upon IL, to confer
with the humble man whose name was APP
pended. On the memorable goth of April,
1919, in response TO the call, there gathered
together Thomas Widey and four others.
We can una CINE how these men, unknown
to each other before. met for the first time:
how they greeted each other, and exchanged
Il cordial claSping of hands; how strangers,
yet how familiar grown as each told the
other what he knew of Odd Fellowship.
Calling 10 their aid those valuable adjunctS
to character, force and courage, those humble,
but iron Willed men, bV their own deter
minattOn gave to this western world, this
magnificent structure of Odd Fellowship.
How little did they know what important
characters the future would give them on
the stage of life; how little did they think
they were at that moment making history
in letters that would never fade till the
end of time!
1t is one OF the finest testim onials offered
10 our Institution that its principles and
precepts, and the lessons taught in its Lodge
room, were so impressed upon them, and
made them alive II the importance aEd good
of such an organization and this in the lace
of facts, not the most encouraging. Ihese
men, almost Observation-Disclosures, earning
their daily bread by their daily toll, backed
bv no social influence, wealth or education,
but realizing that ''man was made to
OF Eoor humanity staff upon which to
lean Those simple men, they "bullded
better than they knew
But to Thomas Wildey, whose leadership
won the fight, more than To all others, viii
the sick who have been relieved, the dis
tFessed who have been comfOrted, the orphan
who has been sheltered, feel the deepest,
tenderest obligation.
cnpatinn. uncultured in letters. of small Pc
cuniary means, could not have been an ordi-
nary man.
He seemed to have had not only an earnest
purpose, til It precursor to success, but
more | should say that rough exterior COW
lela heart filled with consideration for his
feI low man. tender to the appeals OF distress
cultured in those charitable feelings which
we ever find in a natures nOOleman.
Hinder this leader American ODD Fellow
uutu the grand old man has become the ac-
knowled0rd founder of an Order that Is
known all over the civilized world. From
this feeble beginning the present eminent
position, prosperity and influence OF Odd
Fellowship is wonderful. The service
which il has yielded in the cause of human
ity, in its loyal execution OF that injunction
of the Order "visit the sick, bury the deau,
relieve the distressed and educate the or
uhan' gives the text and the sermon which
it has preached in lie, and iJ is noble in the
extreIne A evidence OF the practical APP
plication of this cOmmaud ct our Oruef, TIE
institution has drawn into one foid OF broeh-
prhOod more than million. 1t has to-day
under its iuri Sdiction $4,000 m an bers. Dur
inu tbe YEAR past the revenue was 81, lS3.OOO;
of tnis 81 0O4 900 has been applied 10 me re-
lief OF the sick and distressed; S260,0OO 70
the burial of the dead; $l5S,O00 to the e.
lief of widows; and $4,000 TO the education
Of orDHans These are statistical figures
and as a recital OF its work l must not lie
understood as arrogatng to thls prdeF
any especial pre-eminence IN oeheNolenb
intentions nor is it spoken OF in any spirit
of boastinp or vain glorying. Only tins l
mean 30 say, that we thus give evidence
that whautyPr sickness or distress, Ihe
mourning OF the widow or the wall OF the
orphan has been made ka1Wus odu FelloW
shin has borne its full part in responding
To the call There is yet another ml2hty-
vet silent aud unseen work which the OrdeT
has done. and is to-day doing, in softenlng
asperities, smoething prejgdiSees, cultiva vat
forbearance tot .FaGce and charity, anu III
making man the brother OF man.
have thus led you from the beginning
of Odd-Feliowship to its grand triumph OF
to-day We have seen it in Its crude lmagl-
nation. and We have seen how Tar 1t sue
asaded in realizing its own ideal. We have
Seen the unpretending blacksmith take up
tho hammer Of our Order and begin his mar
velIous pilgrimage; and have seen IL pass
rom TO her hands until to day all classes
- ra,ks representatives of all the learned |
nrofessions, all the industrial eaihngs OF
life. and the most distinguished Statesmen 10
~ Iond are proud 20 De enlisted under Its
tnlds we have seen the narrow spot on |
which il worked we have seen It's ohWdru
nrogress stretching its eye over every nei1' |
Scanning the moral harvest OF every lahu. |
It has stood when the omlnous mutteTlhgS
of Revolution and wreck threatened all
fraternity: and il has EN- erged thereIrom |
arrander IN the strength which was proved
r. irs bonds We have seen the little group /
that laid its cornerstone; we have seen the /
thousands who have entered It's gates. we
49, sIsn 1t mingle the golden threads of
I've mill ii has woven the mantle OF chart |
~ tVT which has wrapped the widow aFd or,
~ I'm This being true, does it not give good |
cause why we should emble and ded Hsxe
1 .',a ,,ot mnch to be proud of much to he /
s We npf for2 and is not this pre-eminently
IN a1en with yourselves? Your own Mt. |
Salus Lodge, am told alRost gives par
s aa'ei r ri monster, which though powerless
t ~ sbsre vonr principles, yet had scattered