The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-12-18
THE IIeREjoRESSIBLH PAGE

There was a rousing public meeting
the other night at Austin to "devise
ways and means to check the spread OF
anarchy, crime and ruin" 1t was MAIN
~ devoted to showing the corrupt meth
DDS of the Rings which combined to
beat Page. A committee was appoint
ed to collect facts with a view to bring
ing them before the Attorney General
for action. Page declared he was new
or in '"better health or endowed with q
more uncrushed spirit.'
Page and his followers are suffering
the consequences of their boldness and
honesty in exposing corruption and
fighting rings. The whole State Ring
concentrated upon the Tenth Judicial
District and spent 81, 900 to 100000 to
beat Page. The nine banks of the dis
trict shelled out their money to fight
Page, and money, bribery, hard lying
and desperate work beat him.
We do not exactly approve of Page
for Judge, but we hope he will be
kept in some public position where he
can continue his fight upon corruption
and ring;sm.
The fight III Austin has extended i'll
to church, family, business, and every
other relation, and shows how desper
ate set of Ring politicians will fight
to maintain their asccndency. They
have their match in Judge Page. And
the people of this county can see from
the state of things there what they
must expect if they allow one set Of
Ring officials to hold Office too long.
GOING FOR THE MlsONS.
The Minnesota Christian Associa-
ton opposed to secret societies, assem-
bled in St. Paul last week, and adopted
some slashing resolutions condemning
Masonry especially. We suppose the
main resolution, which tells the secret
of the opposition, is this one: 1.-The pu-
rity and perpetuity of the church Of Je-
sus Christ is in due proportion to the
singleness Of heart and laitllfulness to
its principles Of individual mcmhprs.'
That is, the minister and the church
should have the keeping of the con-
science and should govern the actions
of men. Masonry is u supposed rival
to the church.
Now we are not a Mason and are OPP
posed to secret societies on general
principles. In fact, VIC have rrelEeut-
1y been reported Ivy lying members Of
the order about Worthington as being
on enemy of the Masons and one of the
worst Masons in the place cndcayorcd
year or two ago to induce the order to
take action against us. But twenty
years Of church experience and as many
years of observation Of Masonry has
satisfied us that the Masonic order is
as good, if not better, than the church.
We have said before in these columns
that, for fair and just treatment, we
would rs soon fall into the hands Of IL
gang Of Mouoc Indians as into the hands
OF a so-called church working through
one of its committees, " ''presby ters, -
or whatever they may call it. as a
rule, they know only the pecuniary and
worldly prosperity Of their ''society,'
in the interest Of which they violate
justice: fairness and honor as coolly as
a horse jockey. And we have noticed
that a Mason who is also church
member, when the final hour comes,
will leave his family to the care of the
Masonic order instead Of the church.
knowing that he can depend upon the
former and not upon the latter.
LAND S1f,EN