Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-09-02
Psmplars and Masons.

remember the bitterness of the DO.
litical crusade sgainst Fresmasonry
OF which ths Order of the Temple is
az adjunct. 1t took much stron
ger and longer hold upon tho people
thar Knownothingism, Gresnback.
ism, or, in fact any of the other side
issues Of politics. Il may be said
that the only really permanent line
of political battle in this country is
the State rights line, sad that Of all
questions that have agilated the
public mind profoundly, without in
volging at all the relations of The
State and Federal Government, the
most conspicuous position, if no. the
post of honor, muss be accorded TO
that anti>Masonio raid, for raid it
was.
The reception accorded ihs
Knights Templar in Chicago THE
week attests to the utter collapse of
that old prejudice. Ii has been OBJ.
liberated from the public mind go
long and effectually that not a YES
tige is left. Nobody seems reluc-
tant to join in honoring Tbs honora-
bic order. If there Is lingering any
trace OF that sentiment it 10 so very
faint and inoonseq1ontiel as not 20
mar at all the splendid effect Of The
magnificent grOeting Chicago gives
the chiValrlo order al this lri5nhial
coaciags, This is thoroughly
modora city, and taxes no stock 10
the obsolete. II there were abuses
and evils which that msvem ent
checked, we'll and good bat how.
ever it may have been in those days
the present generation hes no reason
to eomplain of tEis order. lflhere
arc bsnoi's in its memberrhD there
are no unust DETERMINATIONS against
outsiders, and therefore no csuse OF
complaint.
Tho knights Templar sustain
much the same relation to Masons
10 general that King Arthur's
knights Of tho Round Table sustain
in chivalric romance to knighthood
in general. They ara She ornsmen,
tai branch in the tree of Masonry.
Az we write thay are marching
through our streets. Pagenntry is
tho feature Of the order which the
general public sae-, bus it 10 to the
order itself Whas opaplsts are to the
military. The real business which
brought tbess 10000 Knights to
gether a not known, except in ,hc
mGst general way.
Ii by sons miracle Of destruction
all ssorat organizations, suoh as
Masons, Odd-Fellows end Druide,
were blotted out and could not be
restored, it would not be long be-
fore other satially similar orgaai.
cations would spring into life and
flourish. There seems 50 DO an in.
stinot 10 the human henrt which
Graves something of the kind
wherever man is civilized secret
societies prosper. They may almost
be called Indigenous 80 Intelligence.
At tho same time it is true that civ
llzAtion is rendering sach soei.ies
unnecessary for some ofths purposes
which oaee gave Thorn speoial vitaii.
ty. Hetore the days of railroads
aud oisai4pas the traveller S5o
was any distance from homo was
liable 20 get into e predic4me, t in
voiving greas Inconvenience, aad
perhaps dsngeT, aIi because holoould
not communicate with thoss who
knew him. Then the "feIlow foe!-
ing" Of brother Mas wea ! greet
advantage. Nowadays ono can
hardly be isol1.ed. The means OF
communication are suoh that 10 san
reach his homo friGnda for tho or
binary purposes Of rel.et, however
far away. But i: 10 uops tho less
true that the cultivation offraternsl
feeling among strangera is very
wholesome and eneicent thing
and the flourishinQ oaa4itlnn Of
Masonry, "a attest, pg this eon-
c!avs, Ia oh0 Of the eac" urag,ug
signs of he i'm - ChicIg0 Jour.
nal