Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-15

upon Congress to pass an act declaring
trade dollars legal tender, when the entire
annoyance will be brought to close.
FREE MASONRY AND POLITICS.
1t will surprise most people to learn, from
the resolutions of the anti-Masonic State con-
vention, that Free Masonry has exerted
baleful and demoralizing influence on the po-
litical institutions OF this State; that the
State is ''run" by the Masons and that Ma
sonry in Vermont has clark history and
its acts are of ''horrid blackness." This is
dreadful, if true. But such has not been the
popular view of Masonry. The only dark
history" and "acts of horrid blackness' are
associated in the public mind chiefly with
the historic goat which is popularity suppos-
ed to perform 50 important part in the
initiation of neophytes into the mys-
teries of the craft-a malevoient and dread
full animal who is kept in the dark
recesses OF the lodge-room forever unseen ex-
cept by Masonic eye, and of whose demoniac
doings countless wild, weird tales are narrat-
ed. Aside from his connection with this
mysterious and preternaturally sagaclous
quadruped, the general public regard the
Mason as harmless citizen with great
proclivity to public professions and the use
of mctaphorical language. You might know
your neighbor for years and never suspect
that he is an habitual Mason. All OF a sud-
ben on some great day in the Masonic cal
endar he bursts upon your astonished VS.
ion arrayed in full regalia. spansled with
diamonds, glittering with gold, gaudY
with feathers, welding an enormous
sword and the metamorphosis is the more
startling when you hear him addressed as n
Most Worshipful Grand Prince of Jerusalem,
or a Sublime King of the Royal Secret, or
some equally mild and unostcntatious title.
He meets his brother Kings and Princes at
the lodge-room, and in grand procession they
sweep through the principal streets in royal
style, to the stirring music OF brass band.
Aud then you too wish you were Mason
and the small boy drops his long-chcrishcd
ambition to become circus clown and gives
divided allegiance to the drum-major of the
band and the members Of the royal craft be-
hind him. But, to speak more seriously
though this anti-Masonic crusade is hardly
worth serious consideration-therc is another
side TO the popular estimation of Free Ma
sonry. 1t is well known that one OF its
fundamental principles is the eternal broth
erhood of man; it breaches the doctrine OF
brotherly love and charity it cnforces, in
its higher orders, at least, we are told, be-
lief in the Christian religion; and it includes
within its membership, and has ever in
cluded many OF the very best men among
our acknowledgment, soldiers, teachers,
men Of business, indeed all sorts and condi-
lions of men. We do not propose to discuss
the question of secret societies in the abstract;
but when any man says that such an organiza.
tion (and by the way no person in the FREE
PRESS office is connected with iO has de-
based our form of government, and
that such men do "acts Of horrid blackncss'
and have clark history" he is very rasl
in mis- assertions and wild in his conclusions
There is no need of coming to the defence o
Masonry against such assailants, fort the pub
lie mind was long ago fully made up on thu
matter-nor do we now defend X, but sim
ply comment on minor but not unintcrest
ing event Of the day.
The Montpelier convention suggests, ant
indeed belongs to the ante-railroad, ante
telegraph and ante-newspaper days of half
century ago. 1t was in 1896 that Morga
came to grief and in 1929 the first anti-Ma
sonic party in Vermont was organized. In 1888
held, at Baltimore, and William Writ wa
nominated for president and one Amos Ell
maker of Pennsylvania for vice-prcsident
and In the election which followed Vernon
distinguished itself as the only State whc
gave this ticket its electoral vote The con
venlion alluded to, it may be said in passing
was:the first political National convention
ever held in this country, and 1t was tn
last OF the organization that called it
for after the election the party quietly ex
pired and the subsequent proceedings in
terested it no more. Prior to this, il
1880, the anti-Masons of Vermont La
a candidate for governor in the field, and
though there was no election by tn
people, he was elected by the Legislature
and the same thing happened in 1881 an
1882 In 1888 the ti-Masonic caudidat
was elected by the people, but in 1884, thong
they elected the rest Of their ticket, the anti