The Builder Magazine

December 1921 - Volume VII - Number 12

 

Memorials to Great Men Who Were Masons

SAM HOUSTON

BY BRO. GEO. W. BAIRD, P.G.M., DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

HOUSTON'S biographers have recorded him as a soldier, and he has gone down into history as such, but his greatest efforts were not made while in the Army. Nature endowed Sam Houston with a will, and with the courage oh his convictions. He was great in Congress; great in a Cherokee camp; and great in the organization of his State and of the Grand Lodge.

 

Born in Lexington, Va., in 1793; son of an officer in the Revolutionary Army; an orphan in 1807. His mother with her nine children migrated to East Tennessee, near the Cherokee reservation. Sam attended school and must have been an apt scholar as he was reported as reading and translating from the Iliad at an early age. He was so popular with the Indians that the Chief, Oolooteka, adopted him as a son. At the age of eighteen he measured six feet in height: was a famous hunter: taught school: and in 1813 enlisted in the Army, to repel the British: was promoted to an Ensign: fought under Jackson, and in the battle of the Great Bend of the Tallapoosa, against the Indians, was wounded on March 24, 1814, and promoted to a lieutenancy, and stationed at Knoxville and at New Orleans. In 1817 he was appointed Indian Agent, to carry out the treaty with the Cherokees. He conducted a delegation of Indians to Washington, where they were well received and where their complaints were satisfied.

 

Complaints were made against Houston for his opposition to the smuggling of African slaves through the Spanish Territory of Florida into the United States, which caused him trouble to defend, but he was honorably acquitted. He felt, however, that he had not been treated fairly, and resigned from the Army. He then took up his residence in Nashville, studied law, was graduated; admitted to the Bar; then appointed adjutant general of the State, and, in 1819, was elected District Attorney.

 

In 1823 he was elected to Congress where he served six years, and was then elected Governor of Tennessee. He afterwards took up his residence in Arkansas where the Cherokee Tribe of Indians (his old friends) were located, and as his old friend Oolooteka had become the principal Chief, Houston was given a hearty welcome. He loved out-of-door life.

 

In 1832 he went to Washington to remonstrate against the frauds and outrages practiced on the Indians, which resulted in the removal of five Indian Agents from office. But this involved him in a series of personal and legal contests with the deposed Agents and their friends. He was accused in the House of Representatives, by an Ohio member, of attempting to obtain a discreditable government contract for Indian rations. It was then, as now, the privilege of a Congressman to say, in debate, what he chose, and for which he was immune before the law. But it did not work in this case, as Sam damaged that member's face with his fists, for which he was heavily fined by the court, but the fine was afterwards remitted. It was followed, however, by an investigation of the alleged frauds, with the damaged member as chairman of the Committee, and, as nothing derogatory was discovered, Houston was exonerated.

 

Houston went to Texas to live in 1832, at a time a revolution against the Mexican Government was being agitated. He at once became a central figure; took an active and honorable part in that war, reaching the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Texan Army. It was Houston's treaty with Santa Anna that secured the independence of the Republic of Texas. He exercised a close scrutiny over the finances, and paid off much of the debt of Texas, by 1845, when Texas lowered its lone star colors to become one of the United States.

 

From the History of Holland Lodge No. 1, of Texas, I make the following excerpts:

 

"Sam Houston. His Masonic degrees were taken in Cumberland Lodge No. 8, at Nashville, Tenn., in 1817. Dimitting from that lodge he affiliated with Holland Lodge No. 1 (originally No. 36, Louisiana) at Houston, Texas, in 1837.... He presided over the convention when the Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M., of the Republic of Texas was organized, Dec. 20, 1837, at Houston."

 

Brother Houston died at Huntsville in 1863, where the beautiful memorial, shown in the frontispiece, marks his grave.

 

That famous old Holland Lodge has borne on its roster some of the grandest names of the Republic. In its early, struggling days, these names are evidence that they were selected because they were great men, and not because it was their turn, as now so often happens all over the country. The lodge was originally chartered by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana. It was No. 1 at the formation of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas, and it passed, loyally and without dissent, to the Grand Lodge of the State of Texas, when that great State become one of the United States.

 

Its first Grand Master was Anson Jones, who figured so unselfishly, so wisely and so energetically in the early history of the Republic as well of the Lone Star State. Following down its roster we find such distinguished men among the Grand Masters and such grand work they did for the commonwealth, that there is no shadow of doubt that Texas owes much to Freemasonry.

 

ROMAN CATHOLICISM AND FREEMASONRY

 

BY BRO. DUDLEY WRIGHT ENGLAND

 

PART VIII - CONCLUSION

 

IMMEDIATELY on the publication of the allocution the following circular was addressed by the Heidelberg lodge, Rupprecht zu den funf Rosen, to its sister lodges:

 

"Venerable and beloved Brethren,--

 

Doubtless you have all taken cognizance of the allocution addressed on the 25th September by His Holiness Pope Pius IX to the Cardinals assembled in Rome.  You know that in this address our Institution is condemned and our Catholic Brethren threatened with the excommunication of the Church.  This is not the first time that the Roman Catholic pontiff has launched his thunderbolts against our ancient Order.  Clement XII did so on the 28th April, 1738, and Benedict XIV confirmed and amplified the fiat of his predecessors in the Bull of 18th March, 1517.  Pius VII and Leo XII have done likewise and with the same want of success as deplored by the present Pope.

 

"These decrees of the see of Rome have no similarity with the findings of the courts of law.  They originate in secret denigrations of which no notice is given to the accused.  There is no public prosecution and no opportunity afforded for defence, either public or private.  All guarantees for impartial jurisdiction and an unbiased judgment are wanting.  Suspicion stands for evidence, the guilt of the accused rests on conjecture, he is convicted without a hearing. Is it a matter of wonder then if public opinion has no confidence in such decrees and strongly deprecates them?

 

"The Masonic brotherhood is an association of freemen, subject to the laws of the State in which they are located, but not to any clerical authority, it being no clerical institution and adhering to no church as such.  For our federation the papal excommunication is therefore devoid of all binding power; but since the head of the Catholic Church condemns us unheard, we will in our turn, hear and examine the motives on which he grounds his opinion.

 

"The first and paramount reason put forward by all popes in justification of their edicts of condemnation is the reproach urged against us that Freemasonry unites as brethren men of divers persuasions and religious sects and that by this, as Benedict XIV has it, 'the purity of the Catholic religion is contaminated.'

 

"The first and main grave charge of all brethren, let us avow it, is true and well-founded.  If it be a crime for men of diverse creeds to assemble in peace and harmony, and hold friendly and affectionate communications, irrespective of their religious persuasions, we own and plead guilty to this crime.  It is certainly true that our Institution has, from its very beginning, and as it has progressed with increasing determination, professed that there are in all creeds to be found good and honourable men, well adapted to respect and love each other as brethren.  In all times Freemasonry considered as a crime and violation of humanity the persecution of man on account of his religious dissension; indeed, every good and true Mason appreciates much more the man who acts up to his moral duty than he who merely professes the most orthodox tenets. But, these doctrines which, for a long time had to be kept secret and harboured in the lodges alone, have become patent, and, in spite of all admonitions of clerical zealots, they are by this time adopted and adhered to by men of education all over the globe, and embodied in the laws of all civilized nations.  Should Masonry be condemned on such grounds, the whole civilized world and all cultivated peoples must needs participate in this condemnation.

 

"Thank God, a papal thunderbolt issuing from such foundation will produce no destructive effects but it will serve to disclose the nocturnal darkness of intolerance that has procreated it - it will show the world how very backward Rome is in the moral progress of mankind.

 

"The second head on which the Bull of Benedict XIV is based is the mystery on which our confederation is encircled; indeed, the mystery to which we pledge ourselves has at all times evoked much suspicion, and been a pretext for misinterpretation.  But you know how many gross misunderstandings it has given rise to, unfortunately not outside the circle of our Brotherhood only.  Still neither the doctrines nor the objects of the Craft are occult, neither its existence - nor are its adherents or their places of meeting unknown now-a-days; the signs of recognition alone must remain secret, that the brethren may the more readily distinguish each other abroad, and the internal labours of the lodge must be private that personal confidence may develop itself more fully, and opinions may be uttered more freely.  The calm and personal action of the Confederation and the character and moral life of its members, necessitates this precaution.  But is it other-wise in the Catholic Church? Is confession public or private? Are the doors of religious and monastic orders and authorities thrown open to the public during their proceedings? Has not every family, every circle of intimate friends, every social club and association secrets of its own? Perhaps, brethren, our lodges are somewhat too strict in this respect, in an age that is very partial to publicity.  But surely, such timid solicitude can never be branded as a crime that bears within itself its condemnation.

