St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-10
ODD FELLOWSHIP.
A Masterful Address on the Order De-
li7ered by Rabbi
Iliowizi
At the Installation of Ridgely Lodge
Officers on Wednesday
Night.
Historical and Logical Review OF
Interest to All Members OF
the Craft.

The feature of the service Of installing
the officers Of Ridgely Lodge, No o.
L. o. o. f., which occurred on last WeoHeS-
day evening. at North Star hall, was the
address by Rev. Henry uiowizi, whlch mas
since been referred to by the craft as
mastery resume Of Odd Fellowship. Inc
reverend doctor spoke as foiIoWs'
Ladies. Gentlemen and Brothers: Inc
history of this work is mainly tale OF
ruling and competing powers history OF
governments. dynasties. public institutions,
organizations and societies professedly
called into existence and upheld for the
haneft of man. Some of these sWaYing
mowers claim sovereign rights bestowed
unon them By the grace Of Heaven. They
are born to rule, they say; and there have
always been millions Of people and there
are hundreds Of millions who patiently en-
dure oppression and tyranny, sincerely be-
lieying that their lordlings or tyrants are
heaven commissioned to treat them Like
beasts and live on their fat and their mar
row. Fools of this kind are not numerous
in this country, while thanks to the gentle
influence of modern enlightenment they are
elsewhere slowly but surely decreasing.
There are other and nObler institutions
founded on the will Of the people to submit
to their advice, guidance and decisions.
These are the fruits Of a higher culture, an
extorted admission Of mans right to select
his own rulers and law-givers. and to make
them responsible for abuses Of power en-
trusted to them. Yet even such institu-
tions are easily traceable to selfish motives,
a reciprocal understanding Of body Of
men or whole nation to submit to authori-
ties supposed to work for their good. There
are still other corporations anu SocleJleS
simply united for personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
Can Odd Fellowship be ranked among
any Of the aforesaid institutions? l am
positive that everybody acquainted Win
the spirit. ideal and workings of our ven
erable order will say: No! and Never! Our
order is a great organization; an original,
mdependent, cosmopolitan and civilizing
agency, a power destined TO grow, spread
around the globe. influence the inner moral
life Of millions and through them the des-
tiny of mankind. History will have to
write this in golden letters and generations
vet unborn will bless the founder of Odd
Fellowship. 1t is useless TO add that an
order like ours, based on principles so lofty,
an ideal brotherhood and a philanthropy so
universal, could only spring into life, de-
velop and prosper in the healthy, free at
mOsphere of perfect democracy like our
glorious Union. Yet that very freedom OF
speech and
PERFECT INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
that enabled our society to raise its temples
and lift its banners on this continent and
extend its benefcent influence TO the re-
hottest quart tiers Of the earth, gave rise to
preiudiced opposition, an acrimonious an
tagonism which the fathers of Odd Fellow
ship and its indefatigable champions had
and have to encounter. OF this we need
not be afraid. That we are being criticised
and antagOnized shows that we are up and
doing, and that old ruling, but uusound and
selfish powers. are alarmed at the progress
and commanding respect of Odd Fellow
ship. What has been accomplished in this
world without the hue and cry Of untaught,
fanatic, unthinking crowds, ever ready to
lenounce things unknown, new, misunder-
stood or misnterpreted? Like all the
species of beasts the lowest strata Of hui
man society are mostly animals Of
habit. and not everybody lifted TO the
height of material prosperity rises CORE
spondingly high above that low level of BIZ
medal auimalism. The spectacle of a freed
slave preferring known slavery to unknown
liberty proves this statement to be true. But
it is not this sort of opponents l am much
concerned about. There is one particular
quarter where, according to the logic Of
tound common sense we ought to meet with
encouragement uay. with hearty cooper
alton. instead OF which we are encounter
mg an opposition frequently bordering on
hostility. ] am abiding to those manifest
ItiOns of acrmOny our order is now and
Then obliged to confront in many represent
hfiye teachers and preachers Of what is COM
uonly termed the church of the state.
Now, what reason has any priest whose pro-
fessed mission it is to preach peace on
earth and good Will to man." to ,antagOniZe
an institution whose very raison d'etre is
fine realization of that sublime doctrine
so generally and readily proclaimed and so
universally broken? Peace on earth and
good will to manp What beautiful
and supervaI words derived from the grand
prophecy of Israel! Yet trace the bloody
wars of past centuries to their origin and in
many, too many, cases you will strike the
church as the central wheel. Aye. look for
the focus wherein intolerance, illiberality
and preiudioes are fostered, and you will
again hit the severe, warlike, irreconcilable
church. Look for an explanation of mod
crn rampant atheism and you will find it in
the dealings ofthOse too jealous brothers OF
the cloth who fail to reconcile their prac-
teal life with their cheap,
HIGH-soUNDING THEORIES.
How many of them act in conformity with
the meek, peaceful and loving spirit of their
master? We are living in thinking age,
but what of this? Will the Catholic pro-
vide a home and food for the orphan and
widow of the Protestant? The priest says:
No! Will the Trinitarian attend to the
sick and bury the dead of the Unitarian?
Will the Methodist meet the Hebrew on a
footing Of human equality with an open
heart and hand? You know that this
seldom happened, seldom happens. With
a few rare exceptions. it is painful to
record that nne-tenths of existing sects are
more or less adverse to one another. There
is no question about every denomination
having right to adhere to its particular
doctrines. Nor can any individual be
blamed for claiming the privilege of taking
CHARGE OF HIS OWN Sc L.
Every man has quota of reason given to
him by the Creator for his own USE TIC
expect to force physically or morally any
human being to prefer somebody else's
reason to his own, is as inhuman as it is
futile. In matters spiritual, as in every
other sphere of mans activity. there will
ever be disagreement. But can you blame
any man for believing his bride beautiful.
when to you she appears homely? Car
such a difference of views and sentiments
be reasonably made a cause for inimica
division? Yet this is just what so man,
priests have done and what many arr
tenaciously doing. The question is, shall
mankind be forever morally divided? Her,
is a problem to be solved The
problem to be solved is to find :
common ground for members of all de-
nominations and people Of no denomination
to meet upon as brothers, children of thu
same God and creatures subject to all tn,