Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-10-07

mo because of any peculiar merit OF
nv own: but rather because nad lor
MANY years been constant anu reg
ular attendant upon the sessions Vi
tho Grand Lodge, and from desire
upon the part of its members TO rec
oenize one of the strongest ana most
active lodges in the state, which nad
had the honor in part, to represent.
And. in this I feel that it is only falr
and lust to include our sister lodge IN
this city. Jacob Brump No. 100. The
brethren of that lodge struggled on
and on through many years OF poverty
and under most adverse conditions
until finally they emerged victorious
and today it stands the peer OF any
lodge in Arkansas in it's devotion to
the PRINCIPLES of our beloved institu-
ton and the high quality of its mem
bership in all those virtues which go
to make up the good Mason and,
therefore, the good rAizen.
"In honoring our distinguished
brother. Colonel NJ. L. Bell, and my
humble self, I feel that the Grand
| Lodge intended to recognize and hon.
or not Pine Bluff Lodge alone, but the
entire Masonic fraternity of Pine
Bluff.
And now. brethren and friends, and
| speak more especially to the pro-
fane-that is, to those who are not
Masons-and more especially still, to
those of you who, by reason of sex,
never can be Mason, (for we have no
suffragettes in Masonry, a few
words about what Missionary is and
what it is not. Taking these in in
verse order, Masonry is not a relig
ion nor substitute for religion, nor
does it pretend to be either. 1t re-
quires of every candidate, before he
is permitted to take his first step, that
he shall voluntarily and without
prompting or suggestion declare his
DtliCl III OIC Supf ClAC OCluo anu III q
future state of rewards and punish
ments. But, it it's universal in its
scope and confines itself to no parti-
eular creed sect or doctrines. The
Buddhist, the Mussulman, the Jew and
! the Christian are all equally welcomed
| within it's fold. If the candidate is a
man, of full age, mentally sane; mo-
rally upright. and not physically de-
! formed or manned, he may become a
Mason regardless of any religious
opinions he may hold if he believes
in God and hereafter.
described as beautiful system of
morality, illustrated by symbols and
yelled in allegory. While it is re-
garded by many as great mystery, as
a matter of fact there is no mys-
terry about it except such as exists In
the minds of those who are ignor-
ant of it's purposes and teachings.
The most of it's ritual is printed and
open to public inspection and can be
had by any one at almost any book
store. 1t has but few secrets and
these are mostly confined to the
means of mutual recognition. Its al
legory consists largely in represent
ing in it's ritualistic work the labors
of the workmen, chiefly stone masons,
engaged in the building Of King Solo
mons temple. Its symbolism con-
sists chiefly in using the working
tools, of these operative Masons to
inculcate lessons of virtue and mo-
rality.
Every object used by the opera.
tive mason to accomplish his work
is used by us symbolically to impress
on the mind of the candidate the nee
essity Of moral and virtuous life
and lead him onward and upward to
higher and nobler aspirations. Mas
onry teaches brotherly love, relief
and truth; chastity and honesty;
prudence, temperance, fortitude and
justice; loyalty, patriotism and obedi-
ence to the law; but above all these,
Charity. Not mere aims giving alone,
or the relief and assistance of breth-
rem only, but that charity which is as
boundless as humanity itself; which
regards every man as brother and
which covers even the weaknesses
and vices of our fellow human be-
ings with the mantle of sympathy for
we may love the sinner though we
hate the sin. The kind of charity
which impels us not to harshly con-
denim our brother man because he is
weak, for he is only what God made
him after all, but to forgive him as
we hope to be forgiven, or in the
beautiful words of Pope,
ttrThof ynorcv 70 othorc ehou,