The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-09-25

solved the problem-tne great prob.
lem Of today--hOw shall community
be 80 organized and constituted thai
none of It's members shall be objects
Of charity. either public or private
that not one Of them shall be a burder
on society.
There are no paupers In this order;
you never saw a member Of this or
ganlzation marching In a procession
clamoring for bread or work There
never was an Odd Fellow enrolled in
Coxey's Industrial army nor In the
ancient and honorable order OF the
Sons Of Rest--the tramp brigade,
You never knew one Of them to Join
a mob to invade the rights Of proper
ty, nor combination to take away
the rights OF labor. You never knew
one OF them thrown upon the cold
charities Of a friendless world. If an
odd Fellow Is In trouble he Is aided,
not by grudgIng charity dispensed to
a man as you would throw bone to a
dog, but as a dividend rightfully be-
longing to him.
The principles Of this order should
be incorporated into the body polite
and into society at large; for II the
principles Of mutual helpfulness en-
bodied In odd Fellowship should be-
come the law OF society, penury and
want would be done away with. Then
the poor would no longer envy the
rich, nor the rich despise the poor,
and the golden rule which lies at the
foundation Of this order would replace
the rule OF God. AS William Penn de-
elared long ago, fraternity would be
the best remedy for all our social ills
But this order is something more
than a mere beneficial society. That
Is after all only the lower, the material
side of 1t. That is its body, so to
speak; to find its soul, It's spirit. you
but must look into II deeper; you must
study 1t more profoundly.
An order which teaches equal and
exact justice to all men. an order that
inculcates equal civil and political
rights, an order that teaches fraternity
among men and faith in God, is So
cial force, an uplifting force, civiliz-
ing force, a character building force
a great cohesive force to hold society
and the nation together and to
strengthen the bonds of human
brotherhood the world. around.
1t is a character-m making force. II
brings young man before it's altars
and puts upon his lips the most tre-
mendous VOWS of uptight living and
holy service; he processes there by ev-
cry sacred symbol and solemn cere-
mony that he viii be a good odd Fell
low, and therefore that he will be true
to his noblest self, faithful to his fam
lily, loyal to his country. fraternal tc
his fellowmen and reverent and obedi-
ent to his God.
Teaching loyalty to established gov
ernment and obedience to law our or
der is one of the strongest bonds of oul
nations life.
1t was the three links that helped tC
heal the wounds of, war and to make
real that vision of a reunited peopl,
that suffused Grants last hours will
peace and smoothed his pathway to tn,
grave. You remember how the granC
lodge of the United States in 1885,
solved the problem of reconstruction
The grand sire at the close of hostili
| ties issued a proclamation declaring
the unbroken unity of the order anC
at the session of 1865 delegates from
northern and southern jurisdictions
took their seats together in the gran;
lodge Bishop Hopkins of the Protes.
tant Episcopal church advised his
broken denomination rent in twain by
the war to "go to Baltimore and imi-
tate the example of the odd Fellows
Thank God the three links have never
rusted in time of peace nor melted in
the flames of war!
Brothers, our work is not done!
While tears are shed by the widows
and the fatherless, while there is strife
and intolerance and want and woe in
the world, we may not forsake our
standards. The gates Of new century