, 1904-12-05
common equality. but he good acts

country, is the ~outgrowth OF an aSsOcia-
ton of a few convivial and %congenial
members OF the theatrical, musical and
social club in New York about the year
1867, with no other purposes than to
enable the members to have a good
time. They styled themselves by the
somewhat %euphonious II suggestive
name of the Jolly Corks." The or
ganization grew very rapidly, though
til March 10th, 1871, when the grand
lodge of Elks vas granted a franchise
by the state of New York, with author
ity to issue charters throughout the
country.
The Benevolent and Protective Order
of Eiks teaches and impresses those
elevating principles, charity. justice
and b%rotherly love; that blessed trim
ity of virtues; eternal induces of true
manhood; those inefacable h%ieroglypn-
les of credit upon Gods own balance
sheet.
Elk charity is as unobtrusive as air.
as direct as light. as all-pervading as
sound, and as unerring as nature itself.
His idea is to dispense charity with
out os]tentation and he obligates him
self to forever keep secret he name OF
a broher whose misfortune renders him
the recipient of charity. His is the
charity that vaulteth not Itself, and
is not pulled up'-"Charity that letteth
not the left hand know what the right
hand doeth." 1t is the life, the ANNA
ton, the very soul of his fraternal ex-
~istence. Bar why attempt to glorify
this divine precept.
1t is said that Charity is the temple
OF which justice is the foundation; but
you cannot have the top without the
bottom" A fundamental principle OF
lIlkdom is justice, that heavenly pre-
cept. the basis of our earthly expecta-
ton and the guarantee of our eternal
hope. Not that psuedo justice that
robs the just for the unjust, but rather
that more benign character of justice,
that rewards merit and condemns er
ror. Justice is absolute and inexcl
able; compromise has no abiding
place in its tenets of right and wrong
1t has no dawn Or dusk; it's sky is al
ways clear and bright as day. The
same rigid king of conscience rules il
every cline, in all ages, and with al
people. declaring that to be unjus,
which Injuries either self or fellow
Justice DEGREES thai I'VE shall no dc
unto others that which We would no
that others should do unto us Thong
arbitrary and fixed as gravity's center
itself. yet sweetly is it swerved by the
magnetic influence of mercy.-the rar
est gem in the Jewel case of life. Mercy
is that attribute of heaven, withou,
which. nan would be most audacious
should he but dare to hope. 1t is tina
quality which ennobles life. robs dealt
of its t%errors, and unfolds to the fad
ing eyes the raptures of the souls
eternity.
1t is, however, the exalted fraternal
ism of Elkdom that forces the admira
ton of those outside the order. Broth
erly love is indeed the commandin
love-humanity's bright and all illum
mating sun, guiding and %sustainin
life's rejecting planets and stars
sympathy, friendship, affection. virtue
purity, integrity, constancy and wis
dom, in their orbits of divine concep.
ton 1t is not the mere passive regaro
for acquaintance or friend, but that
higher and grander devotion that leads
to the sacrifice of self for fellow. 1t is
the manifestation of that faculty in hu
man nature that causes us to share the
hardships and burdens of the Cypress.
ed and divide with the lowly our happi.
ness and pleasure. Without it we be.
mere idle blanks on the pages Of time
A man lost in the wilderness Of misfor
tune and adversely, who has SO lived
that he has no friend to whom he may
turn, as a compass, to guide him to the
plains of comfort and safety, is with
out life's grandest rewards, and life's
%surest defenses. The Bethlehem of his
faith and dissipated into the night
mare of the sekptic and the Gibraltar
OF his hope into a dream of miasma
vapor. When selfishness dominates
the heart and the mind turns infidel tc
this decalogue of fraternal faith. life
becomes indeed, a veritable muckfire
of decayed experiences, where hope is
choked by the cookie growth of de
spair.
All fraternal societies maintain theiI
existence and their right to exist by
reason of the association OF men fol
the purpose of intoxicating those grand
lprecepts that make men better ant
nobler and life brighter and happier
If l was asked what particular prin
ciple of Elkdom will cause the order tc
live to the end Of time l would answel
that it is that highest and most sacred
obligation required of all its members
and family. A truly great man Of this
generation has said: THE test Of civ
ilization ia the estimate Of