The Dickinson press., 1911-12-09

desire for recognition of individual
rights. This desire and the demand
for the exercise of such rights increased
until the latter part of the eighteenth
century. when the revolutions OF those
years resulted in the establishment of
governments founded upon individual
ism. The theory of such governments is
that each individual is entitled to the
greatest degree of liberty consistent
with the equal rights of others; that
every man is entitled to the fruits of
the labors of his own hands and brain.
and that each one possesses the right to
freedom of conscience and Of person.
and to worship any god or no god in
such manner as best BELTS his humor.
his temperament. or as appeals to his
reason.
You know the result of these efforts
and of this doctrine. A desire has been
so manifest and the determination so
firm that the liberty of no individual
should be interfered with unnecessarily.
that it has enabled the strong to take
advantage of the weak, and the differ
ent interests to combine and confederate
until individualism is thought by many
to be only another form of monarchy !; it
is true, not ruled by a personal mon
arch, but in many cases maintained
quite as despotically by what has been
termed regant interests.
1t is unnecessary to discuss what this
means or its effect on the individual
and on society where it lies or who is
responsible. II insufficient to say
that in many newspapers and periodi-
Gals, from the halls Of legislation. and
from the rostrum, it is proclaimed that
some remedy must be found.
P%aradoxical as it may seem, coinci-
dent with the growth and spread of in
dividualism have developed a great num-
Der of secret organizations and tratern-
tiles. whose purpose and principles. if
maintained and lived, would furnish
the remedy for the faults of individual
ism. l do not mean 10 be understood
and intimating that the system of in
dividualim is in itself vicious. but the
freedom of individual action has been
so conspicuous that the vicious, which
everywhere exist, have some times
overcome and suppressed the individ-
ual.
Wherever results are to be accom-
.plished some definite system must be
adopted. The spirit of fraternalism
abroad, different organizations have
been perfected, all having substantially
the same purpose. though some empha-
size one element and some another.
This spirit has been manifested in the
formation of secret orders or fraternities,
numbering millions of members, some
adapted to one phase of life or occupa-
ton, and some to others. If the teach
ings of these orders are followed and made
effectual the evils growing out of in
dividualism in society will be neutral
lied.
~ Among these orders not the least i'm
portant, is the n of which we consti-
tute a part, the Benevolent and Protect
i've Order of Elks. 1t emphasizes
among the cardinal virtues Charity,
Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity.
Charity ever has regard for the needs
of every fellow being. 1t does not stand
strict rules of logic. or question
whether the recipient has always made
the best use of his opportunities. 1t
only inquiries as 10 his needs.
Brotherly Love, when exercised. en-
eenders such sentiments of regard for
the rights of others that no act is done
or permitted by the individual which
infringes upon the equal rights of an
other. The first inquiry will not be,
''EIow much can l gain by this trans
but ''Shall l by gaining it
deprive another of what is or ought to
be hist"
Justice is the balance in which these
and wrongs are weighed; and the
members of our order should be inspired
by it's doctrines to make it prevail in
all their transactions and to aid in
the cultivation of honor, candor and
true manhood.
Fidelity, demands strict loyalty to
truth, the maintenance of justice and
the exercise of charity. Charity. the
cornerstone and Fidelity. the capstone.
We are taught to exercise charity to
the living three hundred and sixty-five
days in the year. We assemble one
day in that cycle to express our fidelity
to the memory of our dead. As Elks we
recognize that no life is useless and
none without influence on its associates.
however brief or thoughtless the con-
tact. The influence of the least extends
beyond the mere touch. beyond the sight
and far beyond the mountaineering.
The teachings of gu r order, if obser-