Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-12-21
. The workman shall labor

18th centuries and such as have been
preserved to MS by ancient documents
and writings
In 1868, among the regulations
adopted was one which declared that
no person shall hereafter be accepted
n Free Mason bur such as are of able
body. honest parentage, good reputa-
ton and an observer of the laws of
the land All through the ancient
rules IL Is laid down as n necessary
qualification OF man who sought to
become member OF that great labor
union that he must be believer in
God and religion and law abiding
citizen. and loyal TO the country in
which lie lived. that he must neither
countenance rebellion or treason. II.
perchance. and II is handed down to
us that on this account alone the craft
was In great favor in the ages and
times when rebellion and overthrow
OF established governments seemed to
be the order of the day for the reason
that the members of The craft could
always be depended upon to support
the established authority OF the gov
crnment under which they resided
In this the old craft differs from Its
imitators. rhe modern labor union
must. before 1t can hope to stand up
on the plane once and stu occupied
by us, establish as one of It's cardinal
principles. one of the important stones
of Its oundation-loyalty to govern
ment and obedience to law. and until
that is accomplished and until the
members of this organization are so
educated as to believe In the import.
ance of this qualification, labor un.
ionism will never thrive.
"Of course, we as modern MasonS
do not hew stones and trees nor do we
spread mortar or drive nails which
unite these parts into temporal
building. but We are taught to make
use of the same principals which our
ancient brethren employed In opera
tive masonry In the erection of spirit.
ual buildings, or rather In shaping our
lives and conduct SO that there might
be no more friction nor confusion
when our spiritual building is com
pleted than that which attended the
placing of the final stone and tho last
ornament in the Temple OF Solomon
We do not pretend to be clear OF
faults. nor that we employ no incom
petent workmen now, because In spec
ulatlve masonry we are unable to ap
ply the tests which were applied at
the building OF the temple, but we en-
deavor to keep the percentage of in
competents down as low as possible
In addition to this. in the days OF
operative masonry he must show him
self qualified to he a master or over
seer before he could arrive at the dig.
nifty OF master mason. and he mus
faithfully study as an apprentice and
learn the art, before he could rank
with the craftsmen and receive wages
as such. II was provided In those
old regulations that no laborer should
be employed on the proper work OF
masonry nor should Free Maaons
work with those not free nor should
they teach laborers or unaccepted
masons.
Thus we see that the old crafts
men first paved the way by throwing
all manner OF safeguards around the
employer for his protection and then
said that none but members OF the
craft should work on the job. The
employees must be union workmen
The craft could vouch for their ability
and honesty and rlghtfully demanded
that no others he allowed to interfere
with the work to Its possible danger
Another. but by no means smaller
of the qualifications necessary to en-
able man to be recognized as one
Of the craft and receive the wages as
such, was that he should believe in
God.
AS the Temple of Solomon was
erected and intended to be the house
of the Lord so the modern Masonic
lodge Is intended to be devoted and
dedicated TO the same purpose. Solo
mon sent TO Hiram for assistance In
building a house to the Lord the
craftsmen under his direction labored
for over seven years in building thai
structure and for countless ages since
Master Masons lodges have been err
ected to do for the same noble and
grand purpose. We Interfere with no
mans religious belief, we care not
what form of religion he professes.
all We ask of him is that he be honest
and true and that he believe In the
God OF the universe and immortality
OF the soul which distinguishes him
from brute creation.
Free Masonry is equally as univer-
sal and extensive as Christianity and
exists in places where Christianity is
at present unknown. We have
lodges In India among the Hindus and
In China among the followers Of their
weird Confucius. In fact wherever
man believes In the existence OF one
ever-loving God and the Immortality
OF the soul you Will find Masonic
lodges.
I'VE use the tools and implements
used by our operative brethren to H.
lusirate the principles of morality
which we try to teach In our lodges
Our secrets we transmit from mouth
To ear. they being too sacred to ever
commit to writing; our principles are
public property. Every Mason is
taught to practice the virtues of TEN.
Derance. Fortitude. Prudence and Jus
tice and to take for his tho tenets OF