The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-03-28
SAYS SHE'S 4 MASON.
Mrs. Lease Asserts That she is . Knight
Templar.


they grow old.
Itis an immutable rule Of Masonic
jurisprudence that no woman can be a
Mason. The law that prohibits the
fraternity from making q woman a
Mason is universally obligatory.
Those that originated the order are
now dead p; and, as several thousand
years have passed over their tombs, it
would be sacrilege to disturb them
at this late day.
Mrs. Mary Ellen Lease, Of Kansas,
claims that she is a Mason. Upon
her white bosom she wears Knight
Templar's charm, with the usual key
stone of the chapter on the reverse
side. She says that her oommandery
is Hugh de Payne, Of Fort; Scott,
Kansas. She offers to prove to Ma
sons that she knows all the signs and
passwords Of the order, blue lodge
and chapter. She claims to have OBJ
tanned her information by legitimate
means.
"If Masonry is good for men," she
says, ''it is better for women, for they
are more needful Of protection than
men," By giving sign Of the order
once while in danger, she claims to
have been saved from personal vic.
lence. From that moment, she re-
solved in her mind to give to all wo.
men the same advantages that she en-
joys.
In Masonic work she processes to be
up to thing or two. 1t is not nee.
essary, she says, for her to secure the
consent of men in initiating women
into the mysteries of the order. II
the men refuse to recognize her disci.
Piles as Masons, she declares that she
can and will act independently Of them,
and conduct lodges and grand lodges
separately and distinctly for women,
Mrs. Lease admits that is contrary to
Masonic jurisprudence fer women te
become members but she dares any
Mason to test her knowledge Of the
| secret work Of the order.
Said a prominent Mason to me the
other day: "The reasons why women
| are excluded from our rites are mani
fest to every rejecting Mason. W.
don't say that she lacks the necessary
moral or mental worth. The order it
self is organized in such manner thai
men alone can preserve its unity
Freemasonry claims to have had its
origin at the. building Ct Solomon'i
temple; and, as Solomon employed
| none but hale and hearty men and
cunning @orkmen, so our laws demand
that none shall become members Of
the order who are not in every way ca
pable Of doing hale and hearty man 's
work.
"No woman was employed to work
| in the forests of Lebanon and the
quarries of Zarthan, when preparations
were being made for the construction
of Solmon's temple. Women are moi
suited to be hewers Of wood and draw
ers of water, stone-squarers or expert
architects.
"Another reason given for refusing
females the privilege Of enjoying the
benefits Of freemasonry is the state
| ment made in the Old Testament
that women shall not wear that which
pertaineth to the man, neither shall
man put on woman's garment. The
dress or apparel Of Mason, particu
larly when passing through the cele
bration of the mysteries, would not be
suitable for q woman.
"Dr. Hawthorne has shown that il
| is forbidden to make women teachers
in the house of God. Paul says
LET your women keep silent in th'
Churches. He says in another place
that he does mot permit woman
to teach, nor to usurp authority oye'
the man, but to be in silence; fol
Adam was first formed, then Eve.
This is right in line with what Moses
said on the sbject: THY desire shal
be to thy husband, and he shall rul'
over thee.
"Before the fall, woman had equa
authority and jurisdiction with Adam
over the animal creation but, afte
the fall, God subjected her to tn
government of man. She was no Ion
ger free. Man had the pre-eminence
Masons believe, therefore, that wo
men should attempt nothing, either il
public or in private, that belongs to
man in his peculiar function.
Such are the reasons offered by Ma
sons in good standing why women ma!
not participate in the rights of free
masonry. The order has never at
tempted to alter or repeal this funda
mental rule regarding women. Sucl
has been their esteem, however, TO
the wives and the daughters of Ma
sons that women's lodges Of adoption
have long been common in the ole
country. Even in America there are
certain side or honorary degrees tha
may be conferred on the wives and th'
daughters Of Masons. Adaptive Ma
sonry is not freemasonry, however.
Mrs. Leases claim that women ar
moro needful of nrotection than men