The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-04-28
Am l My Brothers Keeper
By WEXFORD S. BAILEY.


Read before the Sixth National Fraternal
Congress, Washington, ID. c., January, 1893.
This is a mooted question; it was first
asked thousands of years ago, and has been
asked thousands of times since, and will, we
have no doubt, continue to be asked so long
as man exists-and is governed by his pas
sions. While hope, arand jealousy, envy
and ambition hold sway over the human
mind. so long will this question find re-
sponsive echo in every human heart; of this
much we may be sure. But the answer to
| this pointed question is not so certain, espec-
| tally if we allow ourselves to be influenced
by the argument or dictum of some who pro-
| fess to know. There is, however, hut one
answer, 81 am my brothers keeper" were
| it not so, the great teacher would not have
said 'love thy neighbor as myself"
There is inspiration in numbers; it is en-
couraging to man to feel that he is not
| fighting the battle of life alone; that the
struggle to provide bread for his wife and
children is not one in which all the world
| fights against him, but that he is one of
great army, all the members of which march
shoulder to shoulder and can be relied on to
mutually help and protect each other. This
is brotherhood; let it be real.
AS we have intimated, the answers to this
question are varied to suit the view, feel
ings and opinions of our fellow men who are
governed by the motives of self-in,crest and
not a love of truth in reaching colIcllI- ions;
hence varied interests suggest varied replies.
There can, however, be but one reply; of
this there can be no doubt, when we recall
the fact that the question was asked and the
answer given by the source of all truth.
Nor does the fact of the question having
been asked and the answer given at widely
different times, and under different circum-
stances, detract from the force of either.
But why, may we ask, is man so anxious
to evade the true and apparent meaning of
this important question. The reason, we
think, is plain; it involves a personal re-
possibility toward our fellow man, and
therefore we are frequently at loss to
justify our actions one towards another with
this truth looking us boldly in the face,
hence our anxiety to mystify, and, if posi-
BILE, destroy its practical force and effect.
We who have lived in what is commonly
termed this enlightened nineteenth century,
can scarcely realize the full import of the
saying, "Might makes Right" as under
stood and practiced in bygone days, when if
man desired anything belonging to his
neighbOr, he proceeded at once to possess
himself of it, provided his neighbor was not
in position to defend himself and protect his
property by mere brute force, for this was
the law of might makes Right"
Nor does it require much argument to
establish the fact that such maxim exists
and is enforced as truly to-day as ever before
in the history of the world, the only differ
ence being the manner, which, If you please,
is more refined, but equally as effective in
Furnishing the right and justifying the
wrong. Men are constantly seeking to per-
suade themselves they are not their brothers
keeper; that 1t is their duty to take care of
themselves and immediate friends at the ex-
pense of every other person and interest
No obligation is sufficient to induce or COM
pei them to pursue the plain path of duty
and do unto others as they would have
others do unto them"
They seem to know only self and are in
fuenced by, and act entirely from, selfish
motives. Show them that it is to their in
terest and they are with you, but not other
wise. That men realize thistruth is evident
in the fact that they are constantly forming
combinations for mutual interests and de-
fence, but even these fail to a great extent
in the accomplishment of their purpose and
aims. Take, for instance, any and all of
the respected orders of this body; while we
propose to seek the moral and social ele-
walton of each other, how few of our men,
bers realize or even remember the solemn
obligations they have taken in this respect.
We find, however, that all are sure to re-
member one thing if all else is forgotten,
viz, that at their death their families or a
friend will get the amount of their benefit
certificate, providing they, while living,
comply with the requirements of these orders.
Take this representative body. Each
member could take part in filling the day
with experiences that have come under their
own observation where ten men. or less,
have done the work in thousands of lodges
and have kept in good standing thousands of
delinquents, who, but for the strongest
bonds of fraternity that existed in the hearts