The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-02-12
Rirhmond 1ispatth.
ruypspAy. FEBRUARY IL, 1850.
r,.. yr.movs or Masonry.

thSn usual, OWING W tue aiV-V" W., y,s..a
made Inv Lieutenant Gorringc, OF The Unitea
S,s,c. navy. nj the base OF the American
oheIlsk. OR esteemed and highly buiDor'
ous contemporary the World, IN It's wag-
Dish way. has discussed the alleged Masonic
cmbIems with a seriousness that would de
cctye ,hc very elect who were not prepared
10 regard its uiterances from IickWicA'an
nojnt Of view. But there is limit even 10
ies,inp. and we fear that our facetlous
contemporary NAV have been carTieo
away by its sense OF huron 10 feaIy
undo much Of the good u mas uon'
In promoting the study OF tue ieoon
di,e and impracticable. We say tnls no'
In any chidlng spirit, but merely Decauss,
while q Joke Is joke 10 those VINO zee " 90
such II NAV be carried too far, ana as Oui
fsce,ious contemporary knows from expe-
riepce. there are great many duli iello"s
in this world who accept even the mosi pre-
nosierous statements with dense acqules-
cence and open-mOuthed admiration. Inc
Worlds announcement that Masonic en-
bjems really were found at the base OF the
American obelisk, we fear, Is one OF tnese'
and while, Of course, 1t Is hardly as cle'e,
as the invention Of the man-eaiing tree OF
Africa. in which many good souls beiIeVc
as firmly as in their catechism, it has, Wild
out doubt, been accepted as gospel by many
OF the ablest performers OF the Masohic
order. ,
Before the World cracked its little joke
at the expense OF the most conservative
Masons- specimens OF whom are douDiless
TO be found in every lodge In the worlu-H
was pretty generally understood tnat ma-
soDry had It's origin in the days OF Solo
mon A moments reflection will serve to
demonstrate that the wisest OF men never
aid wiser thing in bis life than when he
became Mason. A man with three nun
dred wives. not TO mention the DINER nine
hundred lady friends who watched hlln Witn
iynx-eyed attention, must have enjoyed
an amount OF domestic infelicity such as
the bappiest OF modern husbands can only
dream OF. In order 10 obtain that Temporal
Nv liberty without which the conviylal
board would be hollow mockery. II was
necessary to invent some abiding and ndis-
putablc demand upon bis time after dinner
and as late as midnight. With the assist
ance OF Hiram Of Tyre the whole scheme OF
Masonry was drafted by Solomon, with GER
tain rights admirably calculated, when frag-
mentarily mentioned in the family circle, TO
impress the feminine mind with sense OF
mystery. The goat, whose appetite Tor
waste paper in the form OF perfumed
bilels-doux is historic, was not I'M
naturally chosen as the symbol OF
Masonry, and his superiority to the
modern wssle-paper basket was Dot only
early recognized but playfully made use OF.
II is worthy of notice that the two kings
enjoyed their little sell so highly that they
called their scheme, what it really is craft,
and all the wide-awake and ingenious gen.
tlemen whose devotion 10 the solemn rites
OF the goat necessitales their absence from
home are. or think they are, the craitiest
l,,;, -, ha ~
course, is merely preliminary, and is for
nal statement Of what every intelligent man
knows. IL leads up to point. however, as
the reader will pre- sently perceive.
Without doubt there are not few earn
est, stOlid fellows among the MasOns who
believe as firmly in the goat and his mysti-
cal influence as they do in the futurity OF
salary-day and the actually OF their own
existence. These are The unconscious butts
OF their fellow-craftsmen, who enjoy their
devotion TO the ritual, and constantly main
tain in their presen the delightful Illusion
that all hands are actually engaged in some
stupendous work. OF course no reader Of
the Eagle is included among these dull,
though honest, enthusiasts, and it is not
breach Of confidence 10 thus publicly refer
TO the principal diversions of the lodge pro-
per. To the mad ways who enjoy the un-
ending jokes they are playing on their
families and on society at large, no.
thing can be funnier than the de-
nunciatlons hurled at the "order" from the
pulpit except the sincerity Of their puzzled
brother MaSons, who submit 20 the ordeal
OF riding the goat because they firmly be-
Iieye that In so doing they are, in some fOggy
manner comforting an incalculable blessing
on mankind These are the kindly creatures
who know the whole ritual by heart and
ache 10 convert their nom Masonic brethren;
who he awake at night repeating the for
mule OF their order ard bringing all their
intelligence to the explanation OF the bewiI-
dering fact that on specified lodge nights
there are never more than four or i've
Masons present, and those all of the
earnest variety. These, too, are the
unhappy victims OF the WorlfS little
Joke about the Obelisk. They hate 10 eat
cheese with their apple-pie, for instance,
lest they should unwittinely consume &
cube, and so deyour Masonic altar. Dust
ing-days 1T home conyulse them with mis-
cry, because their wives and even hired
girls wear aprons. An opera-e lass is their
detcstation, because it is made for two All
seeing eyes, whereas the devout Maso1's
conscience iorbids his recognizing more
than one.
Amusing as this type Of human being is
TO the wise Mason, who lives after the fash
ion OF Solomon, and enjoys the bewilder-
ment of his less astute brother there is one
sort that is even more entertaining. 1t is
the fellow who not only cannot see joke
without submitting 10 4 surgical operation,
but Indignantly rebels against what he
calls an aifront to bis common sense. This
is the curiosity, who, having investigated
Masonry and failed to perceive either
the Joke on himself or the feminine gen
der, becomes virtually indignant, and
cannot digest even an oyster until he
has exposed what he heatedly terms the
whole shameful humbug. OF this variety
are two well-meaning persons, both natu-
rally belonging TO another "order," who
last evening exposed" Masonry in Bos-
ton. IL Is narrated by the faithful CORE
spopdent OF the Herald that they narrowly
escaped raising riot. Why the sedate
bean-eater of Boston should have become
riotous Is one of the mysteries that the ply
Biological ignorance OF the age fails TO eX-
plain, although the fayorite Boston dish has
certain rlotou5 mysteries OF its own. But
that small boys in the streets should have
thrown nowballs at the "eXposers " is in
comprehensive, except upon the theory that
they received ten cents apiece from the two
clereymen. IL is also narrated that when
six. pseudo Blue-Lodge Masons, attired eX-
clusiyey in their underclotbing, appeared
upon the platform, several ladies', who had
s0me'sort OF Bostonian suspicion OF the real
ity the ritual, precipitately left the church.
or course, public appearance in negiige cos
tune, except at bap,isms, ought not to be
INDUCED In even in church, but il the
ladas no ralnainpd they would moi we