Daily Republican., 1883-07-13
SECRET SOCIETIES.
rurIR OBJECTS AND AIMS-THE
DUTY OF EVERY MAN TO DE.
COME A MEMBER.

Every man, no matter what may be
bic nosition or station in life, should con-
meet himself with some society. To the
voung man just starting to battle with
fhe world, the experience and knowl-
edge he acquires at the lodge meetings
are of the greatest use to him in after
life. His education may have been ne
elected in his younger days, and If 80
he here has an opportunity to learn.
He NAV be back ward and difiident, but
after he has taken the floor two or
three times to express his views upon
some matters before the lodge, he will
lind all such feelings leaving him, and
he will gain confidence in himself tha,
NAV be of untold value in the years to
come.
If societies are of so much benefit to a
Young man, they are if possible more
30 to the man of family. There is many
a man in this country who, when pros
trated on bed of sickness, would have
had the additional torture of knowing
that his family was suffering for the
necessaries of life, had it not been fol-
the lodges with which he was connect
ed
Not many years ago the Masons, Odd
Fellows, and in fact all secret societies
were opposed by the church, and preach.
ers have stood in their pulpits and
declamed against them. But n change
has taken place, and now some Of the
most talented preachers and best men
in the church, are proud Of their con,
nection with the lodges of their choice
They have passed through their Sc
cret portals and learned that one of the
first principles inculcated by all socir
ties is, that weare all members of on'
common family, with God as the sn-
preme father and as brothers we should
assist one another.
They have been taught that no one
can become q member who does not be
ieve in and acknowledge God as the ma
ker and creator of the world and al
there is in it. They have learned tha
the candidate is taught that he is NOR
tai and that he should so live, and 81
govern his actions while on earth that
he may at last secure an entrance to tht
Grand Lodge above. Surely such teach
ings cannot but do good, and help tt
make mank indbetter. 1t has been urg
ed that there are some bad and i'm
moral men connected with some of tn
orders, and so there is in everything
The lodge will try to make better mel
of them, and if they fail should not b
blamed. But such men fortunately dt
not as a general hing remain long II
any society, for the simple reason tina
the teachings they hear weekly are 81
opposed to their evil natures that the,
grow weary and allow themselves to b
dropped.
No one will deny that the banding 0
men together in secret societies ha
been productive Of much good. Th
small amount of weekly dues is no
missed, and as general thing woul
not be saved ii i We're not paid into tn
society. But the benefit is felt in tn
hour of sickness, when not only pecu
mary aid is rendered, but the invalid
cheeryd by the visits of his brothe
members who share the nightly waite
by mis- bedside, and with gentle hanC
minister to his wants.
If he should die, loving hands wi
carry, and stricken hearts follow hil
to the las' resting place. But the wor
does not stop there: there may be
widow and helpless children left to IL
mercies of the world, and they must
assisted and protected. Here is whel
the work of the lodge shows in its grea
est beauty, for the widow is helped $
that she can help herself, and there al
women in business to-day who we1
placed there by the lodge to which h
husband belonged. There are nun
ber Of orders in his city, all Of them e
cellent and well sustained, and it ce
tainly is a duty that every man, vi
has to depend on his daily earnings f
a living, owes to himself, his tami
and his fellow man, to connect himst
with least sUMe one of them.