Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-10-31

, ed the publication as false and spuriou
and spoken of it in no other light, thai
, as a gross imposition upon the public, a
it really is. You will please to enjoin j
, on the brethren of your lodge to be "cau
tious" and have no communication OF
the subject of Masonry with any person
except such as they personally know tC
be regular Masonic brethren. Should
the book make its appearance within thu
Jurisdiction of your looge, treat it as
false and spurious imposition, and give
such other directions as you may deem
most expedient for the good of Masonry.
By order of the Most Worshipful Grand
Master,
Thomas F. Hammond, Dist. Dep. G.
NJ, LIST Masonic District.
We OF the present day probably cannot
realize the fierceness and the fury OF
the storm which ragged about the heads OF
our brethren in those days. To be
known as a Mason often meant social and
political ostracism and financial ruin.
Brave men indeed were they who dared
attempt to breast such storm without
the hope OF fee or reward" and for truth g
own sake alone.
The crucial test came at a communities
ton of Rising Sun lodge held on Septen.-
Der 81, 1881, to which / have already al
luded, and at which 81 members Of the
lodge and three visiting brethren were
present. One of the visitors was Julius
Converse, who afterwards became govern
or of Vermont. Among the members OF
the lodge present at that time was Judge
Jacob Collamer, who was even then man
of immense Influence and power. He was
past master of Rising Sun lodge. He had
four times represented Royalton in the
legislature. He had been states attorney
for Windsor county three years and it
was only two years later that he was
elected one of the assistant judges of the
supreme court. Still later, he was elected
representative in the United States Con-
gress, became Postmaster-Generali in Pres
ident Taylor's Cabinet and finally a
United States senator. My reason for
recounting this mans political career and
worldly honors at such length will soon
appear.
| now quote from the lodge records OF
that important OCCASION
The subject of surrendering the char
ter introduced.
"Motion shall the charter be surrend-
cred.
"Voted not to surrender the charter.
Voted to instruct our delegates to
Grand Lodge to vote against giving up
the charter.
''Voted to appoint a committee of two
in each town in the jurisdiction OF the
lodge to ascertain how many MasOns are
in favor of surrendering the charter and
how many against it.
"Chose John Warren and George Ly-
man for Royalton. Samuel Lille and ].
p. Cleveland for Bethel WIN. Clifford for
Sharon, Steven A. Cozzens for Tun-
bridge"
Now who introduced the subject Of sur
rendering the charter? Who made the
motion to surrender? Concerning this
point the written record saith not, but |
am glad to be able to ~'tell the tale as
twas told to me" some years ago by
Brother VIM. Pierce, now deceased, but
who was present at the time, and whose
name appears in the records of that COM
munication. Once again l ask, who do
you think it was that made the motion to
surrender the charter? II you answer
Probably that ambitious politician, ia
cob Collamer," | shall reply, Verify,
thou hast said
Tie discussion upon the motion was
brief but tempestUous. Men like Lowell
Hibbard, Joseph Parkhurst, Edwin
Pierce, Samuel Lille, William Pierce and
Others declared that they would .'be
drawn in quarters" before the charter
should be surrender d; and the motion was
voted down amid perfect storm Of indig-
nation. Perhaps we should not blame
Judge Collamer very much for the part he
bore in that transaction. We have seen
how bitter was the public hatred of Free
Masonry. Judge Collamer was then only
about forty years old, but he had al
ready attained to social and politi-
a. L -
be saw great future possibilities opening
up before him. To be actively identified
with Masonry meant social ostracism, po-
litical oblivion and ruin. With him then
it was policy against principle, and poll
cy won, as it too often does in this
world. The fact that the motion to sur
render was so overwhelmingly defeated
although backed by the powerful infiu-
ence of Judge Collamer serves to show
most clearly and forcibly the intense 10y
atty and devotion to Masonry and its
principles which characterized the matsr-
ity of the brethren of Rising Sun lodge
in those early years.
From this time on for several years the
affairs of the lodge gradually declined
Less and less work was done. The times
and places of meeting became irregular,
the records meagre and uncertain, until
from 1S4O to 1917, as already noted, no
records appear, and it is more than
doubtful if any were made, though meet
ings were certainly held and the organiz-
alton and life of the lodge maintained.
Much of the little now known concern
ing the affairs of the lodge during some
of those yesrs&s traditional. but none the
less positive and certain. There came a
time when meetings were held only Sc
cretly, not in halls or usual places of as
sembly, but only in the dwellings of the
The furniture and loose be-
longings of the lodge were carried about
secretly from place to place for safe keeI
ing. The great lights were carefully pre- {
served. The old Bible, printed in Scot
land in 1896, is still in use. The old al
ar, quaint in design, made in 1926 and {
still in use by the lodge, was at one time
hidden in the basement of Bro. Zebina !
Whitney's barn. At another time it was a
buried in the woods on the rocky hill
now called 1.-THE Pinracle,' rising in
northwesterly direction from Royalton I
Center village. This was at time when !
II it had been discovered it very likely /
would have been burned or destroyed by
a mob in the street, so bitter was the ha- s