The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-10-16
MASONIC,
An Extract from the Address Of
Grand Master Wood.

The following - an extract taken from
the annual address of Grand Master c. T..
Wood delivered at the meeting of the Grand
Masonic Lodge at ST. Louis, Mo-, last week.
and should be needed by every Mason:
at is manifest that our popularity is III
ereasing constantly and if we could only
correct the Irregularities OF weaker breth-
rem, and teach all to restrain their passions
"within due bounds" the successes of the
past would be as nothing compared with
the larger results of the future. But we
have been greatly worsted by unworthy
and unclean men. There are lodges in the
state where there are scarce enough sober
men to reprove the drunkards. Where q
drunken, profsne libertine sits in the east,
and dsres to take the sacred name of God
upon his foul lips in mockery of prayer
Where after the lodge closes some officer
invites the lodge to his saloon, and "sets
'em up for the boys" But, alas, We may
expect this If our great masonic lights
shine dimly-if our grand officers are in
temperate or prOfane there is little hope
that lesser men will be clean and pure.
The stream will not rise above its source,
and masonry will not reform and bless the
world unless it can reform its teachers. i
myself have seen reeling drunkards among
our grand officers and have heard mos,
unhecoming profanity from the grand
east.
Let no man say that this is the cant of
or the fanaticism of q
pries:. sccrn the charge; defy any
man to show when have ever, in the lodge
room, spoken from anv other standpoint
than that Of master mason. only point
to the ''lsw and testimony" as held by you,
while say, as have often said, such
things ought not, must not be. No SIRE
ligiOus lib rhine" can be . mason. He
may take the obligation. but be is fslse to
bis VOWS, and The shibboleth he whispers
may admit him to the lodge room here
but not to the society of the rure or the
everlasting refreshment OF the grand lodge
above.
fear that the Law with regard to un-
masonic conduct, and even gross immoral
Ity.is ignored Ia many cases. The res0lu-
tiOn passed by the last grand lodge, making
the keeping of q saloon q masonic offense,
has had but little if any effect The grand
lodge should utter itself upon the point IS
never before, and through its district depu-
ty grand masters should insist upon an Oh
servance of the moral Law in every respect,
and especially should it demand that its
edicts be carried cut Let sucn men be
selected as dis .ici deputy grand masters
as will magnify their Office and faithfully
report such Irregularities as they can not
control. and then if the grand master has
force and 6rmness, the law will be obeyed.
Two years since You appointed q com.
nittee to consider the propriety OF estab-
fishing an industrial home for INDECENT
masons, their widows and orphans. LIS,
year this committee was continued, with
instructions to rep ,rt to the grand 10 lge.
Meanwhile the other grand bodies have
not been idle. The grand commandary
and grand chapter, at their respective COM
munica,ions last May, appointed commit
Ices to consider the question, and it is now
time TO 20 10 work in earnest.
Our charities, while genuine, have been
too diffused in their nature. and in the esti
nation of the world We have pretended
much and accomplished but little. To
give loaf of bread TO starving widow,
and spend 500 on banquet, is no charity
of very pronounced character. The
amount We spend during single year in
caressing defunct oysters, or burning in
cese to the social penates in the shape OF
costly cigars, would build q home that
would 20 down to posterity perennial bless
inE