The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-02

TIE SEATTLE POSTUM
published, fnrfaasng .tsi9dsnges Arti-Ma-
sonic AInsaasc.'' ts1t he never accounted
for the DISAPPEARANCE % Morgan from his
immediate keeping, and taesfIy assented
20 the popular ysrSiict that Morgan had
been killed by Masons according 70 rae
form OF fhs traditional invocation upon
himself by The perjarer. Up 70 the time
when Morgan was delivered into the
hands Of Edward Giddings for care and
safe keeping he had not been subjected
To a single unlawful restraint or act of
violence from any Mason. With the best
opportunities for information by inquiry
al the time and subsequent intimate con-
fiaerssial association with the parties
charged with his taking OFF. I never met
an altering Mason who could give any
account OF Morgan after he was last seen
with Gfddings-
Knew all IL . Parsie, to the A6str.
When these events were fresh in the
public mind an<. in the course OF trans
pirfng, was an apprentice in the print
ing Office where the book was printed,
a member of the family of the printer. in
daily intercourse with every person here
IN mentioned as connected with the pub
ica1ion. ana by close observation had
sufficient time TO acquire q sentiment Of
profound disgust for the character and
methods Of the founders of the anti siu-
sonte party personal association with
wfaosn I escaped by accepting the role Of
a runaway apprentice and entering the
editor of the Craftsman. at Rochester. then
the most noted AMI most assaiied cham
pion of Masonry in America. The friend
ship then and there formed with Gen.
Roberts and his immediate associates
were of Masonic Observation-Disclosures
through life, subject TO no extrancous
conditions Of fortune or eapriee-the very
antithesis of anti-MaSonry as had
learned il.
NO Stain Of Blood on Masonry.
These We're the two conflicting elements
which contributed to the incidents which
/ witnessed nearly seventy years ago and
am now endeayoring to communicate to
younger Masons who are as deeply in
tere-sted Ia the character OF the order and
have only the uncertain light OF tradition
by which to judge an epoch in It's his
tory when 1t was enveloped in a DARK
cloud of popular od,um. and, as in an
Gent times. was driven from the haunts
OF men to mountains and caves for the
exercise Of its rites. / can by the light
of personal observation and fifty years
subsequent access TO the sanctum sane
forum OF the order. most solemn:y tes-
fifty that no blotch of innocent blood. or
blood shed by lawless violence. stains It's
escntcheon. or act of dishonor mars its
record during that time. Look around
your lodge room, examine the charter
under which You work and every detail
OF that work, including the qualifications
exaeted for membership, the oaths ana
imprecation by which the candidate
avouches his fidelity and the after lee
ture and you viii find everything in kind
exactly as it was at the time of the Nor
gan exeitement-nothing added nothing
distracted. Whatever was cens,irahle in
Masonry then exists in the same charae-
ter and degree today in every Masonic
organization throughout the civilized
world. With this assurance no neophyte
need ask: did Masons murder Nor
gam"
Origin of Anti Masonry
1t was at a time when old political par
ties were broken up and new combjna-
tons were being formed under new party
names, more personal and local than
general. Adams was president by a com
bination with Clay, and both, being iden-
teal with the Republican party and poll
icy of Madison ard Monroe. were calling
their party National Republicans" No
national convention had AVER the, ln..,
held for the nomination of candidates;
the Held was open to any new party TO
enter. and the occasion OF the publica-
ton OF the Moran book and The disap-
pearance of Morgan was seized upon by
William II. Seward and Thurlow Weed.
who constituted themselves as chief
managers of the party in embyro and in
stituted the crusade against Masonry,
which was represented as a more for
midabie monster than was African sla-
very 10 the abolitionists or popery 10 the
Native American parties. which followed
in the same wake. Seward was a young
lawyer OF unbounded ambition, and a
phTasemenger ana orator of great dra-
matte force. and Weed was an organizer
and strateglst then unrivaled. Zach gave
his chief attention 10 the matter in hand.
and missed no circumstance which Of
fered an opportunity 10 fire the magma
tlon or arouse the public Indignation al
1.-The oath-bouna league of midnight con-
spiratcgS and assassins~ known as Pree
Masons," none of whom were spare! on
account OF their high social standing or
spotless lives
Tricks Of the Ant.-Masons.
oF haf Stf,,SsYa4fnrv ,tn.,nb
~ dramatic In their presentation. were
most ridiculous In their conception. The
printing office. which was the center of
all the pother. was In the upper story Of
an OLD wooden building, accessible only
by outsidc stairs. one of the office hands
in heating composition for a roller in an
open furnace. placed IL In the alleyway
under the stairs So close that the fire
charrei the clapboards and smeared some
Of the burning liquid upon the building.
and. assuming il 10 be an attempt a, ar
son by MasonS, In his next public speech
he stated his assumption as a fact, and
with telling dramatic force he described
the approach Of the midnight rnarauiers.
under the cover Of darkness, covering the
side of the building under the stairs with
cnmhuztshle fluid with the murlerous de-
sign OF cutting of the only escape to the
dodgers and applying the torch: then
thrilling his GREATNESS audience by ex-
claiming ia tragic tones: az smokes, II
burns, My Gel. viii no one arouse the
sleeping inhabitaatsv The effect unon
the hearers WAS the same as IL the al
tempt a; arson by Masons had been an
actual fact.
one Of Thuylow Weeds tricks OF the