The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-06-05
Independent Order Of Odd Fellows.

Independent Order Of Odd Fellows.
The great fraternal secret organiza-
ton known everywhere throughout
this country, the Canadas and in
many foreign lands as the Independ-
ent Order of Odd Fellows, having for
its symbol-or more properly, perhaps
legend-Three links, has during its
brief existence been a potent factor,
not only In relieving distress incident
to human life, but, what is of equal
II not greater Importance, improving
the moral character of those who
have been brought under it's influences.
The three links are emblematical of
friendship, love and truth, the cardi-
nal principles of the order. One Of
It's most important lessons, impressed
upon its novitiates, is that Odd Eel
lowship wars against vice in all its
forms. Friendship towards man
prompts the contest; the gentle influ-
ence OF love supply the weapons; truth
consecrates the effort and leads on to
victory. Wherever the eye wanders,
whether upon the public tboroughfare
in places of amusement, the churches
and other places where men congre-
gate, it will occasionally be attracted
by the three links worn by members
of the order. Not only this, but in
the large cities that symbol Will be OBJ
served standing out in bold relief in
front of commodious buildings, and
in towns and villages throughout the
length and breadth of the land, denot-
ing halls in which Odd Fellows lodges
weekly meet to devise and prove such
means as are best calculated to care
for the sick, relieve the distressed, bury
the dead and educate the orphan.
The order is purely secular in it's
character, for while it inculcates ven
Grafton for religion and dsubordination
to civil government and it's laws, it
studiously avoids all affinity with sys-
TENS of faith or sect, whether religious
or political. To this, doubtless, more
than any other reason, is to be attri
buted its remarkable growth and pros
perity. Among its 100000 mem
bers, as estimated today, are to be
found men OF every honorable profes
sion, trade and calling in life, no mat
ter what political faith they may es-
pouse, or religious denomination they
may be in sympathy with so long as
they profess allegiance to God. This
is in consonance with the views enter
tanned by Thomas Wildey and his
four compeers when they laid the
foundation of American Odd Fellow
ship, at Baltimore, Nd, on the Goth
day of April, 1919. AS they plodded
in the humblest walks of life they de-
sired that there should be no class dis
tinction in the order, and that Gentle
and Jew, American and foreigners, re-
gardless of their political proclivities,
should join hand in hand in prosecut-
ing the works of benevol ence and
charity that they had in their own
hearts so dearly cherished as the best
means for bringing men closely to-
gether, as we'll as for the alienation
of human suffering
The bread cast upon the waters by
those five humble and, it is said, illit-
crate artisans has returned after many
days is excess of an hundredfold. The
single lodge instituted by them
seventy-seven years ago has been the
progenitor of more than eleven thou
sand others, with nearly, if not quite,
one million of members, and these
lodges are to be found scattered all
over this country, the Canaias and in
many parts of Australasia, Switzerland
Germany, Denmark and Sweden, and
others have been instituted in Hawaii.
Chile, Peru, Mexico, West Indies,
France, Italy and Japan. From this
| it appears that the successors of The
| originators of the fraternity have
labored assiduously in forging link
after link to the chain which, meta
phorically, was designed to girdle the
globe. This is suggested by the fact
that the fraternity of Odd Fellows
from its inception has proclaimed its
mission to be that of cooperating with
other secular organizations as auxili-
aries to the church, in establishing
the nations universal brotherhood in
fulflment of the prophecy of Isaiah,
which says: Nation shall not lift
up sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more, but they
shall beat their swords ipto plough
shiaes and their spears into pruning
hooks, for He hath made of one blood
all nations Of men that dwell on the
face Of the earth"
In addition to. this the orders
vowed purpose to play an active parl