The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-02-06
His Side OF the Case Set Forth al
Length ScripBural References
Appealed TO.
A Protest Against Fraternal Organic
ati0ns Backed up by neither Sound
Reasoning nor Good Logic.
Editor Free Press:

Editor Free Press:
have been challenged by youto ''produee my
proof IOr an assertion made by me II the Rec
PRESS OF Jan. 23rd in regard secret orders
or stand convicted before Is 100000 men be-
longing 10 secret or fraternal organizations as a
slanderer of GODS word.
Tothis / answer l am glad TO accept the
.chalenge and am perfectly willing TO stand con-
vicDed OF Islander II I cannot produce sufficient
proof TO satisfy any Intelligent Christian who
viii be governed by the word OF God and sound
reasonlngs, that my statement holds good ana
is true
But first Mr. Editor You must allow me a
few preliminary remarks IN reply TO your com
menrs on my first Insertion regarding this mat
ter.
In the first place you question my moral right
as a CHRISTIAN to publicly proclaim what know
to De UTue IN regard TO secret orders Then YOU
present the case as though this We're principally
a personal affair with me: and seemingly Indlg-
nanr you cal me a ..self con- tituJed censor"
VINO Is found trying TO OeiiUtle the great work
saer6t orders are doing.
To avoid misunderstanding, let me then state
right here. that have not IN moved TO take
the steps that have taken in this mat er by
any personal illfeeiing or any selfish reason
have no il-ieelings toward The editor OF the
FREE PRESS or any one else II tins matter and
do not intend IN any way TO .'beiitIle any great
or good work wherever Il may be found. l wish
TO give those secret orders tull credit for al the
great Wo-k THAT they can POSSIBLY SHOW up;
but Christian I also claim the right 10 View
AL Things from ur.ue Christian standpoint and
according TO sound Christian principles, and as
clearly Taught IN the Bible or thai do not con-
hicI with the doctrines and princi les clearly
contained in the Bible
" en- the FREE PRESS states that al orders
have their ''black sheep same all churches,
but that this facI does not Justify the e0ndem-
nation of the one more than ii should the other,
l am of the same opinion. But when "a Christ
ian's moral right TO oppose those orders is
questioned and an denied, then I must pro-
test; for believe j Is every mans moral right
TO proclaim war publicly IS veil as privately
against al falsehoOd and deception wherever il
is found more especially so, If ne himself be a
Christian" but this becomes his moral duty
when ms own Christian actions are Inre ter4d
with and publicly censured, as II was ii J--ls
case.
have not publicly ATTACKED orcensured those
orders except in self-defense and vindication of
the action taken by 'Our Savior Church at a
private meeting that did not concern outsiders.
which action the FREE PRESS publicly attacked
and eensured, so that the FREE PRESS has no
reason 10 blame me IN this matter. For had
the editor in the first place been pleased TO let
The ch -rch deal with It's own according TO its de-
Eiras ne now states that he Is or VIII be, then
this discussion might have been avoided: and
vet il viii do no harm, II conducted IN the right
spirit. and if We may be allowed TO have a
straight and honest discussion OF
THE QUESTION IN DISPUTE
J. The question is not whether those orders
{Masons ana Odd FellOws) have any or many
s.noble" and honorable men in their ranks.
do not deny that they have many respectable
men with good characters and amiable DISPOSE
tions who are willing TO do what they think is
right and good and sacrifice themselves for their
fellow men
2 The question is not whether they take
care OF their sick. educate their orphans and
bury their dead" or how much money they ex-
pend a year TOR such purposes; Unless this should
be what the FREE PRESS means by the great
work OF those orders.
But then must confess that utterly fail TO
SEE ANYTHING Qreat N lib DOC, 600 mem giving
..S3. 600 900 a year for the purposes mention
ed. For that simply means THAT every ID OF
those men contribute only 50, or small trac-
ton over % cents each III whole year Tor such
PURPOSES. II seems TO me that Is the very least
they could 40 even If they should do anything
worth mentioning at all
But even if the FREE PRESS should be able to
show up better figures and prove TO the public
that those orders are really doing some benevol-
ant deeds: would II then necessarily follow that
such work must be -acIs OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY
Does 1he editor OF the FREE PRESS know that
II rs possible for man to bestou all mas goods to
feed the Door and even gtpe body TO be burned
for a seemingly good cause, and Vet not have
Christian CHARITY ." Look at Cor, Id, B. and
you viii find that ii is so.
g. The question is not whether lew or many
or more members of secret orders '.languish 10
the jails and other penal institutions OF the
country than OF those who have bean members
of the church.
But the question as whether or not InoSe orders
are s'God-gven and ChrlsriRR1oy1ng IN their
every precept and principle" whether or not
the slandering of them may rrurhfully be called
"a Islander Of Gods word" whether or not they
are founded UPON the Bible /" 30 that they take
for their found alton principles tine teachinp OF
Jonnthan and David" whether or not they, on
any Of than, teach PRECISELY" Whist Webster
defnes to be true Christianity; WHISTLER or NOT