The Anaconda standard., 1897-12-06
OUR ABSENT BROTHERS. /"
A Finished aud Eloquent Address Iy
Hon r.. -. Weed.


1876 then delivered in very eloquent
manner an address of splendid merit.
j 1t was as follows:
Exalted Ruler, Friends and Brother
Elks--ft is in obedience tp Il custom
i and ii may be said a law of this order
/ that we are met to-nisht 10 pay our
| tribute of respect 10 the dead. The Elks
| do not believe i'm clothing death in the
4 habiliments of gloom. On the contrary.
4 they would take from 1t the terror and
! the dread and leave only its solemnity
/ and majesty. They accept the mystery
/ of life and the mystery of death as alike
/ parts of the divine purpose. each neces-
! sary in the evolution of the spiritual life
of man. And it Is in that spirit that
We have met here tonight.
Unto all men it is appointed once to
| die. Those of our brothers whose chairs
| are vacant whose loss we mourn. have
| gone 10 their long rest little before us
who remain. That is all, They have
merely gone before. We who loved
them here will join them in the grand
| lodge beyond the stars over their
| graves tonight we strew the roses of
| charity and regret. They have gone
/ from the struggle and disappointment
and injustice of the world. They have
/ passed beyond the reach Of wrong aud
cruel misrepresentation. The mantle of
sorrow they have laid aside Let us
believe that they wear now the robes
/ of immortality.
For their faults few and triiling.
We have no words save those OF charity.
For their virtues. their many strong
and manly traits, their unnumbered
/ acts Of brotherly love, of loyalty and
/ fidelity, we have no words save those
| of admiration and reverence Who can
/ know the battles that they Fought
/ Who can tell the victories that they
Won? Who can know the obstacles
which confronted them, the enemies
hot
/ gether in their dailylives To defeat hon
! orable endeavor? Who can tell The
storms which ragged within their own
bosoms. whitening high ideals and tear
ing asunder noble resolutions?
Charity. my friends, IS the sweetest
virtue OF the heart. Its perfume, gentle.
yet far-reaching, can fill the world and
| ennoble all mankind. II Is the religion
of religions, Like a bow Of promise ii
spans and arches all the clouds of hui
man weakness and suffering. With
these sentiments we are met here to-
night TO hold our annual lodge of sor-
row With these sentiments The Elks of
every lodge are met o-day with music
and flowers and kindly speech and
thoughts of charity. to pay loving trih-
ute to our absent brothers. Wherever
they have fallen along the highway of
life they have left to Us a heritage of
brotherly love and fidelity. We turn
aside to do them honor We stand with
| bowed and reverent head beside their
| graves. We ask that their frailties and
mistakes may sleep beneath the sod
| and that their loyalty and gentlene ss
and nobility may fill our lives and rise
| like sweet incense to heaven, The poet
Horace wrote that he had reared to him
self monument more lasting than
brass. And so it may be said Of our de-
parted brothers. We know that If they
We're true to their obligation. If they
I ed ba nTinGtnlpS al q
justice and brothefly love and fidelity,
they made for themselves in The love
and memory of their fellows, monu-
ments which will ontlixe brass or mar
BILE To-day there is one name in
every heart and on every lip. lit il our
absent brothers those who have gone
down in the silent battle which Is often
more terrible than the storm of shot
and shell
"One of the objects of our order, per
haps the chief object. is To cultivate
good fellowship. Not that good fellow
ship merely which finds expression in
song and jest and story. But that
deeper feeling of comradeship, of help
| fulness and brotherhood which binds
the hearts of honorable men as With
links of steel. In this lies the charm of
the order. 1t adds to life manly grace
and cheer, and sweetens all the springs
of wholesome and rational enjoyment.
II appeals as well 10 the noblest senti-
ments of our nature and teaches the
highest lessons which can be learned
by man. 1t gives that golden key that
opens the palace Of eternity
The Elks are human. 1t may he
| said that they are Very human. There
is nothing austere about them and
nothing hypocritical. They are plain
flesh and blood American citizens who
| love their country and their race and
who sensibly believe in the supreme en-
joyment of the good things of the world
They believe that education. improve
ment, cultivation of mind and heart
are to be plneked from every legitimate
source of enjoyment. They do moi be-
iieNe in that false philosophy which
chills the heart. which crncifies the
senses and denies to life the charm ot
song and the smile of joy They believe
that true education comes from The
equal culture of every faculty with
which nature has endowed man. Good
citizenship. honest government and true
religion are not far removed from tit
refining influences of literature, elo.
quence and music. Social intercourse
relaxation from the eNacting duties 81
private business or public place. arr
springs of mental strength and mora
Inspiration The neglect of these sub
jects always works to the injury o1
society and of The individual Mature
is dwarfed. The springs of culture ar
dried up. The best that is in the heart
/. finds no fitting expression. Hope With
tfs. Faith listens to whispering doubt
and even charity itself lis dumb
The Elks have different philosophy
They believe in multiplying the mirti
of the world They believe in adding
TO the sum Of human happiness. They
believe In smoothing all the burrows
care has made They would turn sof-
| row into joy and tears 10 laughter
. | They would replace the clouds viii
, sunshine and drive the shadows from
the world with the glories Of ths
breaking morn. They supremely beliey.