Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-08-02


chaos They Will gradually cease any
thing like tyranny over their members
and viii forbid violent Interference
with any mans work. whether he be-
longs TO their union or is outside OF IL.
and viii declare their disgust with any
such rule rs that passed In Englond by
the Manchester Bricklayers' associa-
ton. which says any man found run
ming or working beyond u regular speed
shall be fined shillipgs and sixpence
for the first offense. > shillings for the
second. 10 shillings for the third and IL
still persisting shall be dealt with as
the committee thinks proper.
Relief of the Sick.
There are secret societies In our col
leges that have letters of the Greek al
plabet for their nomenclature, and
their members are at the very front In
scholarship and irreproachable I'm NOR
ais. while there are others the scene of
csrousal ard they gamble, and they
drink. and they graduate Knowing a
hundred times more about sin than
they do of geometry and Sophocles. In
other words, secret societies. like indi-
yiduals. are good or bad. are the means
of moral health or of temporal and
eternal damnation. All good people
recognize the vice of siandering an in
diviGral. but many do not sec the sin
OF slaHdering an organization. There
are old secret societies I'm this and 9th
er countries, some of them centuries
old. which have been widely denounced
as immoral and damaging in their in
nuence. yet have hundreds of person
al friends who belong TO them. friends
who are consecratcd to God, pillars in
the church. faithful in all relations OF
life, examples of virtue and piety. They
are the kind or friends whom I vouId
have for my executors at the time OF
decease. ard they are the men whom I
would have carry me out to the last
sleep when | am dead. You cannot
make me believe that they would be-
long 10 bad institutions. They arc the
nen who would stamp on anything in
iquitolis. and | would certainly rather
take their testimony in regard 70 such
societies than the testimony of those
who. having been sworn in as men,
bers. by their assault upon them con-
Tess themselves perjurers.
One of these secret societies gave for
the relief OF the sick In 1873 in this
country $1,490.21i. Some of these So
cieties have poured a very heaven OF
sunshine and benediction into the home
OF suffering. Several of them nre
founded on fidelity TO good citizenship
and the Bible. | have never taken one
or their degrees. They might give ME
the grip thousand times and would
not recognize IT, am ignorant OF
their passwords, and I must Judge en-
tirely from the outside. But Christ
has given US n rule by which we may
judge not only all individuals. but all
societies. secret and open. "By their
fruits ye shall know them" Bad soci-
etics make bad men. Good societies
make good men. a bad man will not
stay i'm bad society. Then try all Sc
cret societies by two or three rules.
Ia Humnuity's Service.
Test the first: Their influence on
home. IL you have home. That wife
soon loses her influence over her hus-
band who nervously and foolishly looks
upon all evening absence as an assault
on domesticiiy. How are the great Gu
tcrprises OF reform and art and litera-
turc and benefcence aud public veal
TO be carried on if every man is TO have
his world bounded on one side by his
trout doorstep and on the other side by
his back window. knowing nothing
higher than his own attic or lower than
his own cellar? That wife who be-
comes jealous OF her husbands atten-
ton TO nrt or literature or religion or
charity is breaking her own scepter OF
conjrgal power. know an instance
where n wife thought that her husband
was giving too many nights to Chris
tan service. TO charitable service. to
prayer meetings and TO religious convo-
cation. She systematically decoyed
him away until now he attends no
church. waits upon no charitable insti.
tuition and is on n rapid way TO destruc.
tion. bis morals gone. his money gone
aud. fear. his soul gone.
Let any Christian wife rejoice when
her husband consecrates evenings TO
the service of humanity and of God or
anything elevating, but let no man
sacrifice home life TO secret society life.
rs many DO. | can point out TO YOU n
great many names OF men who are
guilty OF this sacrilcgc. They are ms
genial rs angels at the society rooms
and rs ugly as sin at home. They are
generous on all subjects OF wine sup
pers, yachts and fast horses, but they
are stingy about the wives dresses and
the chsldren's shoes. That man has
made that which might be n heaithful
influence usurper OF his affections.
and he has married 1t, aud he is guilty
or moral blgamy. Under this process
the wife, whatever her features. be-
comes embarrassing and homely. He
becomes critical OF her, does not like
the dress, does not like the way she
arr2nges her hair, is amazed that he
ever was so unromantic as to offer her
hand ana heart. There are secret So
cieties where membership always In
wolves domestic shipwreck. Tell me
that man has joined a certain kind
and tell me nothing more about him
Ter ten years, and l viii write his his
terry II he be still alive. The man is n
wine guzzler, his wife broken hearted
or prematurely old, his fortune gone
and his home a mere name in the di-
rectory.
Here are six secular nights In the
week. What shall l do with them p
says the father and the husband. II
VIII give four sc these nights 10 the
Improvement and entertainment of INV
family, either at home or in good neigh
borhood. / will devote one TO charita
pie institutions. l will devote one to
my lodge" l congratulate you. Here
Is a-man who says. "Out OF the six Sec
ciar nights OF the week ! will devote
I'VE 10 lodges and clubs and associa.
lions and one TO the home. which night
viii spend in scowling like a March
squat. wishing was out spending it