Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1884-05-09

ter Will be promulgated next week by
Pope Leo XIII which bears with special
stress against Freemasonry, and generally
against al secret organizations. The
Pope says: "The plan of the secret So
cieties ls no longer mystery. 1t ls q
struggle against the Church, and the va
rious Popes have very properly excom-
munlcated Freemasons. Since $50 years
the secret societies have increased fright
fully. A grave peril thus threatens soc,-
ETY.. The socialist has his source of
strength IN Freemasonry. The Papacy
is placed in an intolerable situation. Ma.
sonry does not avow its real object: it de-
ceives the innocent by varnish of toler-
ation''
The Pope is no doubt honest in his
opinion and candid in his zeal for the
good OF the church OF which he is the &C.
cIesiastical head, and no organization Sc
cret or otherwise is more willing to con-
cede his right of conscience than the Ma
sonic order, but there are thousands of
catholics who are also Masons who will
JOIN IN protesting against the lmputations
laid against Freemasonry in the above
quotation. Neither its history nor its re-
latlons with the catholic church justify
them. The origin of Freemasonry is lost
in prehistoric antiquity and probably
existed in some of its forms at the build
ing of the Tower of Babel. 1t Is however
we'll authenticated that it was reduced to
an operative system in the building Of
Solomcn's Temple, and was continued as
an operative system, and after the Chris
tian Era flourished Us such under the
patronage and encouragement OF the
Catholic church in the construction of its
cathedrals and monasteries which to-day
are no more the pride of the church than
of the Masonic order whose handiwork IN
their construction has in them an endur-
ing monument. The pontif1s Of Rome
conferred upon the Masons in those days
privileges conceded to none other and al
lowed them to fraternize by laws, Gus.
toms and ceremonies peculiar to them
selves. The members were bound togeth-
er then by the same mystic tie that binds
them together now.
The Masonic order ceased to be soc,e-
ty of operative builders some centuries
ago but has perpetuated its ceremonies,
ritual and tenets theoretically ever since
and unimpaired down to the present time.
It numbers among ito votaries, in the most
perfect harmony, every religious belief
and political opinion, neither of which is
q test of its privileges and benefits. A
man cannot be Catholic unless he be.
lieves in the existence Of God: neither
can he be Mason without such belief.
This belief IS the foundation Of both and
of all the various protestant organlza.
tions. Masonry allows its members the
utmost liberty of conscience in the minor
details Of religious belief and mode of
worship. It has lived and dourished un.
der every form of political government
and church domination, for it never In
terferes in any way with either. In its
lodges sit in harmony and unity the Jew
and the Gentle, the Catholic and Protest
ant, the Republican and Monarchist 1t
gives its members strictly in charge as ci>l-
zens ito be exemplary IN the discharge of
civil duties, by never proposing or coun-
tenancing any act winch may have ten
dency to su5vert the peace and good order
Of society; by paying due obedience TO the
laws under whose protection they live,
and by never losing sight of the allegiance
due their country Its mission is to
meet present needs and its benefcenoe is
seen in its munifcent but unostentatlous
charity. 1t teaches faith, hope and char
ity, "faith in Ged, hope in immortality,
and charity to all mankind" Its tenets
are brotherly love, relief and truth. 1t
iuculcates the virtues Of temperance, for
titude, prudence and justice. In the Uni
ted States alone its membership numbers
four hundred thousand, anu millions
throughout the world. Its chain of f'a-
ternity engirdles the earth and extends to
the remotest habitations. Universal, un-
sectarian and nom political in its princl-
pies it includes every cline and tongue
in its brotherhood. Its age is counted by
centuries and It has witnessed the rise,
glory and fell of succeeding Kingdoms
and empires. Through revolutions and
counter devastat1ons by war
and mutations Of time 1t has stood un
shaken. No seed Of dissension, no plot
of treason, no persecution for opinionsake
has ever beer traced to Its portals. The
great and the good of every nation have
Stood as high on the rolls Of Masonry ss
on those Of fame, among whom Of our
own country may be mentioned Wash.
ington, the father OF his country; Frank
lin, the sage and philosopher; Marshall,
the illustrieus light Of American juris-
prudence. Freemasonry needs no defense.
She seeks no proselytes. She encroach-
es upon the rights of no individual or
Those who are of her fold
come of their own free will aud accord.