 

"The old Masonic oath, with its commination full of grave penalties, was Benedict XIV's third motive for the excommunication of Freemasons, and in this also Pius IX joins his intolerant predecessor. You are aware, brethren, that this formula has been obsolete for a long time past, and is communicated to novices merely as a historical fact belonging to a period that no longer exists.  You know that we trust more in the plain word of an honest man than in exaggerated oaths, that are liable to hit up imagination and cool down reason.  The third count, therefore, which was never very material, has but an illusory existence with us at the present day.

 

"As a fourth motive, Benedict XIV quotes the Roman law, by which all associations and corporations are declared illegal which have not obtained the previous acquiesence of the civil authority. But this has nothing to do with the right of the Church.  Most civilized governments that are alone called upon to decide in this matter have tolerated and opposed no restrictions on the existence of our Order, before they ever recognized general liberty of association, which is not impugned by the Roman code of laws.

 

"The fifth motive alleged, viz., the fact of several governments having prohibited the Order, will collapse by itself.  Whenever prohibitions of Freemasonry are decreed (and this is done but exceptionally) it is the duty of the lodges to dissolve forthwith, and prove thereby their obedience to the law of the land.

 

"Benedict XIV alleged as his last motive that many wise and honest men entertain an unfavourable opinion of this Federation.  Forsooth, the Pope of Rome should be the last person in the world to base a condemnation on such a ground.  No doubt, there is many a wise and honest man who entertains an unfavourable opinion of religious orders and monasteries, nay, of the whole Roman hierarchy.

 

"Of all the counts of the charge quoted, the first alone is true and material; but the same grounds upon which the Pope curses us constitutes our highest glory in the eyes of the civilized world.

 

"Now, referring to the latest papal ebullition, Pius IX complains of the inactivity of the Bishops who, he thinks, have proved forbearing and meek in carrying out the papal excommunication, and of the Catholic sovereigns who refrained from suppressing the Association by force; nay, he even accused heaven of having permitted such toleration on the part of the temporal rulers.  His strictures on Freemasonry are far more poignant than those of his predecessors.  It is true the Roman hierarchs have at no time been at a loss for expressions of violent abuse; but the present edict of Pius IX surpasses all former maledictions by the passionate irruptions of bile it denotes.  This we must consider as a further proof of the baneful influence our worst and most uncompromising enemies, the Jesuits, have acquired over the mind and judgment of one whom we believe to be a good-natured Pope.

 

"Our Federation he calls a criminal sect, although no other 'crime' but human toleration is proved against us, and an immoral sect, though the moral law is essentially the vital principle of Freemasonry.  The kindling of revolutions and desolating wars he lays at our door, though every one is fully aware that the commotions and wars in this quarter of the globe originated in forces far different from, and more powerful than, those we commend, and though it is well known that our Association asks of every one of its adherents strict obedience to the laws of the State, that, by virtue of our Constitutions, lodges must abstain from all and every participation in the political struggles of the time, and pursue none but humane and moral objects; that our places of meeting are abodes of peace and neutral ground, the threshold of which the passions of parties are not allowed to cross.  The Pope next charges us with entertaining 'growing hatred' towards the Christian religion, although we accept on principle every sincere faith, and the vast majority of brethren profess the religion of Christ, and the moral idea revealed to the world by Christ in His life, as well as in His teachings, cannot possibly be upheld by a moral association but with admiration and veneration.  He goes so far as to call us hostile to God, though our prayers are addressed to God, and the whole of our moral strength drawn from the divine and eternal source of human life.

 

"Let us not follow, brethren, the example of the Roman hierarchy.  Let us not return the unjust accusation.  We may not oppose our malediction to the course of the Church.  Let us pity the sad blindness of the venerable old man whose mind is imposed upon and misled.  Let us pray Almighty and Omniscient God to destroy the phantom that has caused the fury of the Pope, and allow his mind to see simple truth, that his curse may be turned into a blessing."

 

In the course of an article dealing with the allocution and the letter just quoted, the "Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" said:

 

"The Pope has delivered himself of another rude phillipica against Freemasonry, that 'reprobate society' and 'criminal sect' that 'aims at nothing but reversion of religion and human society.' It is evidently useless to reason with Rome, which remains eternally the same, and we only wish to remind the Pope that to this 'reprobate society' and 'criminal sect' belong, amongst others, several powerful potentates, as, for example, the King of Prussia.  At a time when the last remains of the power of the Pope draw nearer and nearer their final elimination, every friend of intellectual liberty and human progress may hail with delight the allocution that is calculated to accelerate and even secure such 'reversion.'"

 

At this time also Herr Franz Spiegelthal, Master of the Lodge Zu festen Berg an der Saale of Cable, wrote to the "Freimauerer Zeitung" that the allocution of the Pope had caused him to secede from Roman Catholicism and join the Protestant Church; and, he added, that many of his Catholic friends were likely to follow his example.

 

In 1869 Cardinal Cullen threatened to excommunicate publicly any Catholics who were found attending a Masonic Ball, and the Earl of Derby, the representative of a family honoured for generations among Freemasons, speaking in the House of Lords in the debate on the Irish Church Bill, referring to this threat remarked: "I can only say if his Excellency imagines that the Freemasons of England stand on the same footing with the Carbonari and other secret societies, if he imagines that they are leagued against the throne, that it is a signal proof of the ignorance of infallibility."

 

On 14th March, 1870, at Madrid, some Roman Catholic priests refused to perform the last sacred rites over the body of Don Enrique de Bourbon because of the presence of certain Masonic emblems on the coffin.  On perceiving these the clergy, with one exception, withdrew, taking with them the paraphernalia of their religion. The one remaining priest consented to accompany the body to the cemetery where he performed the funeral ceremony.

 

In 1871 a pamphlet was published by L'Abbe Joseph de Sousa Amado, entitled Documents et Reflexions, in which he stated that three or four Freemasons had been appointed to bishoprics.  One of these, he said, was Dr. Joseph Marie da Silva Torre, Archbishop of Goa, who had been initiated in the Lodge Urbionia de Coimbra.  The author also complained that it was the government's intention to present to the Holy See the names of two well-known Freemasons for consecration to the episcopacy, these being L'Abbe Emmanuel Cardoso Napoles and Dr. Antoine Aires de Gouveia.

 

In 1873 the Jesuits, driven from most of the European countries, selected Brazil as a field for their enterprise.  For a long time the Church and Freemasons had lived in peace, and the population of Pernambuco had always been recognized as a type of Christian piety.  But the Bishop of the diocese, a young man of only twenty-three years of age, at the bidding of the Jesuits, attempted to enforce the Papal Bull against the Freemasons.  The prelate had counted on the support of the people, but his high-handed measures turned the tide of popular feeling.  The Bishop was mobbed in his own palace, and the military had to be called in to protect him.

 

In January, 1874, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Molines, Primate of Belgium, issued a pastoral in which he excommunicated all Freemasons in the kingdom, however exalted their position.  This, notwithstanding the fact that the Constitution of Belgium guarantees freedom of conscience to all religious communities so long as they do not violate the law of the State.

 

In the same month, says the Valparaiso Mail, quoting from the Opinion Nacionale of Rosario, "the Bishop of Rio Grande excommunicated and anathematized the Freemasons of that province, cursing them in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, of St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Andrew, of all the Apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ, of the four Evangelists, of all the Martyrs from the beginning of the world to the end of time.  He cursed them all by the heavens and the earth, all the things therein, in their houses, when travelling on land and on water, in church, coming, going, eating, drinking, playing, when courting sleep, asleep and awake, walking, riding, sitting, working, and resting.  He cursed all the power of their bodies, interior and exterior, their hair, eyes, head, ears, jaws, nose, teeth, throat, shoulders, arms, legs, feet, all the joints, and finally wound up as follows: 'Curse them, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, with all the power of Thy majesty, and may they be delivered up to eternal condemnation if they do not repent and confess their faults.  Amen.  Amen."'

 

In May, 1875, Pope Pius IX sent the following letter to Monsignor Dupanloup:

 

"Venerable Brother:- Salutation and Apostolical Benediction.  In this war waged on all sides against the Catholic Church by the Masonic sect, your publication was most useful and opportune, especially because this sect, long secret, has now unmasked itself.  It avows its designs, and in a certain country, not under the pretext of public rights, but in its own name, does guilty battle with the Church.  It is useful, because the nefarious character of the sect being known, there is no honest man who must not turn from it with horror, and perhaps many members who do not know the secret mysteries will now withdraw.  What is particularly useful is the perspicacity with which you demonstrate to all attentive minds the real tendency of the taking words 'Fraternity and Equality,' which have deceived and seduced so many, and the true origin and object of the much boasted liberties of conscience, of public worship, and of the press.  After reading your work nobody can doubt that all this came from Freemasonry to overturn civil and religious order, and consequently the Church has wisely condemned those who practice and defend such liberties.  It is manifest that all partisans of these liberties, albeit unknown to themselves, favour the Masonic sect, and the more honest they are, the more disastrous is their support to such principles.  We therefore wish you many intelligent readers, for it is no small advantage to perceive the snare, and as a pledge of Divine favour and our special goodwill we give you, Venerable Brother, from the bottom of our heart, to you and your diocese, our Apostolical Benediction.  In the twenty-third year of our Pontificate.  Pius IX, Pope."

