The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-05-07
Too Much Of a GOOdThing.

We do not wish to organize any,
fight on the various "nobe orders
that are doing business in the coun
try, but we want TO suggest to the
young man who is starting out in the
world for himself that there is suct
thing as overriding this order busi
ness.
We think that good many young
fellows get the notion that 1t will bt
of great benefit to belong to all the
leading orders. We have been wa CHI
ing the thing now for good many
years and so far as we have been able
to see the joiners haven't succeed d
any better than the fellow who didn't
join. We get daffy on the subject OF
joining orders. We know of one man
who belongs to 43 different orders and
yet we have never heard of his cutting
any particular figure in the world,
neither have we heard that his in
huence is sought after by anybody in
particular.
We know of several other men who
belong to from 5 to 10 different orders
and il they were to wear all the
various badges of the societies they
belong to they would be covered
front aud rear.
We have In mind few men whose
ambition is to pass through the chairs
Of the various orders to which they
belong, that is to hold office in all
the lodges. They stuff their memories
with rituals and pass words and signs
a d grips natil they haven't room in
their heads for anything else. They
have accumulated a lot of titles that
don't mean anything, such as grand
this ard noble that, until the weight
of their titles makes them stooI
shouldsred aud bow legged.
They spend most of the nights IL
the week attending the various lodges
TO which they belong and sweat
around in unvsntilated rooms givinl
the work" to new members, Ther
they get themselves appointed a.
delegates to the various convention
held by the varou, orders to which
they belong and between attending
conventions and working in th'
lodges they have mighty little tim,
left FOR attending to regular business
Personally, the lodge bueines
doesn't appeal to US. 1t looks to u
like rather foolish thing for grown
up men In full possession Of thei
faculties to engage In. We ar,
satisfied that there isn't lodge IL
! the whole bunch that has secre
that really amounts to whoop o
that 1t would make bit of differenc,
if the whole world knew it, but ther
we are not 0bjecting to moderate
amount Of it. There are great maBl
people who seem to like that sort O.
thing aud to get great deal of com
fGrt and enjoyment out OF it and w
are willing that they should have IT,
but we wait to say to the young maj
that II he is laboriBg under tht
opidIon that 1t will help him a grear
deal to join dozen lodges and loao
himself up with badges and titlei
such as he may get In these lodges hi
will probably find himself mistaken
Speaking of the secret work Of these
1 lodges, we have already said that IL
our e0inlon there is not secret thai
really amounts TO anything or thai
1t would mike a bit of difference il
the whole world knew it. In fact II
any Of the lodges have secrets thai
would do any damage If they were
known to the world then the lodges
ought 10 be suppressed as being
inimical to the general welfare.
If you feel that it will add to your
satisfaction and happiness to load NJ
with TITLES aud rsgalla and swords
and waving plumes join the Oldest
and best of the orders. One ought
to furnish enough of that sort of
thing to satisfy you, but ii you have
the craving bad, join TIVE. o. course
IL you want to you can jciu dozen OIL
fifteen or forty. They will all take
your money and give you the secret
work II yeu are reasonably decent and
ordinarily popular, but we want to
warn you that II you expect that
joining orders will make you succeed
you are mistaken. Mail and Breeze.
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