The Washington herald., 1907-02-24

est respect for religion, and has guarded
/ itself carefully from intermeddling with
political affairs, to understand the hos
| fifty TO it and the charges brought
against it in several countries o. the Old
World. and particularly in France, writes
I Avian +. SanboTn, In the Boston Tran
script
1 II is a distinct shock to an American in
! France to see Masonic lodges parading
the streets, as lodges. in periods Of politi-
cal excitement. participating In free
/ thinking demonstrations under banners on
which are inscribed such legends as
Neither God nor Master chi Dieu nj
Metitre'), and to hear their passing resO-
/ buttons and issuing manifestos FOR or
against this or that political candidate OF
I this or that political programme at cleo
ton time.
Even when he has Witnessed all these
4 things. he still finds it hard TO realize the
/ force and the scope Of the influence eX-
erted by Freemasonry on the personnel Of
the Chamber and the Senate, on the ac-
ton Of the two bodies and on the rise and
fall OF ministries. And yet, without this
/ realization a proper comprehension Of
I French politics cannot be had.
/ A few years ago one Of the most bril-
| liant, most straight thinking and clear
speaking, and, 20 all appearances. most
/ independent member OF the French Sen
ate made a masteTful speech in denun-
citation Of the despotic tendencies Of d
/ certain pet measure Of the premier, only
10 conclude # with an eloquent perOra-
ton urging the senators to vote for the
measure all the same. On my requesting
an explanation Of this, 10 me, inexplicable
/ phenomenon. the French publicist. 20
whom ! applied. answered with an ex-
4 pressive shrug. En- France on est franc
macon on on ne Test pas (''In France
/ one IS or one is not a Freemason').
Always in Politics.
Whatever doubt such detached exhibit
tions Of political activity might leave in
the mind Of foreign observer OF French
affairs regarding the pursuit of a definite
political policy on the part Of the Free
n1asons, IS set at rest by the spoken and
written utterances Of the Freemasons
/ themselves. The historians within their
own ranks affirm the consistency and per
Isistency Of the political attitude of Free
masonry from the French revolution Up to
/ the present time. They attribute to it the
famous Declaration Of the Rights OF Man.
assert that Mirabeau had 100 lodges al his
/ disposition. and claim that in 1870 Free
masonry was the nursery whence the gov
/ eminent Of the Defense Rationale drew
/ its frmest and most energetic representa-
dvcs' The republic Is the daughter Of
/ the Grand Orient" says NJ. POulle. Free
masonry and the republic are precisely
/ the same thing. says NJ. LUcipia- II was
from the FreemasOns, likewise, by their
own claim, that the most influential mem
/ bers Of the early government Of the Third
I Republic and the leaders OF the Republi-
can party came; and It was the Frcema-
/ sons. according to the same authority,
who secured for the republic it's military
and school laws.
AT the convent OF 1895 NJ Blatin said:
we have organized in Parliament a YER
table syndicate of Masons. and at the
convent of 1901 a letter was read from
I Premier Combcs, which contained The fol-
/ lowing significant sentence: Extend my
heartiest thanks to the convent; entered
on my office without fear. l shall leave
it without having merited reproach.
The Atheistic Element.
In the case OF a country where religion
and politics are as intimately related as
they are and always have been in France,
/ the hostility OF Freemasonry TO religion
cannot be passed over in silence
In 1864 Alexander Massol, a prominent
Mason who had been successfully a dis
cipIe Of Saint-Simon, Lamennais. and
I ProudhOn. attempted To reduce to a sys-
/ TEN what he denominated independent
( ethics. Ills Report upon the Question
Of Morality" which appeared in lie
Monde Maconnique OF that year, claimed
that from the ruins of theological mo-
rality the idea Of independent morality
should rise. and that it should be the
I special function of the lodges 10 develop
this idea Numerous Masons objected 10
/ his system because It ignored the deity.
/ The convent of 1876 prepared and the
convent OF 1877 voted the abolition Of al
reference 10 God in the Masonic delibera-
tons and rituals.
This revolutionary action, at which the
lodges Of England and several other
countries that make much of the Great
! Architect of the Universe took umbrage.
I has never been reversed. though many
attempts have been made TO explain IL
1 away.
! Freemas0ny holds the spread of its anti
[ religious doctrine highly essential 10 the
best interests Of the republic. The relation
/ between It's anti-religiOuS philosophy and
( its politics has been close and constant,
+ indeed its politics are the corollary Of its
/ philosophy This philosophy said NJ.
/ Hubbard in 1897. lis essentially active. /
/ commands a political programme. Each
d.
I favorite flag, but there is a common flag
which shelters us all radicals. Progress
/ lists. Socialists within the folds
This flag is anti-cIericalism.
Ranged under the banner Of anti-cleri-
/ calism, which they have too often in
/ terpreted 20 mean anti-religion, the Free
| masons have done yeoman service in the
attacks upon the churches which have
been the most salient feature of French
politics during the last few years.
/ I.attcrly by means probably of the alli-
ance between the Radicals and the So
ciaIists. without which the anti-clerical
I movement could not have succeeded,
! Freemasonry has developed a somewhat
vague tendency toward socialism
An Astounding Spy System.
All these things are so much matters
Of general knowledge and common talk
IN France that they would not be worth
presenting in any French publication.
But even Frenchmen were astounded by
the revelations of the highly organized
system of espionage which had long been
maintained BY the Great Orient in the
interests OF the anti-clerical clements.
revelations which resulted in the almost
/ immediate resignation of Gen. Andre.