 

In 1877, on the occasion of the anniversary of the consecration of Pope Pius IX as Archbishop of Spoleto, the Catholics of Portugal, particularly the Michaelists, to which Order reference has been made in these columns, falling in with the practice being adopted by other countries, organized a pilgrimage to Rome.  About three hundred Portuguese joined in the excursion.  They were received at Rome, when, in response to an address presented to him, Pope Pius IX said, among other things: "You have a powerful and terrible enemy, that is violent Freemasonry, which wishes to annihilate in you all vestiges of Catholicism."

 

In 1878 Monsignor Besson, Bishop of Nismes, issued an edict forbidding the intrusion of Masonic emblems into the churches of his diocese and ordering the priests to remove them whenever found.

 

On 20th April, 1884, Pope Leo XIII issued his famous Letter Humanum Genus "To all venerable Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops in the Catholic world who have grace and communion with the Apostolic See."

 

(This Letter will be found on pages 287-293 of the 1919 bound volume of THE BUILDER, and Albert Pike's comment thereon, on pages 314-319 of the same volume.  Pike's reply to the Letter was published in the 1920 bound volume of THE BUILDER, on pages 13-19 and 35-41.)

 

The Bishop of Ascalon, Vicar-Apostolic of Bombay, in a pastoral letter promulgating the Encyclical Letter, said:

 

"In the performance of their duty the parish priests and confessors must not admit as valid or reasonable the common excuse that Freemasonry, in India and England aims at nothing but social amusement, mutual advancement, and charitable benevolence.  Such objects require neither a terrible oath of secrecy nor an elaborate system and scale of numerous degrees, nor a connection with the Masonic lodges of other countries, about whose anti-Christian, anti-social, and revolutionary character and aim no doubt nor further concealment is possible.  The Masonic lodges all over the world are firmly knitted and bound together in solidarity.  If all of them share in the pleasure of a triumph achieved by a particular lodge, or by the lodges of a particular country, all must likewise submit to the stigma of an anti-Christian, anti-social, and revolutionary sect, as which Freemasonry is in many countries already openly known, and even unblushingly confessed by its own adepts."

 

It goes without saying that the Jesuits proclaimed against "Freemasonry the same anathemas as the heads of the Roman Church, and this is demonstrated by the following circular letter signed by Vincent Ficarelli, Provincial of the Jesuits in Portugal, which was sent in 1884 to all the houses of that Society in that country:

 

"Reverend Fathers and very dear Brethren: The Peace of Christ be with you.  The Very Reverend Father Vicar-General, hastening to the appeal made by the Holy Father to all Catholics to combat secret societies has addressed to all the Society an Encyclical Letter, in which he invites all his children to take part in this glorious campaign.

 

"Indeed, says the Reverend Father Vicar, it is not sufficient to read but once that admirable Encyclical Humanum Genus, but it is necessary that it be meditated upon with attention in order firmly to impress upon the mind what is contained in the same and this, up to a certain point, is what concerns this letter.  That also is why I wish all those to whom this has reference, shall not remain content with hearing it read in the refectory, but that they shall consider it attentively and strive well to make it take a firm grip of their minds.

 

"It is a question of combatting the most terrible enemy of the Church, which boasting in the victories obtained up to the present, believes itself to be altogether the conqueror, and proclaims that nothing further can come into opposition with its dark designs.  To us, as obedient children, it should suffice to enlist courageously in the fight, knowing what is the will of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, whom Divine Providence has given to us as father, mother, and guide of our actions.  Having therefore courage, and with the cry 'God wills it' let us hasten to enlist in this glorious crusade.

 

'It is a question of agreement with the Sovereign Pontiff and all good men will attend to us.  Let all, in obedience to the voice of Leo XIII, take up arms against the common enemy.  Let not the difficulties discourage us: such do not lessen the zeal of our enemies.  Let us count on the blessing of God and go forward.

 

"We must all contribute to the success of the enterprise.  Let confessors and spiritual directors, particularly of young men, by their counsels and opportune remonstrances, endeavour to form the minds of their penitents and pupils by insinuating the principles of the Faith and of the Christian philosophy, by opposing the doctrine of naturalism professed by this abominable sect.  Let preachers and writers profit by every prudent opportunity by attacking directly or indirectly the secret societies and combatting their doctrines.  Guided always by obedience and prudence, let none lose a single opportunity of causing hatred to Freemasonry, in conversations and in private letters, in religious instructions and sermons, in the exercises of the clergy and others of the faithful, in missions and particularly in colleges, let us seek seriously to counteract its deleterious action.

 

"Let us exert ourselves to warn our pupils against the manoeuvres of Freemasonry, making them to see its abominable character, in order that they may detest it as much as it deserves.  Let us have a particular care of Confraternities, particularly those composed of men and attached to our Society, by opposing those diabolical societies and contrasting them with our own, where the Gospel maxims are inculcated unceasingly, and thus we shall introduce, or rather, engrave by degrees in the hearts of our members the mind of Jesus Christ and the love of the Christian virtues.

 

"It is for the Superiors to direct these movements, that the excessive zeal of the indiscreet may be put down and the valour of the more indolent stimulated, in order that prudence may not be relaxed nor courage reach to indiscretion and temerity.

 

"I desire that this letter in which I have sought to do my utmost to assemble the principal ideas of the Encyclical Letter of our Reverend Father Vicar-General, should come to the knowledge of all, and in order that it may produce the good which I desire let us invoke the wisdom and the grace of the Holy Spirit.

 

"I commend myself to your prayers.

 

"Lisbon, 15th July, 1884.

 

(Father) "Vincent Ficarelli, S. J."

 

In accordance with the commands of the Provincial, the Jesuits compelled their followers before entering the Congregation of the Holy Virgin to make the following declaration:

 

"Obeying with a filial love the authority of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, clearly expressed in the Encyclical Humanum Genus by His Holiness, Leo XIII, who, as well as the Sovereign Pontiffs, his predecessors, has frequently condemned Freemasonry and all other secret societies, I undertake and promise never to enrol myself in any one of these sects, no matter by what name it may be called.  On the contrary, I will valiantly combat, always and everywhere, its traditions, doctrines, and influence.  So help me God."

 

This oath, it must be remembered, was frequently taken by young children.

 

An Encyclical Letter to the Bishops of Italy, entitled Ab Apostolici was issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15th October, 1890, in which he said:

 

"It is needless now to put the Masonic sects upon their trial. They are already judged, their ends, their means, their doctrines, and their action are all known with indisputable certainty.  Possessed by the spirit of Satan, whose instrument they are, they burn, like him, with a deadly and implacable hatred of Jesus Christ and of His work; and they endeavour by every means to overthrow and fetter it: . . . It is more than ever clear that the ruling idea which, as far as religion is concerned, controls the course of public affairs in Italy, is the realization of the Masonic programme.  We see how much has already been realized; we know how much still remains to be done; and we can foresee with certainty that, so long as the destinies of Italy are in the hands of sectarian rulers or of men subject to the sects, the realization of the programme will be pressed on, more or less rapidly according to circumstances, unto its complete development.  The action of the sects is at present directed to attain the following objects, according to the votes and resolutions passed in their most important assemblies, votes and resolutions inspired throughout by a deadly hatred of the Church: (1) the abolition in the schools of every kind of religious instruction, and the founding of institutions in which even girls are to be withdrawn from all clerical influence whatever it may be; because the State, which ought to be absolutely atheistic, has the inalienable right and duty to form the heart and the spirit of its citizens, and no school should exist apart from its inspiration and control.  The rigorous application of all laws now in force, which aim at securing the absolute independence of civil society from clerical influence.  The strict observance of laws suppressing religious corporations, and the employment of means to make them effectual.  The regulations, of all ecclesiastical property, starting from the principle that its ownership belongs to the State, and its administration to the civil power.  The exclusion of every Catolic or clerical element from all public administrations, from pious works, hospitals and schools, from the councils which govern the doctrines of the country, from academical and other unions, from companies, committees, and families, the exclusion from everything, everywhere, and for ever.  Instead, the Masonic influence is to make itself felt in all the circumstances of social life and to become master and controller of everything.  Hereby the way will be smoothed towards the abolition of the Papacy; Italy will thus be free from its implacable and deadly enemy; and Rome which, in the past, was the centre of universal theocracy, will, in the future, be the centre of universal secularization, once the mocking charity of human liberty is to be proclaimed in the face of the world.  Such are the atheistic declarations, aspirations, and resolutions of Freemasons or of their assemblies.".

