The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-06-16
PRESS COMMENT
A Jlblna PhIlosephsr.

Our dear old friend Ia. Howe. wise
philosopher that he u. takes many
thrust a. the foibles Of the day Many
/ times be hits the nail sqnarely and
fairly upon the head. but there are
times when hls blow Elancea or and
nothing comes ~ Il except tho dust
Perhaps being philosopher Is
+ hard Job and compeia the philosopher
90 miss many of the real helpful
things ~ life and many o. its joys
lie must always stand AZ the pinnacle
OF things and never be able To descend
10 the ordinary paths that us common
f people appreciate and from which we
obtain help 20 tide us over the rough
} places.
Friend Howe likes 70 3lbs a. the
things that men 30 thar he cannot en-
tireiy understand and tire following
taken from recent number ~ his
Monthly Magazine. 80 a specimen ~
his work and an illustration az his at
titude toward some ~ the things NAT
are going on about him.
have not. IN several years. seen
man on the streets wearing q
tin sword. The Knight idea. as
oxemplfned IN cheap lodges. has
finally beer laughed ont ~ exist
ence. apparently. But lately I mo-
ticc with regret that the Maaona.
formerly 80 respectable and con-
serVatlve. are submitting 20 a good
deal from the "Shrlners." said 20
~ Masonic. The other day ! saw
q iot ~ men on the streets dressed
IN purple patamas. The men came
from other towns. remained sew
erai days. and apparently did not
hiring any other clothes with them
Purple pafamaR n seems 20 sne
when worn on the streets. Ga rea-
tauranfs. hotels etc ere a. OBJ
jectahie as TN Hwnrda Have tho
conservative Masons also lost their
heads and taken up an old alb
suriity ns New Thought
What the philosopher does rot un-
dersiand Is Ihat the so-cated "tin
sword" and the Knight idea may
stand for something 81 tho lives 81
very many really good and quite wise
men IL Is not the tin sword nor is
It the posing - a knight that attracts
and holds the millions 81 men 81 this
country who heiang 20 the rany Sc
cret fratcrnifieH whose Uniform does
not please the Potato Hln Philosopher.
These are but symbols ~ the truths
taught by the fraferuitles and form q
very fnconsiderabie part ~ their
thought
The real iaea underlying II All isl
TIE opportunity - doing service -
being associated with good men. -
carrying out iu The daily life tho ics-
sons taught IN AT these organizations. /
And as long as men ara interested
IN the unde wins principles. a. lone
~ they obtain something really en-
loyable and helpful from their assoc !
cations and a. long as these asaocia-
lions al teach the great elemental
lessons ~ charity. patriotism brother
n love ana faith. the TN swords and
the knight idea. however grotesgue
they may appear 20 the outsider. 4
should not cloud the fact that these
great organizations are doing a VERY
real work IN the world
While purple patamas may not BE
particularly eievatlng yet The men 4
who occasionally. in a spirit - fun 4
and good fellowship. wear them ~
public. have gone through q long se
ries q lessons dlgnined and full ~
truth and have arrived az \ place
where they can stop and play, once ~ I
4 while
And there Is where the otherwise
well informed philosopher makes his
mistake lie takes the occasional fun
the extravag CANT costume as Represent
ing the real meaning o. the instltu-
tlon 70 which these men belong. and
he jibes accordingly Miami Herald