Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-10-05

IL Convened in Annual Session IN
Las Vegas, To-day, and 10
Largely Attended.
OBJECTS AND AIMS OF ORDER.


The Masonic grand lodge of New Mexico
Is meeting in Las Vegas, to-day. and, In
view Of this fact, something about this
greatest Of secret orders, its objects and
aims, It's systems Of morality and charity
and the Significance Of the d fferent de-
grees will prove especially interesting.
Free Masonry 10 a peculiar system of
morality, yelled by allegory and illus-
trated by symbols. 1t Is described by
its enthusiastic members ~ beautiful,
unique. singular and sui generis OF Its
own kind. It's aim is to instill and en-
force the sacred duties Of brotherly love,
relief and truth; Of prudence, temperance,
fortitude and justice; Of benevolence, ben
~eacence and charity Of forbearance and
love; OF gratitude and mercy; Of patriot.
ism, loyalty, p~eaceableness and tolerance;
Of honor, honesty and fidelity; OF. dill
gence, courtesy and regard for others
veal; Of s~elf-care and self culture; to
seek peace and to assuage the rigors Of
conflict and, in all things, to do not to
others what one would they should not
do to him. 1t is a social order, Of course.
Polite courtesy, pleasing address, and So
cial intercourse are cultivated. The bonds
of friendship are strengthened, and to
refreshment Of the body are joined the
feast of reason and the flow Of soul.
From entrance in the Blue lodge to tho
highest office, there are thirty three de-
grees. The whole system is one Of SYM
bolism, allegory and hieroglyphics. Every
Masonic mark, character, sign, token,
word, emblem, fact or figure Is symbolic.
The most important truths conveyed, the
lessons taught or duties ~inculcated, are
yelled in allegory, impaired by means Of
signs or expressed by hieroglyphics. 1t
scarcely needs to be said, then, that to
pass from the first up through all the de-
grees is a progression which calls out Q
mans character, qualities Of mind and
aptitude for study which cannot be con-
comitant with Indifference or careless
ness and there is no child's play about 1t.
In the rituals the facts and types OF ma
ture, Of sacred law, history, tradition,
science, art and literature; the instincts OF
man, the evidences Of his senses, the per-
captions and reasonings OF his Intellect,
the -discernments and aspirations OF bis
moral and spiritual nature, his simplest
and loftiest ideals, are translated and given
a practical form, embodiment and applica-
tion by the symbolism and allegory, with
a beauty of diction, a wealth Of imagery, q
fidelity of expression and force Of mean
ing which convey ideas, make impression
and impart instruction, not only best suit
ed to the capacity of the humblest novitiate,
but shed light and luster upon the most
perfect adept.
The grand lodge of Free and Accepted
Masons of New Mexico met at the Masonic
temple to-day at II a. m. with the follow
ing officers:
DR.. j. II. Wroth, grand master; John p.
McMurray, deputy grand master; G. D.
Stevens, grand senior warden; J.. w. Poe,
grand junior warden; f. II. Kent, grand
treasurer; A. A. Keen, grand secretary; e.
II. Harlow, grand lecturer; Rev. Geo. Sell
by, grand chaplain; e. e. Day, grand
senior deacon R. L. M. Ross, grand junior
deacon; Arthur Boyle, grand marshal;
DIR. John S. Wood, grand sword bearer;
Fred Rohr, grand senior steward; j. Smith
Lea, grand junior steward e. F. Mcclure,
grand tyler.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM lodges.
Montezuma lodge at Santa Fe: Max.
Frost, past grand master; DR.. W. 3. Har-
roun, past grand master; T. J.. Curran,
A. F. Spiegelberg, senior warden;
e. Harroun, Arthur Boyle.
Union lodge, Watrous: DIR. Charles Bow
ner.
Aztec lodge, Las Cruces, e. 8. Day,
Temple lodge, Albuquerque: DR.. j. H.
grand master; w. B. Childers, past
Grand master; F. II. Kent, grand treasurer;
A. A. Keen, grand secretary.
Gate City lodge, Ration: G. d. Stevens, |
.rand senior warden, D. C. Stevens, Fred
aohr.
Hiram lodge, San Marcial: j. p. McMur- +
'ay, deputy grand master.
Socorro lodge, Socorro: r. q. Stewart,
7. II. Seamon.
Silver City lodge, Silver City, ~. Kel-
y, past grand master.
Cerrillos lodge, Cerrillos, W. E. Dame.
Roswell lodge, Roswell, J.. W. Poe, grand
unior warden Charles Wilson, master j.
Lea.
Eddy lodge, Eddy, 8. l. Roberts. master.
Chama lodge, Chama, DIR. j. 8. Wood.
Lebanon lodge, Gallup, e. Fl. Harlow.
Kingston lodge, Kingston, JIG. Wagner.
In addition to these, are the representa-
from Chapman lodge, in this city, |
Chas. II. Sporleder, past grand master; h.
!. M. Rose, past master; A. +. Benedict,
Ienior warden.
The grand master appointed a committee
IN credentials, consisting of Brothers Keen,
and Kelly, inc then the grand
took a recess till 2 p. M, at which
ime 1t met and is now In session attend. |
ng to business.
ONE SIDE NOTES.
A.. A. Keen has been grand secretary
ince 1884.
Masonic banquet and reception, to.mor-
ow evening.
There are twenty one Masonic lodges inI
he Territory.
The grand lodge was organized In 1877.
his is the nineteenth session.
There are six past grand masters In ats
enhance a. the Masonic grand lodge con-
ention. Il
At the last conclave Of the ri Paso COM
iery, a bcautifulepast commanders
ewel wal presented u Past Co nmanderj
Awarded
Highest H0norSAWorld's Fair.