Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-06-11
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TIE Free 1tIasoils.

According to an official report pre-
scented at the Grand Lodge of the Free
Masons of this State which is now in
session in Twenty-third street, last year
was an extraordinary prosperous one
Tor tine Fraternity. the acquisitions to
the membership having been more nu-
merous than for twenty years before.
The 7i5 lodges OF the State now contain
1910 Masons
The unusual pr igress OF the order was
doubtless due in large part To the Papal
denuneiations of Free Masonry and all
other secret orders IF the kind, for the
bold opposition of Rome had the effect
of bringing the fraternity into greater
prominence than it lad obtained since
the days when dread and hatred of
Masonry We're made the foundation of
political party here which developed
remarkable temporary strength.
But the purpose of the Papal fulmi-
nations was probably not so much TO
weaken the order generally as to keep
from it the children of the Roman
Catholic Church. How far they were
successful in that we have no means OF
knowing, though we infer from the
tone of the address OF the Grand Master
at the opening OF the ceremonies on
Tuesday that the fraternity in New
support, and has 10 desire tn conciliate
Catholic opinion. He rather defied the
Roman Church, declaring that Free
Masonry was in a higher position than
ever before Notwithstanding the full
mination of Papal bigOtry or the criti-
cis;Gs of pharissical zealuts."
But he also denounced the 'so-called
Masonic;,l periodicals which make light
of that foundation stone Of Free Ma
and said that "if there be no God in
Masonry, aye, if belief in God be not
the corner stone upon which Free Ma
sonny is founded, then, indeed, it is in
its decadence, and its days are num-
bered." This belief, he continued, may
take various forms, but it must exist.
Jews, Mohammedans and Christians,
"all within its broad fold, but none
who do not acknowledge the existence
of one Supreme Being, who ruleth all
things and to whom ali owe allegiance.
To my Hebrew brother it is the God of
Israel, to the Mohammedan, the God
as revealed in the great open book of
the starry -deckei heavens;to the Chris
tians, the God and Father of our Saw
Jour Jesus Christ"
1t is easy to see from this exposition
of the religious foundation of Free Ma
sony why the Roman Church is of
necessity its implacable enemy. The
principles proclaimed by the Grard
Master directly contradict the teach
ings of Rome, and in its eyes constitute
the most fragrant and dangerous inf
deity. But they do not seem to offend
Protestants. for we find among the
members of the fraternity not few
Protestant ciergymen, and the proceed
ings on Tuesday were, as usual, opened
I, hr-r 10 nj ,ls,it
Protestant minister.
The antiMasonic agitati which
began with the disappearance of Nor
gan in 1926, was doubtless a Protestant
rather than Catholic movement, and
the flames of the luminosity excited
against the order were famed by Prot
estants churches; but the assault was
not against the religious principles so
much as the imagined practices of the
Masons. Besides, it was soon used for
political purposes, merely, so that in
1881 an Anti-Masonic ticket for Presi-
dent and Vice-President--W William Writ
of Maryland and Amos Ellmaker OF
Pennsylvania-was nominated by a
national Convention, in which dele
gates from most OF the free States took
part. That ticket received only the
seven electoral votes of Vermont; and
in few years the Anti Masonic party
was only memory. Now we know
of no active opposition to Free Masonry
outside of the Roman Catholic Church
except among EpIscopalian high
churchmen.
As to the numbers of the fraternity
i'm this State, though actually larue,
they are comparatively small. Seven
ty thousand Free Masons out of five or
six millions of people are not many.
We observe that among those who are
taking part in the proceedings at the
Masonic Temple are men of good
deal of prominence in the city or State.
N. !. Sun.