Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-28
Special Correspondence.)
Rock Island, H., July z

Rock Island, H., July z5.
This city was greatly disturbed re-
Gently as a result OF an Associated
Press dispatch to the effect that the
headquarters Of Modern Woodmen
OF America was about to be removed
to Peoria. The officers OF the socie-
ty were prompt in denying the rumor
and Rock Island people have resumed
their wonted contentment. This IS
one OF the happiest spots in the Mis-
sisippi valley, and its people have just
pride In several institutions Of wide
renown located here, among them the
one referred to. When you take into
consideration the fact that the Modern
Woodmen have a membership of about
425,000 you get an idea Of what kind
of headquarters is required TO keep
the mammoth machinery in action and
good order. The Woodmen is one OF
those societies which In their luxuri
ance are peculiar to American soil and
which have attained monumental pro-
portions since 1868, when the parent
society was born.
These societies are called fraternal
beneficiary societies. or simply fra
ternals." They are unique in that,
using many of the forms Of the ancient
pagan mysteries in their wealth of
paraphernalia, dramatic ritualism and
symbolism, they find their ethical in
spiration in the Christian declaration
of the 'fatherhood OF God and the
brotherhood of man." and they COM
bine, with the practical exemplifica
ton of this declaration, what is in fact,
If not in name, huge life insurance
business. They are the giant oppo-
nents of the monster life insurance coy
porations of New York and London,
commonly called the "old liners" and
are these later years making rapid in
roads in the ranks Of the policy-hold-
ers OF these companies. However the
''fraternals" do not call II life insur-
ance. They call ii "fraternal protec-
ton" They do not issue life policies,
but benefit certificates" All Of which
aptly illustrates the difference 'twixt
tweedledum and tweedledee.
But it is in the fraternal societies
adoption Of pagan ritualistic symbol
ism, ceremonials and legends to illus
trate certain lessons; 1t is in their
purely Christian teachings and prac-
tees, and in their hair-splitting dis
tinctions between the terms "fraternal
protection" and insurance" benefit
certificate" and policy" that they
suggest elemental incongruities, which
to the student of the history of ancient
and modern secret societies, affords an
interesting field for study. For in
stance, Modern Woodmen Of America,
claiming TO be truly American" with
an Original American ritual" takes
some OF its ritualstic rites from an
cient Rome The chief officer of the
society is called Head Consul, a purely
Roman title. Only the working tools
of the WoOdmen-the ak, beetle and
wedge-are original to the society; all
the rest are adaptations of ancient rites
of heather Rome, and the symbolism
of a society that was popular in Eng
land in 1760-the Ancient Order of
the Golden Fleece. That the author
of the original WOodman ritual did
not attain greater originality is mex
cusable. He did not lack the subject,
but apparently was content to rest
after selecting the novel working tools
which, If skillfully used, might have
| given Woodcraft a ritual original and
| thoroughly American in all truth.
By common consent the most reli-
able authorities agree that the genesis
Of practically all modern secret sOcie-
| ties is in the venerable speculative
craft which succeeded the ancient Eng
lish operative Masons. The symbolism
of the operative Masons of the six
teenth century was largely secured
from the workingmen's guilds OF the
middle ages, but speculative seven
tenth century Masonry adopted sew
eral of the more prominent character
istics Of the powerful religious and
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