New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-13
FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE.

The Grand Orient is rapidly DISCERNING an
SYMBOLISM considering il as efete ana Gut "a
harmony with modern ideas me 'lt"'S -
al icb Iloyioes were once subjected NAY iol7
ooo been given up, and the mystery with Whl'h
nor,ular imaSin4tion has clothed the "Iuet -
f5na-ing away The process of NulgaIlzatoh
has cone so far that Freemasonfy can naIulE
- calt.d 4 secret society at all as lar as
Rance IS concerned. 1t is virtually c!up or
association of philosophers ana polltlclatlS,
,1eionaries and practical men IL SeIecS us
o6barents more carefully than most aSSocld-
lions hui less so than its chief adNersarles-the
Jesuits and religious orders generally- MO-
49, tic doings are perfectly well known In
October last a Paris illustrated paper publlshed
two drawings showing the position OF the hands
and fingers in the Masonic grips. The only real
secret hidden from The profane Is the password
which is changed at regular intervals with a
view TO preventing intruders from making their
WAY into the lodges on the strength OF nIoIIla-
zion obtained from Masonic publications. TINS
word is sent under seal TO the master "f each
lodge and communicated by him TO the brethren
in a whisper after which the paper is solemnly
burned. This use of temporary shlppoletn
dates from l411. and is Of the few relics of
antiquity surviving in the lower degrees OF
French Masonry. The adherents Of the Grand
Orient in fact seem to find it borne in upon
them to pull down all their old institutions and
replace them by brand new ones. They have
even introduced form of Masonic marriage,
wherein the bride, after Fighting her troth
before the master and brethren takes her part
ner by the hand and leads him to his seat, 10
signify that she will never seek to interfere with
a {
variation consists Of the mixed lodges, TO
which both sexes are admitted. The largest of
these groups is nearly one hundred strong and
holds its meetings twice a month in Paris
Three or four others exist in the provinces. and
all form part of order called the 'Droit
Hunain' They have ritual based on and
strongly resembling that of the Scottish Rite.
The Paris group has a woman as Worshipful
mistress 1t also possesses sort of dispensary.
at which one of the members, q woman doctor,
attends daily and gives free advice TO the
and -hair ne I'M ia
ton Of a woman in the presence of her husband
and son who We're already members. was re-
Gently witnessed in this lodge. | should add.
however that neither the "Droit Human nor
any other form Of mixed Masonry so called is
recognized either by the Grand Orient the
Grand Lodge The heads OF these bodies look
upon il with 40 unfriendly eye, but consider that
il must he put to the test of time and experience
Theoretically Of course. FreemasOnry would
gain immensely in strength if ii could obtain
tine support Of the weaker sex, but the practical
objections are obvious. In few countries could
so daring experiment be attempted
The theoretical existence of family tie
among all Masons is frequently emphasized.
Should the wife of any brother present her hus-
hand with an olive branch a batterie dale
gresse o. clapping of hands in the prescribed
manner is put down the notice paper for the
next meeting and duly performed Marriages
and other iOyful eVents-the bestowal Of dec
Grafton for instance, on a brother-are ac-
claimed in the same way, and should any MEM
Ter Of the lodge distinguish himself by some
brilliant action a full relation Of the clrcum-
stances is made to the assembled brethren. pour
encourage les autres In this way military
Mason mentioned in dispatches is also mentioned
in much greater detail to the other members Of
his Masonic family. The death of member,
any Of the near relatives of a member, elcits
batterie e deui and, in some lodges, funeral
orations delivered. In addition to these de-
vices fer the maintenance of solidarity among
its own brethren a lodge often enters into Spe-
cially close relations with another by appoint