THE MASONlCWOUllNAL.
There are a great many wise sayings go
ing around the world in books and in the
mouths of the people which would effect
considerable good if only people would
mind them, but the trouble is that too
many of us are satisfied with commend
ing them to our neighbors and paying lit
tle or no attention to them ourselves.
Masons will recognize the following from
tha charges of 1721 ;
“A Lodge is a place where Masons as
semble and work ; hence that assembly
or duly organized society of Masons is
called a, Lodge, and every Brother ought
to belong to one and to be subject to its
by-laws and the general regulations," as
containing a principal so entirely sound
that no one ever has or probably ever
will dispute it, for if such were not the
clear duty of Masons, then our organiza
tion is not worth a rush, and it being a
more matter of taste whether a Brother
beiong to a Lodge or not, our organiza
tions would disintegrate, and the wlioie
.system built up with such infinite labor
and through so many years, in spite of so
many chances and changes, would be scat
tered to the winds.
Nevertheless there are many thousands
who have been regularly made Masons
and who 1 a 'e subsequently dropped out ol
the circle of active laborer.?, notwithstand
ing their admitted duty and pledges to
the contrary. This well known disposi
tion has long been a subject of anxiety to
Grand Lodges, and well di.sposed Crafts
men, and has led to a series of legislative
experiments, none of which have proved
satisfactory in abating the trouble, much
less leading to its abrogation. The ex
periment now being tried in New York
is based on an extreme view of the ca.se,
but so far as we have been able to judge,
its principal effect has been rather to em
bitter and render more obstinate, than to
conciliate and win back the class against
which it is directed. This howeve;. rve
may remark in passing, is the ordinary
result of such enactments, tending as tliei
all do, to alimulato the pugnacity of those
.opposed to them, and hence evoking an
oppoiitiou based not so much on principle
--for the principle is the other wiy'—
upon sheer opposition, right or wrong.
Admitted, then, that every Mason
ought to belong to some Lodge; admit
ting tb.e equally indisputable fact that a
great man >■ entirely negiect this d ity wh 
coul 1 attend to iu bitter than some who r -
always at their posts, the result seems to
take the form of a disease, for which, in
all reason, there ought to be some pos.-i-
ble remedy. Considering all that has
been done up to this time, our own reflec
tions have led us to believe that we stop
ped throwing tufts of grass to soon, ami
resorted to stones without sufficient de
liberation, and that there is yet tune for
mitigating co-ercion with some milder
suggestion in the way of persuasion.
The policy of the Grand Lodge is that
which, upon careful examination, will
lend to the best interest of the Lodges
under its direction, and the policy of the
Lidges is to strengthen themselves by the
adhision and labor of the Brethren with
in the circle of their influence That this
may be accomplished, affiliation ought to
be made as easy as possible, and in no
case ought the disposition of an unalfili-
ate’to resume labor be hindered or im
peded by merely money considerations.
No Brother in this jurisdiction becomes a
non affiliate until after he has paid the
initiatory fees and one year's dues, which
amo'unt may range anywhere from thirty
to one' hundred and ten dollars.
family, and yet, according the practice of
a large majority of our Lodges, if one of
these Brethren, by reason of a change of
dwelling, or other reason sufficient to him
self, wishes to remove hi.s membership
from one Lodge to another, he must pay
an additional fee, ranging from five to
twentv-five dollars. It is respectfully
submitted that this 1.3 not equiiable, and
that the only fee charged should be the
nominal one required by the Grand Lodge
for the necessary change of entries in its
books. Greater still is the need of re
form in this particular when we desire to
win back those who have fallen out cf
the ranks, but who hesitate to pay an af
filiation fee equal to that, paid for their
iniation foi the privilege of coming back.
Every iion-affilate who returns to active
duty is one more to help bear tlie heat
and burden of the day, one more whose
annual dues will help to meet the annual
expenses, and therefore every encourage
ment ought to be offered to such to re
turn, while in a still stronger light is the
requirement that every active Brother
should have the facility of selecting and
joining with the Lodge in which he feels
he can work and best agree. For these
reasons we are fully and clearly of opin
ion that our Lodges will all have done a
good thing for themselves when they
abolich affiliation fees.—N. Y. Dispatch
The Fraternity in Europe.
A session of the Grand Lodge League
of Germany was held at Berlin or the
14th of May.
The 6r nd Lodge of ‘‘Three Globes,"
Germany, held a session, March 22, at
Berlin, for the purpose of celebrating the
birth-day of Emperor William, protector
of Freemasonry in Germauv.
