The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-07

Inc historical town of Old harrington.
Conn, IS the theme of another illustrated
paper. variety OF poems and stories help
to make up a pleasing table of contents.
In addition to the article on secret So
cietes mentioned elsewhere the North
American contains a memorial sketch of
the late Henry Drummond, by Ian Mac
laren. also papers on the following topics:
should immigration be Restricted?" Re
C9tt AchleVements in Mountaineering,
Evolution of the Naval Officer Exercise
ana s.Irl longevity, The Dingley Tariff Bill.
The New England States, plans and
Purposes of Russia" Cheap Transports
ton in the United States" and The Mod
ern Greek as Fighting Man"
Among the special features of the Review
of Reviews for May is a sketch by Joel
Chandler Harris of Clark Howell, successor
to Henry w. Grady as editor of the Atlanta
Constitution. Mr.. Howell grew up with the
paper under Mr.. Grady's eyes and was as
siStant managing editor before the latters
death, so that his promotion was a natural
step in the merit system. President David
Starr Jordan contributes brief article on
the fur-seal question, his position on the
government commission of investigation
last year making him an authority. A re-
view OF the gatherings. patriotic, polltical,
educational, musical and religious, to be
held during the summer in various parts of
the world S feature of interest
Stephen Bonsal contributes to the Review
of Reviews a graphic account of the real
written as recently as the last week in
March, after several months spent upon the
island, and bears evidences of careful
study of the situation. He confirms all the
newspaper reports of the horrors existing
there and of the cruelties perpetrated by
the Spanish soldiery under the direction of
Weyler, and predicts worse misery to come
If speedy end is not put to the war He
concludes the terrible account with the
words: What l saw NEST clearly of all
was our share in all this shame our direct
and moral responsibility for this reign of
terror, this carnival of crime and all the
atroclouS incidents which characterize the
lnhuman strife, which it is plain duty,
beth to humanity and to ourselves, to stop,
ard we can stop it with single word
An article on Secret Societies in Amer
ica," by w. s. HARDWOOD, in the North
American Review, contains matter of in
terest both for the friends and opponents of
such societies. The membership of the Sc
cret fraternal orders of the United States
is placed in round numbers at 100000 This
does not include labor organizations, secret
military orders nor college fraternities. The
annual increase in membership is estimate
at from 100000 to 100000. AS many of the
benefactions of these organizations do not
come into consideration in the making up
of reports it is impossible to compute the
entire outlay, but, using the data available,
the writer says: These amounts range in
size from $4,000 to 900 per annum to ST.
100000 for a single organization. Many OF
the organizations pay. out over $l,OOOOO0
per year in this way. While it is difficult
to arrive at positive figures as to the amount
which has been paid out by the fraternal
orders in the United States since their es
adjustment, yet, allowing for the amount
paid out in the year 1896 and not included in
the annual reports of the grand secretaries
of the various bodies the enormous total
of $475, 100000 has been given by these
CARNATIONS in beneficenceS 1t should be
stated, also, that this is exclusive of the
three larger orders, the Masonic, the Odd
Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. AS
nearly as can be computed these three Or
ders have paid out in the same line $176,-
100000 more, making all told the vast sum
of nearly $3.50 900, 900. Mr.. HARDWOOD is evil
IDENTIFY a friend of the fraternites, but ac-
knowledges that while they are vast
benevolence intoxicating patriotic senti-
mentS and teaching reverence for a Su-
preme Being, they are not an unmiXed
blessing. One of the evils named is the
bers and their consequent withdrawal from
the family circle. There is also the matter
of unnecessary expenditure. I'm the great
majority of cases." he says, 1.-The amount
of money paid out for the actual expenses
of the lodge, as the dues of the order is not
great; it is in the field of personal gratif-
cation that the vast unacCOunted-for sum
is expended. 1t is probable that for mere
personal qualification, aside from any real
or imaginary benefits, the members of the
States will spend annually in banquets, rail-
road and travelling expenses, costly gifts to
retiring officers testimonials, elaborate uni
forms and rare swords not less than $3.50
100000 and this is allowing but $50 year
as an average for the delightful, but proba-
bly, wholly unnecessary, expenses connected
with the fraternitieS. 1t is quite likely the
sum is considerably more than this.