The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-20
Making a Mason at Sight.
BY VIM. c.. Mazyck

| ~""Peci az WortiVfn, IexaS, con-
dcmning the granting of special dis
pensation permitting Presldent-clect
Taft to be made Mason at sight not
only merited the rebuke OF Past
Grand Master Melish, of the Grand
Lodge of Ohio. but reveals q lack
OF Masonic knowledge which is as
'inexcusable" as It's dscourtesy is "un-
precedented." The making Of Mason
at sight is most ancient practice, origi-
mating so far beyond the dawn of re-
corded history as to have become one
OF the landmarks of the order Sir
William Blackstone. in his commen-
taries on the Laws of England, in
PRODUCTION, section 3, says: "The
goodness of a custom depends upon
its having been used time out of
mind; or In the solemnity of our le-
gal phrase. time whereof the man.
ory of man runneth not to the con-
trary. This 1t is that gives 1t its
weight and authority" And DR..
MacSey. in his Masonic Jurispru-
d-nce. page 15.. "The first requisite
OF custom or rule of action to con-
stitute II a landmark Is that It must
have existed from thine whereof the
memory Of man runneth not to the
contrary. It's antiquity is its essen
tial element" And again: Another
popularity of these landmarks of
Masonry Is that are unrepealablc
like the laws of the Medes and Per-
slams. they can suffer no chanse.
What they were centuries ago, they
still remain, and must so continue ir
force until Masonry itself shall cease
70 exist" ''They stand in the way
of innovations controlling and check
ing them"
Had the Masonic knowledge of our
Texas brethren been as great as their
misguided zeal, they would probably
have escaped the just censure of Past
Grand Master Melish.
IN South Carolina the landmarks
s~e enumerated In the Altman Rezoi.,
and the eighth is: "The prerogative
OF the Grand Master to make Ma
sons at sight" But as DR.. Mackcy
says: 1T is not to be supposed tina,
the Grand Master can retire with q
p:ofane into a private room, and
there without assistance confer the
degrees of Freemasonry upon him.
No such prcrogative exists, and yet
many. believe this is the so much
talked OF right Of making Masons
Al sight The real mode and the
only mode Of exercising the preroga-
i've Is this: The Grand Master sum-
mons to his assistance not less than
ak other Masons, convenes a lodge,
and without any previous probation
out on sight Of the candidate, confers
the degrees upon him, after which lie
@lssolves the lodge and dismisses the
1 brethren" 'If the Grapd Master has
The power of granting to any othes
Mason the privilege of presiding over
lodges working by his dispensat:op
ne may assume this privilege OF pre-
siding to himself; and as no one car
deny his right to revoke his disper.-
salion granted to a number. of bre;h-
rem at distance, and to dissolve ~,
lodge at his pleasure, 1t will scarce
ly be coptended that he may not re-
yoke his dispensation for lodge over
which he himself has been presiding
and dissolve the loge as soon as the
business for which he had assembled
II Is accomplished. The making OF
Masons at sight Is only the confer.
ring of the degrees by the Crane
Master. at once. In an occasiona
lodge. constituted by his dispensing
power for the purpose and ovel
which he presides In person."
In 1851 the committee on CORES
pondence of the Grand Lodge Of New
York. In a lengthy report upon lthi,
subject. says: 1--WE consider 1t on,
among the ancient customs of tn,
craft: one OF its ancient usages
which having prevailed time out O
mind. had become the law and /;
landmark. and which every futur,
Grand Lodge was solemnly forbid
den to pass any law, rule or regula
tion. to subvert or encroach upon
which had by force of previous usag,
become part Of the ground worl
and body OF Masonry. and whicl
> there Is now no authority to modif.
or change"
Mackey. writing further on the dis
pensing power of the Grand Master