Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-04-16
B
| GOOD TEMPLARS.
Annual IsstlDs Of Grand
Lodge It Lewiston.
Reports Of Gfird Chief ftmpIar Bangs
and Oder c1i0ls.
WashsEston County to Vote on Aid.
ing Aains Shore Line.

LEwIsros. April 1.-THE Grand Lodge
Good Templsrs continued in session today
with good attendance. At the afternoon
session Grand cbief Templar Bangs Of
Augusta made lis report ~ follows:
Rsport Ct Grand cnisf rs,plar.
Oa operios bis annual report Grand Chief
Tsmplsr Bangs says that in his estimation
the general state Of the order 10 not ~ sat.
isfsetory a. it ought to be, Perhaps sx.
pees nere Of Good Templary than ought
reasonably be demanded Of an orssnix alton
based upon voluntary AID phiIsnthropic
motives. Bat il seems to me thst twenty
years OF active, aggressive work should
have educated the Grand Lodge in:o .
thorcrgh and systematic method OF attack
ia2 the drink evil through our subordinate
lodges ia such . manner ~ Cd warrant the
presumption ss least Of definite results and
wall calculated progress from year to year.
In this particular, however, disappoin,.
ment has mat me on the threshold OF every
district and subordinate lodge that I have
visited. and the reports from lodges and
coma unications that daily burden my mail,
show an utter lack Of supervising work by
the Grand Lodge in regard to thas Of lodges
after they bAve once been organized. We
speak, to be sure, of saving the fallen, but
no system OF endesyor has ever been organ-
ICED ard laid before the subordinate lodges
10 guide them in their celiber atoms. Every
lodge IN the State mas sooner or later trifisd
with this problem. sioge-handed, and they
have either cor quersd it in their own
strength or it has Conquered them. The
Grsnd Chief Templar recommends the ap-
po,niment Of a committee TO consider, de-
vice and report some plan to remedy this
evil.
The Grand Chief Templar next discusses
the district system and calls it move in
the right direction. Coming of,ener and
closer 10 The subordinate lodges thSn the
Grand Lodge possibly can, there 10 IN op.
lrtunity. ifrigh.ly improved, Of gettiog at
the inner life of each constituent lodge and
thus advise snd encourage or correct - the
case may demand. In the district lodges
which he has visited he has found earnest
workers. fair amount Of interest and in
some CT them high degree of excellenca
in the ritualis.ic work. In few, while the
interest and work was not up to that ia
Others, there was q marked determination
among those present to strive for improve
msnt and later reports show that success
was crowning their efforts so that he may
safely say that the districs sy ystem 10 un.
doub.edly benefit to the growth and sta
bi,ity OF the order as we'll ss . secure snd
efficient means of cry st.Fzing and csrrying
out the great work of educating public SEN
timent in favor Of tide prohibiscry law.
Coming to the topic Of Juvenile Temples,
hs say that he has been for some time con.
siucei that time was approaching when
new methods must be adopted in the man
sgemsnt of this department and be is COM
pt lied to conclude that i. il none too soon
20 make beginning. Hs recommends that
Juvenile Temples become self-supportng,
snd says they have already sll the ma
cbioery necessary to begin the work.
Children should be taught that this edu.
cation cos.s something and is wofth some
thing. Thus will they respect and prizs
ghe privilege of belonging to the temple and
having been educated in this principle be
better qualified to enter upon the duties
and assume the responsibilities Of the sub
ordinate lodge. During the last year the
otder hss had tao organizers in the field =
part of he time. He favored the move
one of the most pressing needs of the order
in this state today is = thorough and per-
sistept c,urse uf lectures, not only
iastruc.iug and interesting lolges al
ready organized. Onr territory Is
80 brosd, the demands so importun-
ate and cur resources SO circumscribed that
the results have rot been 80 apparent as to
l. al
done under more favorable circumstances
snd yet 10 the aggregate their laoors have
been in the highest degree successful.
Concernina the Peoples Prohibisory Ei-
fore sment Lesgus be says: No.~ithstand
ing shs. l have said about the lack Of
methots in the grand and subordinate
lodges, the principles underlying it have
,sfisted materisIly in educssing the people
of the Stale in the great idea Of prohibition.
With large sctive membership for over
thirty years. we have gradual at least
SO, 600 Gooa Templars, who while not of
US sre still for US. This means 50 much
Public Opinion.
Twenty years sgo moveman ant like this
which has eliminated in the Peoples En-
fJrcemsnt L .ssue would have been scoffsd
at. Today 1T Is sn assured success, calling
into its ranks the very best msterial in the
stste. l heartily congratulate the Grand
Lodge Of Name for having gwen to the
cause Of humanity this stslrart child OF
promise, with Stewsrt, Mitchell, Emery,
Fuller and Wentworth as its sponsors. The
p,esiigs of victory is already perohed upon
Is banner, fer in the fret fgh. for life as
t struggled into existence. it put hors de
combat the pink OF ths dram shop among
.hose willy politicians who sought to strsn-
sls Is at iss birth. Long life to the Peoples
Prohibition Enforcement, League.