 

On Christmas Day, 1891, Pope Leo XIII issued another Encyclical Letter, one clause of which ran as follows:

 

"Permit us, then, in addressing you, to point to Masonry as the enemy at once of God, the Church, and our country.  Since we are dealing with a sect which has spread itself everywhere, it is not enough to be on the defensive towards it, but we must go courageously into the arena and meet it, as you will do, dear children, by opposing press to press, school to school, association to association, congress to congress, action to action."

 

The late Cardinal Vaughan was one of the most affable of men, who seldom - in contrast with other members of his family - entered the public arena of verbal conflict and discussion.  His knowledge of Freemasonry must have been extremely limited, even for one outside the Order, to imagine that the Third Order of St. Francis, admirable organization though it may be, could ever rise to the equal of the Craft of Freemasonry. But, on one occasion, the Cardinal wrote in one of his pastoral letters:

 

"Who, when he beholds the enemies of Christianity leaguing together in a world-wide Freemasonry, in order to attain by combination that which they feel they could never otherwise achieve - who will not at once admit the wisdom of founding the Third Order of St. Francis, which binds devout Christians together in every part of the world in a holy confederacy, having for its sole object the service of God and the conversation and reformation of society."

 

An ancient saying is that often-misquoted one - De mortuis nil nisi bonum - but it is a remarkable fact that when attacking a system or creed the opponents will, not infrequently, commit themselves to the most outrageous statements and still persevere in them, even when their falsity has been proved most conclusively.  This is particularly the case with Protestant critics of the Roman system. Certainly this feature is not met with so frequently among Catholic apologists, but that it is not unknown may be proved from the statement in the next paragraph.

 

Lecturing at the Hempstead Town Hall in March, 1898, the late Dr. Luke Rivington said that any one acquainted with the history of Italy achieving her unity could only blush if he had a spark of Christian feeling in him.  It was only during the last few years since we had seen the letters of Garibaldi that we had become aware of the iniquity, the disgrace, and the positive barbarism of all that matter, and of the awful disgraceful lies told by the Freemasons of Italy.  Christians must blush to think that anyone bearing the name of Christian should enter upon a course of such disgraceful meanness and shocking falsehood.  There was no nation under heaven at that moment so trodden down by oppression and tyranny as the Italian poor.  As one who, had mixed among them he knew how heavily they were taxed.  It was something too dreadful to think about, and he looked upon the matter as a blot upon our civilization.  As one who had been a Freemason, he could say that most of them believed, and he among the number, that once when Crispi was admitted to a certain degree, he began to worship the devil himself.  The whole state of Italy was something so perfectly awful that most people felt they were on the verge of a revolution.  They had succeeded in introducing secular education for a whole generation, and they had no right to speak of a nation as being in the undisputed possession of the Roman Catholic Church when, as a matter of fact, Freemasonry had got into that country. Freemasonry was a secret society which walked in darkness, and had put in its programme secular education in order to destroy religion. . . . So far as history went when the Roman Catholic Church had perfect possession of a nation, then that nation rose to the top.  That was the case with Spain.  It was the leading power of Europe.  The Freemasons had not got there then, and so long as the Roman Catholic Church had possession of a nation, so long it would find its way upwards and upwards.  Dismiss the Freemasons and bring back the Pope and they would hav the best governor in the whole of Europe.

 

The foregoing is taken from a Roman Catholic newspaper report of the lecture, published in the following week, but the outrageous statements made therein do not appear to have been brought to the notice of the Masonic press at that date.  Otherwise it is certain that a challenge would have been issued to Dr LuKe Rivington, member of the Craft of Freemasonry though he may have been at an earlier date, to have proved the statements made.  At any rate the opposing statement may, here be made in issue - that in no degree in Freemasonry recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England or in any of the Jurisdictions with which she is in communion will there be found anything approaching to the worship of the devil, nor is there single degree into which any one can be admitted and remain a member who does not acknowledge and maintain, without equivocation, his sole dependence upon that One Great, Supreme Power - God, the Almighty Creator and Preserver of Mankind.

 

Yet another Pastoral Letter, entitled Annum in gressi was issued by Pope Leo XIII, on 18th March, 1902, which may be regarded as complimentary to  Freemasonry, inasmuch as if the Craft had not mad rapid and increasing strides, there would not have been the need for these frequent diatribes.  Referring to the charges of political ambition brought against the  Church in France and Italy, the Pope said:

 

"It is then, assuredly, with a perverse intention that accusations such as these are hurled against the Church.  A pernicious and disloyal task this, in the pursuit of which the leading part is taken by a certain secret sect, which, for many years past, society has carried in its alliance, and which, like the germ of mortal disease, saps its health, its fruitfulness, its very life.  A enduring personification of revolutionary principles, it constitutes a kind of perverted society, whose object is to exercise a hidden suzerainty over recognized society, and the very reason of whose being is nothing else than to wage war against God and against his Church. It is needless to name it, for by these characteristics ever one must have recognized that we mean Freemasonry of which we spoke in express terms in our Encyclical Humanuin Genus of the 20th April, 1894, wherein we denounced its destructive tendencies, its erroneous doctrines, its wicked work.  Embracing, as it does, in it vast net almost all the nations, and allying itself with other sects which it sets in motion by means of hidden springs first attaching and then keeping its hold on its members by means of the advantages which it secures to them, binding governments to its purposes, now by promises, now by threats, this sect has succeeded in permeating all classes of society.  It forms a kind of invisible and irresponsible state within the legitimate State. Filled with the spirit of Satan, who, as the Apostle tells us, knows how, on occasion, to transform himself into an angel of light (II Cor. xi, 14) it puts prominently forward a humanitarian programme, but, in fact, it sacrifices everything to its sectarian designs.  It pretends that it has no political aim, but, in truth, it exercises a profound influence over the legislative and administrative life of states.  And, whereas, in words it professes respect for authority and even for religion, its ultimate purpose (as appears from its own constitutions) is a limitation of the sovereign power and of the priesthod, in which it professes to see enemies of liberty.

 

"Now, it becomes daily more manifest that to the instigation and active consultants of this sect must, in great measure, be ascribed the continual vexations wherewith the Church is harassed and the renewed attacks which have, quite recently, been made upon her.  For the simultaneousness of the assaults which have been delivered, the suddenness of the persecution which has broken out in these last days, like a storm in a clear sky, that is to say without any cause proportioned to the effect produced; the uniformity of the preparations carried out by means of attacks in the press, in public meetings, and in theatrical representations; the employment in every country of the same arms, namely, calumnies aid popular risings - all these unmistakably betoken an identity of purpose and a word of command which is issued from one only centre of direction.  This, indeed, is a mere episode in a preconcerted plan of campaign, which is translating itself into action on a stage that grows ever wider and wider, in order to multiply the ruinous consequences which we have heretofore enumerated.  Its very purpose is first to restrict and afterwards entirely to abolish religious education, and thereby to bring up generations of unbelievers or indifferentists; to combat, by means of the daily press, the morality of the Church; to ridicule her practices and to prevent her sacred festivals.

 

"Nothing is more natural, then, that the Catholic priesthood, whose mission is no other than that of preaching religion and administering the sacraments, should be attacked with special fury.  Having chosen the priesthood as an object to be aimed at, this sect seeks to diminish in the eyes of the people its prestige and authority.  Already, with a boldness which increases hourly and in proportion to the impunity which it believes itself to have secured, it puts a malign interpretation on all the acts of the clergy; it mistrusts them on the, slightest pretext, and harasses them with the basest charges.  And these fresh injuries are added to those under which the clergy already suffer, in spite of the tribute which it must pay to military service, a serious obstacle to the preparation of its members for the priesthood, as well as the consequence of the confiscation of the patrimony of the Church, which the faithful, out of their pious generosity, had voluntarily created."

 

In October, 1913, Pope Pius X recommended to the League of the Sacred Heart, as the intention of the members for the month, the battle against Freemasonry. A Roman Catholic newspaper announcing the fact, said:

 

"In offering to the associates of the League of the Sacred Heart, and thereby to the entire Catholic world, the battle against Freemasonry as the primal intention of their prayers and practices for October, Pope Pius X is in unison with all his predecessors from Clement XII in 1738, to Pope Leo XIII in 1890, who condemned Freemasonry as anti-Catholic, anti-Christian and immoral, and pronounced excommunication against Catholics who should enter it.

 

"This alone is proof sufficient that Masonry is to be avoided and combatted as a thing essentially evil; yet it has cunningly persuaded many that its object is merely social and fraternal, and a large number of 'outer' Masons in English-speaking countries are kept ignorant of its real designs."

