Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-12-10

II mas pecn Sdlu lndt the majority
of mankind are inclined to evil that
the world loves a spice Of wickedness.
but be this as 1T may 1t is none the
| less true that many have gone the
wrong road for lack OF friendly advice
and kindly influence from those who
are In position to render 1t, and if only
| the kindly word were spoken before
in their ceaseless march they had
| plunged into the quick sands of dis
honor they might have turned on the
! road and retraciug their steps to tho
point OF divergence been saved from
ruin.
At no time in the history of our
country has the development and
practice of the splendid principles Of
! our order been as necessary as to-day.
| and as time runs on, unless conditions
| materially change, the necessity will
| increase.
This great republic has moved most
swiftly, and especially pronounced has
it's progress been during the past
! score of years with the extension OF
! our territory. the extension Of our bus-
mess affairs, and vast accommodations
/ of wealth; and with all of this ad-
]
proportionately increased. We are
! getting in one sense to be an old ma
/ ton. an old settled country We have
a great cosmopolitan city Of about four
and a half million Inhabitants; a
/ Pittsburg rivalng in manufacture
! England's boosted Birmingham. and a
| Chicago that annually sends out food O.
stuffs enough to feed almost half Of
! the world.
We are the greatest producers and
at the same time the greatest con-
sumers. Most of us live beyond our
means, and the foolish ambition Of the
| poor seems to be to enjoy the Injuries
that are Haunted in their faces by the
proligate rich.
/ Corresponding to an Increase in wealth
and growth there is an increase in COM
/ petition. In all of this resistless rush of
/ commerce and restless activity i'm bust
/ ness affairs men have gradually lost
I time to be sociablc lost time TO be
charitable. The busy man who moves
along tho Broadways and Wall Streets
/ of our great cities with his eyes bont
on the walk has not oven time to shake
hands or bid the ccurteeios Of the dav
The result OF II all IS that We are be-
coming human mach'n ana the element
OF human interest in the welfare of
others Is becoming more ana moro faint
In other words, we are becoming cold
and frozen, Organized capital. organized
society is becoming destructive. We must
| destroy that we may live Thai would
seem to be the great law as it is read to-
day, and donlorahle as this condition is
/ 1t would seem as we were fast approach
Ing It in this great American republic.
The thrifty man starting ont Tn life
wonders why men h. Well knows pass
him on the street almost unnoticed but
| as his business gr Tvs. and his re-
| sponslbiltes increaso he finds himself
| doing exactly the same thing Must this
condition continue to grow and weight
| down upon us with increasing leverage
! Is the burning question of to-day.
| We believe that our order teaches one
way at least TO relieve this strain and
tendency toward stolid Indifference to
establish confidence in human nature and
crush out the crueltes Of competition
and hard business ways, to bring about
n better understanding and closer com
muniCation between men. to take away
criticisms and punshments unjustly
placed and to make the real motives Of
mankind better understood.
Man Is social by nature. He must have
a valve for It's freedom; he must have
some opportunity, some tim-. somewhere
to exercise this inherent instinct. The
God of heaven created that force in his
nature and it must have a vent.
The ideal Of t,Ikdom is that men
should draw nearer in friendship afTec-
interchanre Of hearts and thoughts see
more clearly the usefulness and virtues
of each other and thus be enabled to
dismiss envy from their bosoms and give
place to generous admiration. To stretch
out willing hands to heal, to help, to
guide. TO protect. to save. In short to
discharge their obligations and perform
their duties in manner to earn the APP
probation of conscience and leave
memories soft and dim and sacred be-
yond the painters art to copy. but hung
up as in an ancient gallery for the visits
and contemplation Of maturer years.
mellowed perhaps, and graced by the
tas' cCul hand OF time
The ideal OF Elkdom teaches not to be
Indifferent to neighborng mankind all
their lives and when they die send flow
tIs 10 tHc mousse OF mourning ana expect
them to perform the duty We have for
years neglected. but to let our deeds OF
Kindness and words of encoura cement go
out to the living, to cheer some forlorn
spirit and solace some broken heart and
to let our flowers embellish the cham
Der OF the invalid racked with pain, so
that, by their beauty and fragrance, the
cheer and gratitude which they silently
testify can be appreciated and cherished
1t teaches when we know person
merits praise by reason of the perform
ance Of good deeds to tell him OF It. for
that may be the only earthly compensa-
ton he will receive, and if we find those
whose pathway is strewn with thorns try
to assist them over the hard places and
smooth them out for them while they are
vet In the struggle. In brief, to let a
more liberal charity, a more earnest sym
pathy for the living take the place OF
post-mortem flowers and tears.
But some have said of us: Your ideals
are magnificent your teaching is almost
n religion In itself but in practice you
are lot of merry-makers and laughter
and song is almost a badge of Elkdom.
I agree with this criticism in a measure.
The truly fraternal Elk is an apostle of
sunshine. a disciple OF human happiness.
He does not belong to the class who can
not laugh and frown upon all who do,
and I have yet to believe that the SOM
bre frownng face always covers up the
purest soul or that God feels best when