The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-03-28
elevate her without becoming better. I"

elevate her without becoming better.
To the thoughtful reader there are
many other reasons why Mrs. Lease
ought not to be o Mason. The first
among these evils is we'll illustrated
by an anecdote told by Eli Perkins.
Eli relates how a dear, old "don't'
grandma came to the top of the stairs
and exclaimed: Don't, boys, don't
don't slide down those banisters. l
wouldn't do it p
"Why, grandma, you can't said
little logical Charley, as he picked
himself up from the hall floor.
Mrs. Lease can't be Mason; nor
can her alleged disciples. II the old
lady and her followers could become
Masons as easily as Charley slid down
those banisters, I am willing to bet
that freemasonry in Kansas would
monopolize more attention than the
third party.
If I were Mason [ should protest
against women becoming 'brethren"
for several reasons.
/. She can't sing bass. Her voice
is pitched higher than the male voice,
which indicates feminine weakness Of
mind. Imagine, if you please, the
shrill, piping voice Of Madame Lease
almost splitting itself in an effort to
make itself distinguished from among
the scores of stentorian tones of the
brethren around the altar.
g. Her form is graceful rather than
strong and agile. There are number
of ceremonies that the Masonic ritual
proverbially calls for. Among these
might be mentioned the climbing of
the greasy pole, the bucking Of the
billy goat, the riding Of the rail and
the meek and lowly submission of the
new candidate for Masonical honors to
thirty-nine sharp and cutting lashes,
to be delivered with the candidates
body prostrated over the top of a
trunk. And all this under cover of
darkness. Why, it's enough to
dampcn the ardor of the would-be ini-
tiate, and to make the recipient of
such indignities rap out oaths with
bell, book and candle. All Masons
declare that they adore woman. They
want her to keep her place, however,
and don't want her to. be the coming
man.
3. She can't grow a beard. Nine.
Lease was interviewed touching this
on a certain occasion. She professed
her inability, and said that she wished
she could "sprot'' q set of whiskers,
as she knew so many men whose only
title to intellect was their whiskers.
However, she said that she took cour-
age when she observed that the same
disparity was noticeable in men.
| With the range Of her acquaintance
she knew men who had struggled with
mustaches with perseverance worthy
of better cause, and whose existence
had been blighted by the conscious
ness that they could not. If boards,
heavy voices and physical strength
were the qualifications for Masonic
honors, she would at once betake her
self to razors, hair invigorators and
gymnasiums.
| Since Mrs. Lease claims to have
come into possession Of all the signs
and passwords Of Masonry, reflections
naturally arise as to how the posses
sion was taken. It is reported that o
newspaper man called upon her, say
ing that it was generally denied that
she had any knowledge whatever of
the secrets of Freemasonry. Where
upon, the madame became very much
wrought up, exclaiming that she would
"bet her life to broom straw that
she did not know them. The reporter
is said to have expressed a willingness
to take her up, provided she would lay
odds.
If Mrs. Lease has the secrets of
Masonry, it is impossible for her to
have come by them "legitimately. .
Members of the order assure me that a
brother would sacrifice life itself in
preference to diyulging knowledge of
those things which he has sworn with
an ironclad oath not to expose. Mrs.
Lease could no sooner have come by
the secrets of Masonry rightfully than
you could make silk purse out of a
sow's ear.
Like Banquo's ghost, then, the
question still serenely bobs up. how
did she come by the clouded mystic
ries Of Masonry? It is true that,
ever since Rebeccah, to get the bless
ing for her pet son, Jacob, put false
hair upon him to deceive the old gen
| tleman, and did it, women, in every
place but this, have deceived men,
young as we'll as old, with false hair.
Is it possible that any such clandes-
tine method as this was adopted in
the case of Mrs. Lease Can it be
possible that, disguised in the garb
and garments of her brother man and
arrayed in a profusive head Of fiery
red hair, Nine. Lease thereby gained
admission to the adytum Of the Ma
sonic cloister and secured with vio-
late ears the inmost secrets of the
sanctum sanctorum of the brethren of
the ancient order =? I say, is it possi-
BILE ?