 

In 1916, in the course of an address at the fourth annual meeting of the Australian Catholic Federation at Melbourne, Archbishop Mannix said:

 

"I wish that the Federation could boast in its report that it had at some point met, unmasked, and overthrown the most insidious enemy of God and country, the Freemason Brotherhood.  Catholics who know Australian life better than I can pretend to know it, assure me that the sinister influence of that body is felt at every turn - in polities, in trade, in commerce, in the professions.  From the making of a law and the shaping of a policy to the letting of a contract and the hiring of a wharf labourer, the secret grip of the brotherhood makes itself felt, and not for the common good, but for the exclusive good of the Freemasons.  Already in this young democratic country we have, apparently, this secret aristocracy fastened upon the neck of Australia, a huge tumour, feeding upon the very vitals, the blood, and the life of the country.  The Prime Minister recently used strong language about those whom he described as parasites upon the Labour Party.  He is a strong man and a man of courage.  I wish that he felt himself free enough and strong enough to deal with those that are not parasites upon any one party, but who are poisoning the public life of all parties, who are strangling honesty in commerce, and who are battening not on a party, but on the Australian nation.  If the Federation could only unmask some of the brethren it would be helping to purify Australian life.  Perhaps, for a small beginning, the Federation might make a list of the Freemasons who sit as Federal or State members.  The list should have great interest for all democratic Australians at election times.  For I have no doubt that the secret understandings among the Masonic brethren would explain much that is done behind the backs and against the will of the people."

 

This statement is quoted only as a sample of the many utterances of Catholic priests and prelates, who certainly cannot know what they are talking about. Certainly no credence need be placed in this particular utterance when the career of Archbishop Mannix is considered, along with his treasonable utterances and his lack of respect for anything that would "purify" life.

 

MASONS IN CONGRESS

 

The following list was compiled by the NEW AGE magazine from information received from Grand Secretaries of Grand Lodges, and is approximately correctCwith the exception of one or two States whose Grand Secretaries did not answer letters asking for lists of Masons in Congress from their States.

 

Should any of our readers find any errors or omissions herein we shall be glad to receive their corrections.

 

The list is published with the permission of Brother John H. Cowles, Secretary-General of the A. & A. S. R., Southern Masonic Jurisdiction.

 

Alabama - Senators Oscar W. Underwood and J. Thomas Heflin. Representatives John McDuffie, Henry B. Stegall, William B. Oliver, Lilius B. Rainey, Edward B. Almon, William B. Bankhead.

 

Arizona - Senator Ralph H. Cameron. Representative Carl Hayden.

 

Arkansas - Senators Joseph T. Robinson and Thaddeus H. Caraway. Representatives John N. Tillman, Otis Wingo, Hence M. Jacoway, Tilhan B. Parks, Wm. J. Driver.

 

California - Senators Hiram W. Johnson and Samuel M. Shortridge. Representatives John E. Raker, Charles F. Curry, Julius Kahn, Henry E. Barbour, Arthur M. Free, Walter F. Lineberger, Henry Z. Osborne, Phil D. Swing.

 

Colorado - Senator Samuel D. Nicholson. Representatives William N. Vail, Charles B. Timberlake, Edward T. Taylor.

 

Connecticut - Senator George P. McLean. Representatives E. Hart Fenn, Richard P. Freeman.

 

Delaware - Senator L. Heisler Ball. Representative Caleb R. Layton.

 

Florida - Senator Duncan U. Fletcher. Representatives Herbert J. Drane and William J. Sears.

 

Georgia - Representatives Frank Park, Charles R. Crisp, William C. Wright, James W. Wise, Gordon Lee, William C. Lankford, William W. Larsen.

 

Idaho - Senator Frank Gooding. Representative Burton L. French.

 

Illinois - Senators Medill McCormick and William B. McKinley. Representatives Elliott W. Sproul, Adolph J. Sabath, M. A. Michaelson, Fred A. Britten, Ira C. Copley, Charles E. Fuller, John C. McKenzie, William J. Graham, Edward J. King, Frank H. Funk, Joseph G. Cannon, Allen F. Moore, Guy L. Shaw, William A. Rodenberg, Edwin B. Brooks, Richard Yates, Clifford Ireland.

 

Indiana - Senators James E. Watson and Harry S. New. Representatives Oscar E. Bland, James W. Dunbar, John S. Benham, Richard N. Elliott, Fred S. Purnell, William R. Wood, Milton Kraus, Louis W. Fairfield, Andrew J. Hickey.

 

Iowa - Senators Albert B. Cummins and William S. Kenyon. Representatives W. F. Kopp, Harry E. Hull, Burton E. Sweet, Gilbert N. Haugen, James W. Good, C. William Ramseyer, Cassius C. Dowell, Horace M. Towner, William R. Green, L. J. Dickinson, William D. Boies.

 

Kansas - Senator Arthur Capper. Representatives Edward C. Little, Philip P. Campbell, Homer Hoch, J. N. Tincher, Richard E. Bird.

 

Kentucky - Representatives David H. Kincheloe, Robert Y. Thomas, Jr., Charles F. Ogden, Arthur B. Rouse, James C. Cantrill, John M. Robison.

 

Louisiana - Representatives Whitmell P. Martin, John N. Sandlin, Riley J. Wilson, James B. Aswell.

 

Maine - Senator Bert M. Fernald. Representatives Carroll L. Beedy, Wallace H. White, Jr., Ira G. Hersey.

 

Maryland - Senator Ovington E. Weller. Representatives Thomas A. Goldsborough, Albert A. Blakeney, J. Charles Linthicum, Frederick N. Zihlman.

 

Massachusetts - Representatives Allen T. Treadway, Wilfred W. Lufkin, Frederick W. Dallinger, Charles L. Underhill, George Holden Tinkham, Robert Luce, Louis A. Frothingham, William S. Greene.

 

Michigan - Senators Charles E. Townsend and Truman H. Newberry. Representatives George P. Codd, Earl C. Michener, William H. Frankhauser, John C. Ketcham, Carl E. Mapes, Patrick H. Kelley, Louis C. Cramton, James C. McLaughlin, Roy O. Woodruff, Frank D. Scott, W. Frank James.

 

Minnesota - Senator Frank B. Kellogg. Representatives Sydney Anderson, Frank Clague, Charles R. Davis, Oscar E. Keller, Walter H. Newton, Harold Knutson, Oscar J. Larson, Halvor Steenerson, Thomas D. Schall.

 

Mississippi - Senators John Sharp Williams and Pat Harrison. Representatives John E. Rankin, B. G. Lowrey, Benjamin G. Humphreys, Thomas U. Sisson, Ross A. Collins, Paul B. Johnson, James W. Collier.

 

Missouri - Martin E. Rhoades.

 

Montana - Senator Henry L. Myers.

 

Nebraska - Senator George W. Norris. Representatives C. Frank Reavis, Albert W. Jefferis, Robert E. Evans, Melvin O. McLaughlin, William E. Andrews, Moses P. Kinkaid.

 

Nevada - Senators Key Pittman and Tasker L. Oddie. Repesentative Samuel S. Arent.

 

New Hampshire - Senator Henry W. Keyes. Representatives Sherman E. Burroughs, Edwin H. Wason.

 

New Jersey - Senators Joseph S. Frelinghuysen and Walter E. Edge. Representatives Francis F. Patterson, Jr., Isaac Bachrach, T. Frank Appleby, Elijah C. Hutchinson, Randolph Perkins, Amos H. Radcliffe, Herbert W. Taylor, Frederick R. Lehlbach, Archibald E. Olpp.

 

New Mexico - Senators Jones and Bursum.

 

New York - Senator William M. Calder. Representatives Frederick C. Hicks, John Kissel, Warren I. Lee, Nathan D. Perlman, lsaac Siegel, Albert B. Rossdale, James W. Husted, Hamilton Fish, Jr., Charles B. Ward, Peter G. Ten Eyck, James S. Parker, Frank Crowther, Bertrand H. Snell, Homer P. Snyder, Walter W. Magee, Norman J. Gould, Archie D. Sanders, S. Wallace Dempsey, Clarence MacGregor, Daniel A. Reed.

 

North Carolina - Senator Frank M. Simmons. Representatives Hallet S. Ward, Claude Kitchin, Samuel M. Brinson, Edward W. Pou, Charles M. Stedman, Homer L. Lyon, William C. Hemmer, Robert L. Doughton, Zebulon Weaver.

 

North Dakota - Senator Porter J. McCumber. Representatives Olga B. Burtness, George M. Young, James S. Sinclair.

 

Ohio - Representatives A. E. B. Stephens, Roy G. Fitzgerald, John L. Cable, Charles J. Thompson, Charles C. Kearns, Simeon D. Fess, William E. Chalmers, Israel M. Foster, John C. Speaks, James T. Begg, Joseph H. Himes, W. M. Morgan, Frank Murphy, Miner G. Norton, Harry C. Gahn, Theodore E. Burton.

 

Oklahoma - Senators Robert L. Owen and J. W. Harreld. Representatives Thomas A. Chandler, Charles D. Carter, J. C. Pringer, L. M. Gensman, James V. McClintic.

 

Oregon - Senators Charles L. McNary and Robert N. Stansfield. Representatives Willis C. Hawley, Clifton N. McArthur.