The annual session of the Grand Lodge
of the Netherlands was held on the 31st
of May last at The Hague. The Grand
Master, Prince Frederick, presided, and
there were present representatives from
forty six subordinate Lodges. Freema
sonry in the Grand Orient is in a flourish
ing condition.
The annua! session of the Grand Lodge
of Saxony was held on November 1, 1874.
The Grand Master, -Brother Eckstein,
presided, and there were present repre
sentatives from all the subordinates, and
of foreign Grand Bodies, and of New
York, so 'vortbily represented by If. W
Bro. F. A. Von Meiisch.
The Grand Lodge of Italy held it annu
al session at Rome on May 23, 1874. T'.t
the election the following Grand Offi-
cer.s were chosen : Gr. Master, Guisseppe
Mazzori; D. Gr. Master, Giorgi Tamajo;
Gr. Sec,; Luigi Castellozzo. The Grand
Lodge decided I hat ‘‘the base of Freema
sonry is the symbolic Lodge.” AVe re
ported the dedication of their Temple
some time ago.—N. Y, Square.
M. W. Bro. B. B, French, Past Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of ihe Dis
trict of Columbia, presented to B. B.
French, Lodge No. 15. on the 3d of Jan
uary. 5,859, a gavel made by himself.
The wood of the gavel is of hickory from
Mount Vernon, and the handle of wood
"lit by himself from Ashland, thus uiiit-
I ing in that way the names of two men
dear to every American patriot, and very
dear to the Masonic fraternitv—Wash
ington and Clay.—Square.
The benign principles ol Masonry, like
those of Christianity, are too often per
verted ; and now that the new officers
throughout this State are elected and in
stalled, let them, and piirticurly the Ju
nior Warden, fearlessly and impartially ^
perform their duties during the ensuing
vear. Ifthisis done it will do much to
wards carry mg out the beaiitilui precejits
of our institution. Look well to tne buuti ,
the West and Yist.—Dalton E derpnse
A Wiles jUuiy.
It is painful to read the accounts ot the
way in wliich the w'lle of one of the St.
Louis crooked whiskey swindlers was al“
fected when, on visiting lier husband in
the penitentiary, she saw bun in the stri
ked garb of a convict. The case i'urniclies
a jieculiarly jienetiating warning to res
pectable rascals who indulge in guilty
practices under the notion that they will
never be found out. Their punistiuienl
may bring the sharpest pangs of suii'ering
to their innocent wives. They may ile
stroy the lives and htipes and good name
of those who are the centre ol their do“
mestic alleetion, and may thus bring on
themselves a j'enalty greater even than
that of tile law. If a man's wile is aware
that he is pursuing a wrongful course,
perilous to liis family, it is her duty to
try to bring about a change in his ways.
If he should make her a coiifidaht in the
prosecution of his misdeeds, and she
should enter into them or sustain him in
them, she cannot couipiain when she also
becomes a sufl'erer i.i his punishment.
There are women who know that their
husbands are surreptitiously getting
mo-iey by dishonest means, and who are
yet so fond of the pleasures that accrue
iroin wealth, that they encourage rather
than discourage the practices whose fruits
they enjoy. These are foolish women,
liable at any time to become the victims
of their own folly.—iV. Y. Sun.
Letrul aiid Wells, were killed
oiitrigti.
Another, George Smith, died at the
pital from injuries received.
Christma.s has had its shadows in (j,
Old World as well as the New. A school
houseful of villagers in Switzerland en
joying the great festive occasion snddenl,
fell through the flooring of the builiibj
and eighty were killed, and fifty
less injured,
Disguised robbers, on a railroad trail
near St. Louis, put the express ciessei.
ger in one of his owe. strong boxes, loth
ed him up, broke open the safe on th
express car and took from ten to h-cr,tj
thousand dollars in money and boinii
and made their escape. The me^sellg((
was nearly smothered when releasfjj
upon the arrival of the train in St, Low,,
The Emperor of Brazil, during liisvii-
t to this country to attend the Centem,.
al exhibition will be enlertaine.l by th|
Brazilian minrsttr. The Marquis t;|
Lome and bis wife, the Princess Louii(,|
who is a daughter of Queen Victoria,»il|
also visit the Centennial exhibition atij
it ii intimated that they will be lh|
guests of Sir Edward Thornton, residef
British minister, during their stay in i|
United States.
