The herald., 1896-01-17
anti SECRET CONVENTION
Session Held at the United Pres
byterian Church
SOME SENSATIONAL TALK
Rev. Williams Says the A. p. A. Stands
for the Republican Party
SOME SENSATIONAL TALK
He Asserts That it Has Two Purposes an Osa
tensibIe and Real Purpose THE
Racy Debate


pose of discussing secret societies. The
attendance was not large, a majority OF
those present being ministers of the gospel
belonging to the different denominations.
Although there were not many auditors
present the speakers were numerous
! enough to make things lively, and they
talked right out in meeting, their discuss
sion giving evidence of the fact that they
had given the topic they talked upon deep
and long study.
The speakers also seemed to be posted
| in the ritual of some of the societies, for
they must have read some of the books
supposed to expose them, prominent
among which is Morgan's Expose of
and A. Z. A. societies were discussed prin-
cipally. Scripture was quoted freely to
| sustain the positions of the different
| speakers.
The convention met at 10 o'clock, Rev.
z. B. Williams, the district secretary and
| field agent of the Pacific coast, called the
meeting to order; Rev. G. B. Ebey was Sc
lected chairman, and Rev. S. M. Ramsey
| secretary.
| There were three addresses in the morn
| ing. Rev. p. b. Williams spoke upon The
| National Christian Association and the Aim
of this Convention. The theme of Rev. S.
M. Ramsey was The Anti-Christian Ten
session was closed by an address by Rev.
c. B. Ebey on The Scriptures and Secret
| Societies.
The afternoon session was enlivened by
addresses, and the "question box" at the
close developed some rather breezy talk.
The first speaker on the program not be,
| ing present, Rev. p. B. Williams opened
| on the subject of The Lodge or Christ?
This address was followed by one on
| Lodge Charity, by Rev. j. G. Lynn. Ma
sonry, he said, was lacking in some OF the
| essential elements of charity. and the dif-
| ferelt speakers on this theme went on to
| endeavor to substantiate the fact that it
costs SO to expend 81 in charity.
| Another speaker said that he had never
been in a lodge and could not say about its
| workings. He said that he believed it did
not harmonic with the teachings OF Christ,
| inasmuch as the giving did not extend be-
| yond the lodges own members.
Rev. p. B. Williams of the Odd Fellows
cited the case of lodge in Oregon. and
read from the rules what constituted a
candidate. The rules required, he said.
| that he must be over 21 years of age, free
white male and of good moral character.
IF this is benevoleence, why the limita-
| tion?" asked Mr.. Williams. "The candi-
| date may be of good moral character and
! meet all the requirements; he may be a
millionaire. yet two black balls will reject
| him. The most reputable person in this
| land may be rejected. Why do they not
extend their lodges to foreign lands? Be-
cause they have no wealth. They wait
until the missionaries have gone forth and
civilized these foreign lands, thereby in
creasng the wealth. Then lodges are
planted and they devour the substance of
| the people,"
Another point Mr.. Williams attempt
| ed to make was that a member
must pay up his dues to the end. If in
f<v tbron
though he may have been member for
thirty years. and sickness shall have over
taken him, so that he Is unable to keep his
dues up, then he is denied all benefit.
''These societies." said the speaker, "are
nothing more nor less than mutual insur-
ance societies, for they do that business.
The rich are the ones who obtain the bene-
fit, because they can always pay, and if
sickness overtakes them their dues are
always paid. The charges arD the same to
a poor as to a rich man. Now if this is the
case, these secret societies no right to
claim to be charitable. At a meeting of a
grand lodge in Portland, by the annual re-
port So, 100000 was the amount received,
while 81 100000 was paid ous for charity.
This is at the ratio of $5 to 81, and this is
their own statement. What became of the
$4,O00,000? This amount went some-
where for balls, dances, regalias, etc. This
or that grand lodge hardly ever meets with
lks
Rev. p. B. Williams then cited case of
lodge charity as exempitled in a town in
Oregon, where a member of a lodge in
Washington was thrown upon the county
for support for the reason that the member
was not in good standing.
After rambling talk on Lodge Charity,
in which many took part, the question box
was taken up. This proved to be an inter-
esting part of the afternoons exercises.
Rev. E. Leonardson read the questions
and he and Rev. P. B. Williams answered
all of them.
The first question was: Among those who
signed the constitution, who was a Mason?
The answer was: Thomas jefferson.
How can we account for so many good
men belonging to the lodges? 1--WE Judge
the men by the principles. I do not see
how good man can be q Mason," was the
answer.
The question came up in regard to WASH
ington. 1t was denied that he was Mason,
for it was said that at the close of his life
he wrote a letter to friend stating that he
had not been in a lodge for thirty years
hence it was argued that he could not have
been Mason.
1t was also asserted that there was no
foundation for the assertion that the build
ers of Solomon's temple were Masons.
The statement was also made that DR..
Thompson had stated in this city that
Christ was Free Mason. This was de-
MED. One speaker thought 1t was not only
sacriligious but blasphemy to make such
an assertion. The first lodge of Masonry
was established in June 1717. in town in
England, it was said.
Another question was: "Have we any
record of a man being put to death for ex-
posing Masonry?' The case of Morgan
was cited.
''Was the A. p. A. an anti Christian So
ciety or otherwise?'' Rev. Williams said
that the A. p. A. had two purposes-an os-
tensible and real purpose. The society
was deceptive, hence not Christian. Os-
tensibly it opposed the Roman Catholic
church, while its real purpose was to bring
the Republican party into power.
The speaker cited the result of the last
election in Maryland and Kentucky, here
tofore strongly Democratic states. The
speaker said that a lecturer up in Washing
ton, speaking for the A. p. A., said: "We
must fight fire with fire. Hence it takes a
society with the devil in it to beat one with
the devil in it,
The last question of the day caused con-
siderable discussion and some feeling:
Can a man be Christian and Mason?
There seemed to be a division of sentiment
ON this point, and passages of scripture
were read. One speaker said he would not
be justified in answering the question
Attention was called to the obligations of
some of these societies, and the session
closed without really answering the point
At the evening session the experiences
of those who have left the lodge were re-
cited by a number of speakers. Rev. p. B.
Williams delivered an address and the
convention closed.
Resolutions adopted by the Anti-Secret