 

Pennsylvania - Senators Boies Penrose and Philander C. Knox. Representatives William S. Vare, George S. Graham, Harry C. Ransley, George W. Edmonds, George P. Darrow, Henry W. Watson, Charles R. Connell, Clarence D. Coughlin, Louis T. McFadden, Edgar R. Kiess, I. Clinton Kline, Edward S. Brooks, Evan J. Jones, Adam M. Wyant, Samuel A. Kendall, Milton W. Shreve, Nathan L. Strong, Harris J. Bixler, Stephen G. Porter, Guy E. Campbell, William J. Burke, Anderson H. Walters.

 

Rhode Island - Representative Clark Burdick.

 

South Carolina - Senator Nathaniel B. Dial. Representatives W. Turner Logan, James F. Byrnes, Fred H. Dominick, John J. McSwain, Philip H. Stoll, Hampton P. Fulmer.

 

South Dakota - Senators Thomas Sterling and Peter Norbeck. Representatives Charles A. Christopherson, Royal C. Johnson, William Williamson.

 

Tennessee - Senator John K. Shields. Representatives B. Carroll Reece, J. Will Taylor, Edwin L. Davis, Joseph W. Byrns, Lon A. Scott, Finis J. Garrett, Hubert F. Fisher.

 

Texas - Senators Charles A. Culberson and Morris Sheppard. Representatives Eugene Black, John C. Box, Morgan G. Sanders, Joseph J. Mansfield, James P. Buchanan, Tom Connally, Fritz G. Lanham, Lucian W. Parrish, Thomas L. Blanton, Marvin Jones.

 

Utah - Representative E. O. Leatherwood.

 

Vermont - Senator Carroll S. Page. Representative Frank L. Greene.

 

Virginia - Senators Claude A. Swanson and Carter Glass. Representatives J. T. Deal, Andrew J. Montague, Rorer A. James, R. Walton Moore, Henry D. Flood, James P. Woods.

 

Washington - Senator Miles Poindexter. Representatives John F. Miller, Lindley H. Hadley, John W. Summers, J. Stanley Webster.

 

West Virginia - Senator Howard Sutherland. Representatives George M. Bowers, Stuart F. Reed, Wells Goodykoontz, Leonard S. Echols.

 

Wisconsin - Senators Robert M. La Follette and Irvine L. Lenroot. Representatives Florian Lampert, Edward E. Browne, David G. Classon, James A. Frear, Adolphus P. Nelson.

 

Wyoming - Senators Francis E. Warren and John B. Kendrick. Representative Frank W. Mondell.

 

----o----

 

A NEW INTERNATIONAL MASONIC CLUB

 

High Twelve international, a new and comprehensive institution in Masonry, was created by a special committee of the Sioux City High Twelve club, the only organization of its kind in the United States, at a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce.

 

High Twelve became a Masonic institution about a year ago in Sioux City, Iowa, through the efforts of E. C. Wolcott, general secretary of the Y.M.C.A. The purpose of the club is to give the same opportunity to the younger Masons afforded by similar luncheon clubs of the city. Aims of business organizations were combined with the ideals of Masonry when High Twelve was created, according to William M. Morheiser, secretary of the Sioux City club.

 

The committee elected Mr. Wolcott, who is a member of the Sioux City High Twelve club, president of the international organization. Mr. Morheiser was selected as secretary. The office of treasurer in the international was given to A. E. Rugg. Vice presidents elected by the committee include Carl T. Prime, president of the local club, and S. Earl Gilliland, C. T. McClintock, Edwin Fitzpatrick, Ray Larson, Fred R. Struble and Rex Hatfield.

 

Local High Twelve clubs, by virtue of the inception of the international today, will be organized immediately in cities throughout the country having a population of 25,000 or more. It is likely the clubs will be started on a small scale and developed with the aid of the Masonic influence, according to Mr. Morheiser. The local club was formed by twenty-four enthusiasts, growing within the year to a membership of 115.

 

"The creation of the international organization here will be a great advertisement to Sioux City, as High Twelve will bring to the attention of Masons throughout the country the birthplace of the organization," Mr. Morheiser declared. "Headquarters of the international will be maintained here and all officers of the club for this year will be Sioux City men. The step taken today is an indication that High Twelve is rapidly assuming the same position as Rotary and Kiwanis, both of which have influential international organizations.

 

"High Twelve has only begun its activities in a large way, making remarkable progress since its organization a year ago. It will be only a question of time when it will become one of the most potent influences in Masonry. With this end in view every effort will be made to make the club a success."

 

Mr. Morheiser outlined the ideals and requisitions of the new organization at the meeting.

 

"The purpose of the international shall be to unite all members of Masonry in the happy bonds of a social hour and program," he said, "that thereby they may inform themselves in the truths of Masonry, to inspire, encourage and expand those virtues which will aid in the upholding of the principles of good government, in the advancement of education and in the upbuilding of its members in honorable and successful living.

 

"The membership of the international shall be limited to cities of 25,000 and upward population and shall be for those groups of business, professional and industrial men organized in local High Twelve clubs.

 

"The number of charter members required for the organization of the local High Twelve clubs shall be determined by the international and shall be based on various factors of the particular city where the club is to be organized.

 

"Membership in the locals shall consist only of those men who have had three or more degrees of Masonry and are in good standing at the time application is made. While the club is not a Masonic club inherently, yet it is composed of men who are bound together by the ties of Masonry.

 

"Officers of the international shall be a president, five vice presidents, secretary, treasurer and five trustees, and, as the organization develops, the appointment of district governors over certain areas of the country will be made. These officers shall constitute the governing board of the organization.

 

"The first annual meeting of the international shall be held on the second Wednesday in July, 1922, at a place designated by the governing board, and all subsequent meetings shall be determined by a majority action of the convention assembled at the annual meeting. The Headquarters of the club shall be in Sioux City until such time as the governing board shall decree otherwise."

 

----o----

 

Hats off !

Along the street there comes

A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums,

A flash of color beneath the sky;

Hats off !

The flag is passing byl

 

Blue and crimson and white it shines

Over the steel-tipped, ordered lines.

Hats off!

The colors before us fly;

But more than the flag is passing by.

 

Sea-fights and land-fights, grim and great,

Fought to make and to save the State;

Weary marches and sinking ships;

Cheers of victory on dying lips;

 

Days of plenty and years of peace;

March of a strong land's swift increase,

Equal justice, right and law,

Stately honor and reverend awe,

 

Sign of a nation great and strong

To ward her people from foreign wrong:

Pride and glory and honor - all

Live in the colors to stand or fall.

 

Hats off!

Along the street there comes

A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums;

And loyal hearts are beating high;

Hats off!

The flag is passing by!

 

- Henry Holcomb Bennett.

 

----o----

 

"I hold it as a changeless law,

From which no soul can sway or swerve,

We have that in us which will draw,

Whate'er we need or most deserve."

 

- Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

 

MONITORIAL SYMBOLISM OF THE THIRD DEGREE AND ITS APPLICATION TO EVERY DAY LIFE

 

BY BRO. GEORGE DERN, P.G.M. UTAH

 

George Henry Dern was born in Dodge County, Nebraska, September 8th, 1872, being the second child of John and Elizabeth Dern, pioneer settlers of Nebraska, and more recently prominent citizens of Utah.

 

He received his education in the Hooper public schools, the Fremont Normal College and the University of Nebraska.  At various intervals during his school life he had experience in the grain and lumber business, banking, and in the County Treasurer's office.

 

At the University he ranked high as a student and was prominent in athletics, being captain of the football team in 1894.  In December of that year, however, he left college to go to Utah and engage in business.  Arriving in Salt Lake City he entered the employ of the Mercur Gold Mining and Milling Company as bookkeeper, and subsequently became the treasurer of the concern.  He became General Manager of the Consolidated Mercur Gold Mines Company in 1902 until these mines were worked out, in 1913, since which time he has been engaged in other metal mining enterprises.

 

Brother Dern has been active in literary and public affairs.  He served the town of Mercur as a member of its school board; and until several years ago was a member of the Board of Governors of the Commercial Club of Salt Lake City.  He has been a member of the Utah State Senate for the past seven years, and is also one of the inventors of the Holt-Dern ore roasting furnaces.  He holds membership in the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers.

 

On June 7th, 1899, Brother Dern was married to Miss Lotta Brown of Fremont, Nebraska. They have five children: Mary Joanna, aged 20, a senior at Vassar College; John, aged 18, a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania; William Brown, aged 14; Elizabeth Ida aged 7 and James George, aged 5.

 

He was initiated in Wasatch Lodge No. 1, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 16th, 1897; passed April 23rd, 1897, and raised May 7th, 1897.  He served as Master of his lodge in 1902.  While at Mercur, although retaining his membership in his mother lodge, he was the main cause of Rocky Mountain Lodge No. 11 becoming one of the best in the jurisdiction, and in recognition of his services, was made an honourary member, a distinction very seldom conferred in Utah.