The only re.sidence of Milton nowitf;
standing is a'wretched hovel at 19 Ycrl
street, Westmini.ster, where he iii'd
when he was Latin Secretary and begn
Paradise Lost.” Afterwards Beiiatk
owned it and leased it to Hazlitt lt|
wa.s nearly burned in a recent fire.
Fifty-five years ago, Bro. Henry Clay
was Grand Master ot Masons of Kentuckv
- t
and that Grand Body, with those of Ohio
and Tennessee, were the only Grand
Lodges of any note in the Mississippi
Valley. If the Grand Lodge of Kentucky
was then a stalwart Body', among similar
ones upon this continent, what may be
said of her now, with her six hundred
Lodges and benevolent enterprises, her
material strength, and the numerous and
mighty Grand Lodges which skirt the
shore and lie along the tributaries of her
great river't The Grand Lodge of Ken
tucky since that time has sent one of her
Grand Masters t-o be the firtt Grand Mas
ter of the present Grand Lodge of Illinois;
and seventeen other Grand Lodges, strorut
and imposing, grace the valley of the
Mississippi, with more than five tliousand
Lodge.® and three hundred thoosand mem
bers Contrasting the present with the
past, the future is to us a sealed book.
It seems like assuming the attributes of
Deity to even foreshadow our coming
destiny.—Keystone.
In t’he spring of 1658, MorJeori Camp-
anwall, Moses Peckeckeo, Levi, and oth
er?, in all fifteen families, arrived at New
port I'rom Holland. They b;-onght w ith
This j them the fir.®t three degrees of Masonry,
payment admits him not alone to mem- i and worded them in the house of Gamp,
bersliip in ii jiarticular Lodge, but makes j anwall, and continued to do so, they and
A lodge is engaged in the trial of one
of its members The Tyler is in the ante
room, but the door of the lodge is jiartly
open, ?o that ke can hear all tliat is going
on. The trial having been concluded,
has the Tyler a right to come in and vote
on the guilt or the innocence of the ac
cused?
AVe answer that to say notliing of the
door being "partly open,” a condition of
things that might jiossibly exist, but
could never exist legally, the Tyler must
be suppose!! to be at times so engaged in
the business of the office as to be un
able to hear uninterruptedly the whole of
the evidence and the arguments in the
case. He is, therefore, incompetent to
pass an opinion upon the case. The I’lyer
is not
and
and justice that no one can vole on the
question of guilt or innocence who has not
heard all the evidences on both sidis.
--■Voice of Masonry. A. G. if.
Mr. MooJy'.» new church m Cliicijq^
which was expected to be ready for iieti;-|
cation during the holidays, is still linft'j
ished. It will be some time yet bek(il|
can he opened.
An Obstinate Goveekoe.-Goi,
Kemper refuses to pardon Col. AV, t.
Coleman from the ATrginia petiitentiir:
and concludes his reasons as follows:
With very great deference and res[«|
for the five jurors and for the many lewl
lators and citizens who ask the pnsocci)
discharge, I refuse it in the sjiirit of m|
high-handed justice which treats alikelh|
high and the low, the rich and thepuOi.|
the great and the small, and whkh l£t-
periiig the law with mercy, eaforcts
with impartiality towards all.
A man died in the San Antonio lioq
al a few days ago with a disease rcseuH
ling the great London plague. He
covered with large spots, and thefiesik l
came putrid all the symptoms eorrespoti.-
ing with those of the olden time phgs,
— Iloustorj Yclegraph.
A careful housewife in -AHiOona t
put an ^ilS order and ^'lO greeiibrst'' I
file drawer of the coffee mill W''
keeping the other clay. Tnene.xt^o'J
ing the family enjoyed a oq' of
wli' I
but it wasn't half so strong as thoH*!
band's language when he found cot"
had been done.
oftld
“Dr. Hurst's ‘Outline History -
Church gives the following pep"'*
to the creeds of the world ;
407,000,000; Buddhism,
Mohammedanism, 200,000,000,
175,000,000 ; _ConT>ncHic-'j
ranTcTnJrbe" ;7^7t\n the lol|e *80,000,000 p Ji.daism, V OOO.OW^^l
it is an indisputable principle of law ' or forms ot religious belief, -*
Of the Christian population '
’''1,007,449 are assigned to Trote *
u, 200,339,390 to Roman A,
I and 76,390,940 to the
riiiL.VDEi.PHi.-t.—By an accident at
In the New AA'orld, oomprising
and South America, the ncsi!.
liim also a member of the great Masonic | their successors, to the year 1742-Agwe. | the Oeuiennial building two workmen, pop'datioa'to o^f IToteS'
50,931,SS3‘',i: