St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-09-17
GRAND SIRE NICHOLSON.

ing all there was something in it to COM
mand the respect and admiration of all peo-
pie.
GRAND SIRE NICHOLSON.
James B. Nicholson, past grand sire, of
Philadelphia, was then introduced as the
apostle of Oddfellowship. After the applause
had subsidized Mr.. Nicholson began his elo-
quent address by referring to the legend of
Hiawatha. The speaker said that he came
with no charm OF eloquence; there were
others more capable of charming with the
sweet music of speech; he spoke from and
appealed to the heart in homely phrase Of
speech. The field OF morals and reform was
like a primevaI forest; the way
had to be cleared and there
was much work to be done;
the question naturally arose, what is the
necessity of Odd Fellowship This was
was progress; mankind wanted moral and
intellectual agencies that kept abreast with
the material progress of the age. What the
age wanted was agencies that made men
stand closer together; instrumentaliiies that
brought him heart to heart and hand to hand;
agencies that combined and identified bis in
terests; first it was union of ten, then a
hundred; then on upwards to millions, and
the object of it all was to biud men closer to-
gether and alleviate their ills and wants.
The speaker then referred to the name of the
order, how it originated was mystery, but
while sounding strangely he did not believe
that any member would want to change it,
as it was so thoroughly expressive of all the
dearest interests of the society; the name
was every day becoming more and more
intelligable and significant and the great
prevalence of crime demonstrated that every
day the world was more in need of Odd
Fellows.
The speaker then described the regalia of
the order, and in this connection he gave a
graphic picture Of the establishment of the
order in Baltimore, and he made eloquent
allusion to the grateful benefcence of the
order whose symbolic and mysterious links
were allied to the sympa-
thy, suffering and charity of mankind.
He laid especial stress on the object of the
order which made it imperative for all mem
bers to visit the sick and relieve the dis
tressed. He referred to the mission of the
order which he said was for the people of the
habitable globe; for the benefit of all men
everywhere, and Odd Fellowship shall not
eternal truths were recognized and embraced
by all men. Reference was then made to
the secret nature OF the order; the society
was not among those that believed dynamite
or gunpowder were among the reformatory
agencies of the world; Odd Fellowship was
not secret for the reason that its objects and
aims were open to all the world; on the
other hand the order had a detestation of
many of the unholy secret orders of the age
There were matters however, of private in
formation, which it would not be feasible to
give out to the world; there were some men
who desired to exist off the industry of
others and for this and other reasons it was
necessary to protect the members of the order.
In the United States $1,000 was distributed
daily; this did not represent the vast reserve
fund on hand, and it was necessary to pro-
tect this fund and its members from impos-
ture or unjust invasion. The speaker illus
| trated this part Of the address by relating
very appropriate anecdote. 1t was neces-
sary to give the members of the order key,
which when properly obtained, was the open
sesame to the vaults Of the society all over
the land. In conclusion several anecdotes
were related, going to show the benefits of
Odd Fellowship in moments Of distress, and
he said that the order was charity and love in
their completeness, and beneath the princi-
Piles OF the order were the springs that would
eventually oyerturn the world, for the law of
the order was love, aud love must at last rule
the world, and war would be a thing of the
past; when the order reached its complete
ness there would be no war or standing ar
mics, and light, love and liberty would be
carried with their sublime eff
ects throughout all the world
The object of the work was TO build up men
good, loving, noble men whose lives would
tend to the advancement of the earth be
diligent, earnest and faithful and in the
end would come the reward; the selfish
might sneer. but God is love and love would
some day rule the world.
After music the audience was dismissed
with the benediction, by Grand Chaplain
Venable.