 

Brother Dern has been Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Texas near the Grand Lodge of Utah since December 23rd, 1904.  He received the Capitular degrees in Utah Chapter No. 1, February 2nd, 1898; was created a Knight Templar in Utah Commandery No. 1, March 22nd, 1898, and received the 32nd degree of the Scottish Rite in Utah Consistory No. 1, November 17th, 1904.  In the Grand Lodge of Utah he was Grand Lecturer in 1910, and during the year 1911, while Senior Grand Warden, he also discharged the duties of Grand Lecturer.  In a jurisdiction where any kind of ritual is forbidden, his proficiency, his attention to details, his accurate memory and a happy faculty of instruction were great factors in raising the esoteric work to its present standard.

 

He was elected Senior Grand Warden, January 18th, 1911; Deputy Grand Master, January 17th, 1912, and Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Utah January 22nd, 1913.

 

IN OUR PROGRESS through the three degrees we have all been told that Masonry is "a moral and progressive science." However accurate this statement may be, it is hardly a satisfying, practical definition, such as is called for by the practical nature of the assigned subject of this paper.  Masonry may be considered in two lights: first, in the light of its principles; and second, in the light of its members.  In the one aspect it is a great system of morals - a series of idealistic teachings on right living.  In the other aspect it is an association of men - a society of friends and brothers - who receive these teachings, adopt them as their fundamental rules of conduct, and thereby not only enhance their own mental, moral, and spiritual well-being, but also exert a salutary influence upon the world at large.

 

Not only is Masonry a moral and progressive science, it is taught by degrees only.  The acquirement of knowledge is always gradual and cumulative.  One thing must be learned before another can be undertaken.  We creep before we walk, and we walk before we run.  The seeker after light passes through three stages, the beginner, the workman, and the master. A knowledge of the mysteries of Masonry comes to him step by step, and is acquired only through his own labour and study.  The third degree symbolizes his attainment of such wisdom and experience as were the original object of his quest.

 

The lessons of Masonry are conveyed by means rituals, lectures and printed monitors or books.  In each of the degrees symbols are freely used.  Indeed, the entire language of Masonry is symbolical.  It says one thing and means something else.  A symbol is anything that suggests an idea, whether it be a picture, image, a letter, a word or a character.  Thus the olive branch suggests peace, the lily purity, the owl wisdom the lion courage.  But a symbol often conveys different thoughts to different persons.  The picture of a clenched fist signifies force, and arouses a train of thought on that subject.  To one mind it may suggest war, to another the power of steam, to still another the energy of the human will, and so on through any number of ramifications.  Furthermore, symbols very often have a hidden or covered meaning.  The ignorant will translate them into terms of trivial and ordinary things, whilst to the student and thinker they bring sublime and profound thoughts.

 

The subject of this paper covers a large number of symbols, and is therefore so broad in its scope and so fertile in its suggestions that it is difficult to confine the discussion within reasonable bounds, and yet mention all of the symbols.  Any one of them is capable of exciting ideas worthy of not one but several dissertations.  However, since the subject is entitled "Monitorial Symbolism of the Third Degree and its Application to Every Day Life," the discussion is definitely limited to extremely practical applications, and the temptation to roam far into the field of speculation is inhibited at the outset.

 

The monitorial symbols of the Third Degree are the Three Steps, the Pot of Incense, the Beehive, the Book of Constitutions Guarded by the Tyler's Sword, the Sword Pointing to the Naked Heart, the All-Seeing Eye, the Anchor and Ark, the Forty-seventh Problem of Euclid, the Hour Glass and the Scythe, We are informed that the explanation of these symbols may be found in any of the monitors that have been adopted by the Fraternity as text books.  We are then told that their symbolic teachings are almost infinite, and are admonished to make ourselves familiar with the golden lessons of wisdom they contain.  Perhaps it is time we were paying some heed to this admonition, because it has not been receiving the attention it deserves.  How many times have we heard the Worshipful Master say, "Search diligently, my brother, and you will find their symbolic teachings almost infinite"? How many of us have sought diligently? Nay, how many of us have ever once read the monitorial dissertations on these symbols? Furthermore, how often are these symbols so much as mentioned whether in lodge meetings or at our banquets where Masonic subjects are discussed?

 

Perhaps the study of the symbols has fallen into comparative disuse because their lessons are to some extent incidentally taught to us in the lectures and rituals, and we are so busy with the required subjects that we have no time left for electives.  And yet, a re-reading of the monitor more than ever impresses one with the beauty and deep significance of the things there printed.  The reading of the monitor may be recommended to every Mason not as a duty but as a pleasure, for it provides a mental treat that can not be found elsewhere. And if one can get "far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife" long enough to reflect and ponder upon them, so as to draw out their deeper meanings, he will become fascinated by their elusive glimpses of another world of thought.  But here we collide with the limitation just mentioned.  "The madding crowd's ignoble strife." That means our every day life, does it not? And the present task is to discuss the symbolism of the Third Degree in its application to every day life.

 

Every day life is, after all, simply life. What other life do we have? Our every day contact with our fellow men in the rush and strain of business, our social intercourse, our family relations, our work, our play, our pleasures, our sorrows, our hopes and our disappointments, - that is life, and it is every day life.

 

But still there is truth in the intimation that in order to study out the application of our symbols to that every day life we must get away from it, and go into seclusion.  That may sound paradoxical, but most of the great things of the world are not thought out in the heat of conflict, but in the quiet of one's chamber or out under the silent stars.

 

And so let us not find fault with the solemn majesty of the truths expressed in our monitors.  They are the beacon lights that guide us on our stormy voyage across an unknown sea, which many have sailed before us, but which we can not really know until we have explored it for ourselves.  All hail to the mariners who have preceded us, and who have set up these beacon lights! But to translate them into terms of ordinary, practical, every day life, is a different task, although possibly no less useful.

 

THE THREE STEPS

 

The Three Steps are explained in three different ways in our lectures.  Their more general and fundamental significance is that they symbolize human progress from a lower to a higher state.

 

Psychologists now have very generally agreed that acquired characteristics cannot be inherited, or in other words, that a parent cannot transmit to his child the mental or moral development which he may have achieved through earnest effort.  The child does not begin where the father left off; he begins where the father began. It is therefore scientifically correct to say that human nature does not change.  So far as native intellect and strength of character are concerned, the child today comes into the world with no more powers than the child at the time of King Solomon.  All men are created equally ignorant but with unequal intellectual powers.  The heights to which one will rise, and the range of his moral and intellectual development, will depend first upon his native traits, and then upon his environment and his opportunities to profit by the accumulated wisdom and experience of the centuries.  The Greek philosophers, when we take into consideration their limited knowledge of the natural sciences, exhibited a power of reasoning that is the wonder and admiration of scholars today. The only difference is that in our age - the age of books - we have easy access to the store of human knowledge that has been piled up since the days of Socrates and Plato.  With our capacity to learn we quickly assimilate this knowledge, and are then equipped to go on still further into the unknown.  What a tremendous privilege is ours to live in so wonderful an age! And this privilege imposes upon every man a heavy responsibility, that of using his talents wisely so that they will increase, instead of keeping them hidden and idle. The man who does not make the largest possible use of the powers God has given him, and develop them to their fullest extent, is false to his trust, and is wasting his life.

 

And so the great lesson of the Three Steps is that they lead us ever upward to the truth and the light.  Bacon says, "But no pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage-ground of truth." As Masons, let the Steps lead us up to the Truth, for the truth shall make us free.

 

The practical application of this beautiful symbolism to every day life is obvious.  When we see the Three Steps there should come into our minds the thought that it is our duty to progress.  That means education, mental and moral development, and the building of character.

 

Progress is a great fundamental requirement of human life.  To stand still is to decay.  If we would live a healthy, helpful life, we must unceasingly strive to improve ourselves in body, mind and spirit.  If we want the community in which we live to go forward, we must be interested in everything that pertains to the community life.  Better schools, higher standards of education, public morals, justice for the oppressed and unfortunate, equality of opportunity, freedom of thought and conscience, in all of these things we should have a zealous interest.  Every community is simply a collection of individuals.  If each one does his part, collectively they will accomplish great things.  But if they all depend upon some one else to do it, nothing will get done, and the community will draw shame upon its head.

 

THE POT OF INCENSE

 

"The Pot of Incense is an emblems of a pure heart, which is always an acceptable sacrifice to Deity; and as this glows with fervent heat, so should our hearts continually glow with gratitude to the great and beneficent Author of our existence for the manifold blessings and comforts we enjoy." So says the monitor.  A sentiment so lofty is not easily applied to the practical, prosaic events of a busy day.  To have a pure heart is to be true to yourself, true to your best ideals, and honest with your thoughts.  "To thine own self be true; . . . Thou canst not then be false to any man." Living a life of deceit and double-dealing never made any one happy.  Riches or pleasures acquired in that way bring only remorse, and eventually the soul cries out in anguish for that peace of mind which is man's most precious possession, and which is the companion of a pure heart.

