, 1885-08-14

He Is Interviewed al salt Lake ana
Talks Masonry.

Talks Masonry.
The veteran, ten. Albert Pike. who
spent a week or more in this city a few
weeks ago, has been interviewed at Salt
Lake City by a TriJuae reporter, and he
gave some interesting talk about Masonry
and Mormonism, which will be interesting
to all Masons and many others. In its
issue of last Tuesday the Tribune says
Comfortably seated in one of the large,
roomy chairs that grace the front of the
Continental hotel, sat Gen. Albert Pike
on Sunday evening, enjoying the cool
breezes that are waited through the trees
that adorn the ncighborhood Of this
hostelry. lie is Il gentleman well adj
vanced in years, his tall. commanding
stature, fine physique and long. flowing
white hair give him u venerable appear
ance, yet his eye has lost mont of its
youthful fire and expression of determine
ton and energy. lie has been a member
of the Masonic fraternity since 1850, and
is the best posted man on the subject of
Free Masonry in the country. having
since 1859 been grand commander
of the supreme council Of the thirty-third
degree of the Scottish Rite for the
Southern jurisdition of the United
States.
What is the Scottish Rite? asked the
reporter
1T is a branch of Masonry hal begins
with the fourth degree and ends with the
thirty-third, said the general at has
nothing to do with the York degrees. In
some countries of Europe, South Ameri-
ca and Central America, some of the SUI
premc councils have blue degrees, but
that innovation has never been introduced
here.
Are there any members of the Scot
fish Rite in Utah?'
Eyes, there are about half Il dozen
members here. There was a lodge OF
Perfection established here about 1865,
but nothing much has ever been lone
under it. We have never yet taken away
the charter. There are, however, some
five or six thirty-second degree Masons in
Utah"
GLOW many Supreme Councils are
there2'
There are twenty-six in different parts
of the world and all are in correspond
ence with one another continuously. The
Supreme Council, of which | am com
mander, has control over all the old slave
states except Delaware, and every state
and territory west of the Mississippi. 1t
meets every two years at Washington and
has but twenty nine members, that num-
Der being larger than it ever has been be.
fore. There are probably 10000 or H.
600 members in the Scottish Rite. The
members of the Supreme Council are
elected for life and the officers hold for
life. Frank NJ. Foote, of Evanston,
Wyo., is the deputy for Wyoming, Utah
and Eastern Idaho.
Would you admit a Mormon into the
Scottish Rite2"
No, sir, emphatically responded the
sneaker. They couldn't take the obi
CATIONS
What are the Obligations asked the
reporter. maintaining as imperturbable
gravity of countenance as the i~mpudence
of the question demanded.
II couldn't tell you, sir, replied the
general, after he had recovered from the
surprise caused by the character of the
question, but this | can tell you, and
tlat B, that there is not only one oath, but
there are half a dozen of our obligations
which a Mormon couldn't take.
Are you interested in the Mormon
nroblem2
No more so than any other loyal citi-
zen who is anxious to see the law obeyed
and "a separation made Of church and
state matters. It looks 10 me As though
this is nothing but a foreign territory 1t
strikes me Just The ~nmr as though | had
suddenly come into It place where there
was an independent foreign government;
Just as though | had stepped into a cam
ton of Switzerland set down among the
states of this republic. Everything feels
foreign and looks foreign, With the
priests, and elders. and patriarchs. it
looks as though the Mormons had tried to
. l. " n 4