 

Purity of heart means conscientiousness, and that means sincerity.  Without sincerity there can be no real character.  But sincerity alone is not enough.  There must go with it a proper degree of intelligence and love of one's fellows.  For example, a man may believe that the emotion of pity and the desire to relieve the necessities of others is intrinsically noble and elevating, and he indulges in indiscriminate giving, without realizing the evil consequences, in the way of fraud, laziness, inefficiency and habitual dependence that his ill considered acts produce upon those whom he intends to benefit.  Again, a man may be perfectly sincere in talking about the shortcomings of another, and he may justify himself by saying he is telling nothing but the truth.  But merely because they are true is no reason why unpleasant and harmful things should be told.  To destroy a reputation is no way to aid a brother who has erred.  Better far to overlook his mistakes, and extend him a helping hand.

 

Without multiplying examples, let it be understood that the truly conscientious man must not simply be sincere, but he must have high ideals and standards, and moreover he must not be satisfied with those standards.  Rather he must revise them from time to time, and that means self-examination, to see if he possesses the love and courage that must go with sincerity in order to make progress in building character.  For in this direction again there must be constant progress.  To be content with what we have accomplished is fatal.  As James A. Garfield once said, "I must do something to keep my thoughts fresh and growing.  I dread nothing so much as falling into a rut and feeling myself becoming a fossil."

 

THE BEEHIVE

 

The Beehive is known to all of us, whether we be Masons or not, as an emblem of industry.  Man, no less than the bee, is a working animal.  The obligation to work is laid upon all men, and upon none more strictly than upon Masons. Self preservation is nature's first law, and that means work, for without work we cannot have the food, clothing and shelter necessary to preserve our lives. But work should not end there.  To improve our opportunities, to achieve that mental and moral advancement which is not only the capacity but the duty of every man, means constant striving, unceasing toil.

 

It has been said that Masonry laid down the first eight-hour law, for as E.A.'s we are taught to divide the twenty-four hours of the day into three equal parts whereby are found eight hours for the service of God and a distressed worthy brother, eight for our usual vocations, and eight for refreshment and sleep.  But this is not an eight-hour day; it is a sixteen-hour day, for in addition to putting in an eight-hour shift on our regular jobs, we are commanded to devote another eight hours to the service of God and our fellow-men. The chief reason for a short work day, such as is prescribed by our eight-hour laws, is that it gives the individual time to improve himself in physique, intelligence and morals, the neglect of any of which is bad for himself and for the State of which he is a citizen.  The man who uses the leisure afforded him by a short work day to no better purpose than to sit around in idleness, wasting his time and gossiping about his neighbours is worse than a fool, and would be better off if he had to work twelve hours.

 

Useful work is the means of salvation and idleness is the sure road to damnation, for "the devil still some mischief finds for idle hands to do." The wise man is he who keeps busy, but this does not necessarily mean that he should force himself to do drudgery.  No man is happy unless he finds pleasure in his work, and an uncongenial task takes the joy out of life.  But let a man become, interested in his work and he will love it.  An old banker was asked why he did not retire.  He replied, "Why should I retire? I do not know of anything else out of which I could get half as much fun as staying right here and running my bank." If you are so fortunate (or unfortunate!) as to own an automobile, have, you never become so engrossed in doing a good job of washing the car that you had to be called half a dozen times for dinner? I know a chemist who recently decided to forego a fine fishing trip because he became so interested in a line of experimentation that he preferred to stay at home and work day and night in his laboratory.

 

Unfortunately, not all men find their employment so interesting and fascinating, and they have not the power to chose a different occupation.  A very useful sort of work for some of these is play.  The man who is engaged in a sedentary occupation can do nothing better than to employ his spare time in some form of physical exercise, for the benefit of his health, whether he does it by playing golf, or tennis, going hunting or fishing, or by mowing the lawn and cleaning up his premises. There is nothing quite so important to any man, rich or poor, as good health, and if he has to play to keep healthy it is his duty to play.  He who sneers at you for wasting your time in play is not necessarily a good counsellor. A sound mind in a sound body is the old axiom. Inversely, a sickly body usually means a morbid, melancholy, misanthropic mind.  Keep yourself healthy.

 

The man who does manual labour all day, on the other hand, will be wise to employ his spare time in intellectual study, or stimulating social intercourse, such for example as he can obtain by attending his Masonic lodge regularly.  A good plan for any man is to have a hobby, provided he keeps it within bounds, and does not let it interfere with his business.  If more of us made a hobby of politics to the extent of keeping informed and doing our share as useful citizens, we should probably have less occasion to find fault with the way things are done. Among the fundamental precepts of Masonry is good citizenship.  The Mason, above all others, should be alive to the fact that in a democracy the citizen has duties, as well as privileges.  He who values his liberty must help preserve it. The man who complacently pursues his self-centred ease, or his busy chase of the dollar, and eschews or disdains public affairs, should be branded as a slacker. It is the solemn duty of the citizen to answer every call, and even at a sacrifice to himself, to do his part in conducting the government of his school district, city, county, state and nation. He who fails in that duty is no true American. and does not measure up to the standard that Masonry sets for her votaries.

 

The labour question, as it is termed has many angles, but Masons, who meet upon the level regardless of rank or station, will surely agree that every man is entitled to fair treatment as a human being.  He is entitled to an opportunity to earn a living, and hence unemployment is a public sin, which all of us should seek to eradicate.  He is entitled to fair wages, so that he and his family may be able to live decently, and hence a living wage is a matter of justice, not of charity or benevolence.  He is entitled to reasonable hours of work and proper working conditions, for it is neither right nor humane to require him to ruin his health while he is earning his living.  He is entitled to a decent home, for the home is the foundation of our civilization, and how can we expect to produce good citizens unless the home is reasonably comfortable and attractive? And he is entitled to the opportunity to play, to learn, to worship, and to live.  These things should not be the privileges of the rich, - they should be the rights of every man without question.  And when they are fully guaranteed to the workingman there will be less strife between labour and capital, and less division of the people into classes.

 

THE BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS GUARDED BY THE TYLER'S SWORD

 

The Book of Constitutions Guarded by the Tyler's Sword symbolizes silence and circumspection. Masonically it refers to keeping inviolate our secrets, but in a general way silence is a virtue to be cultivated.  Talk less and think more is often good advice. Carlyle, Maeterlinck and others have written inspiringly of silence and the great silent men, and from childhood we have been told that "still, waters run deep." Like many other things, however, silence can be overdone, and it is more likely to be a cloak for ignorance and stupidity than a sign of deep thinking.  The owl has a reputation for wisdom that is wholly undeserved.  We learn by talking no less than by listening.  One of America's greatest educators once said, "Tell a man how to do a thing, and he will not know how to do it; show him how by doing it before his eyes, and he still will not know how to do it.  The only way for him really to learn is by doing it himself." Scientific educators have similarly learned that although a man may have thought out a proposition by pondering over it long and deeply, he never really knows it thoroughly until he has expressed it, either verbally or in writing.  The desire to express our ideas is a natural one, and it should be fostered and encouraged.  To be sure, we should all do well to make sure that our ideas are sound and well matured before we utter them.  The nuisance who indulges in incessant chatter without telling me anything new or interesting, not only wastes his own time but mine also, and he has neither reputation nor influence.  I soon get his measure, and am apt to jump at the unfair conclusion that he who talks most has least to say.  But this does not change the general truth that self-expression is not only one of man's innate desires but it has a great educative value.

 

THE SWORD POINTING TO THE NAKED HEART

 

The Sword Pointing to the Naked Heart is calculated to remind us that no matter what we do, justice will sooner or later overtake us.  Many people seem to think of the law of compensation is a pretty fancy evolved by Ralph Waldo Emerson, but in God's good time they will learn that this is one of His inexorable laws.  It never fails to operate, and a day of reckoning is sure to come to the man who does not act on the square.  To undertake to evade the law of compensation is to try to cheat the Almighty, and the man who has no better sense than that is hopeless.

 

The idea of justice carries with it the thought of punishment for wrong-doing, which is one of the unsolved problems of the race.  The old theory was to make the punishment fit the crime, and most people still instinctively put punishment on a retributive rather than on a corrective basis, and also subscribe to Montaigne's dictum that "we do not correct the man we hang; we correct others by him." These are the orthodox beliefs, but their validity has begun to be challenged.  There are those who insist that it is unjust to treat A with undue harshness in order to deter B from committing a crime, but that each should be answerable only for his own acts.

 

However, there has been gradual improvement in the matter of punishment, on the theory that it is better to reform an offender than through excessive severity to make him a confirmed, vicious evil doer. Juvenile delinquents in particular are being treated in a more enlightened manner.  Training and opportunity are taken into consideration in determining