Contentious Freemasons.

CONTENTIOUS FREEMASONS .

WE do not know that any rule exists which precludes members of the Masonic Order from seeking redress for their grievances , financial or otherwise , in the ordinary courts of law , but it is certainly undesirable , and very much to be regretted , when the dirty linen of a Masonic misunderstanding—we will

not say quarrel—is washed in public , and is reported in the general press of the country , with all the attractiveness of sensational headings . It is not unusual on such occasions to have unfavourable comparisons made between the teachings and the practices

ot freemasons , and usually these are by no mean 3 complimentary to the members of the Order . But so long as Freemasonry has to be recruited from ordinary mortals we suppose such cases will occur , however much they may be regretted , or however much they may be guarded against bv peace lovinir members of

the Craft . There is certainly no rule which compels the rejection or exclusion of pig headed or obstinate men from our Lodges , men who will not listen to the reasoning or the appeals of their fellow members , but who will carry their enmity to the bitter end when

once their self importance or so-called dignity is touched . With the very large number of Masons ranged under the banner of the Grand Lodge of England it is only reasonable to suppose the Order must get a few such characters , and we think it is somewhat of a gratification to know that , after all , Freemasonry

m the law courts is not quite such a general event as it might be if there were nothing tangible on which to base the -claim of Freemasonry to encourage Brotherly Love and banish contention . We regretted the necessity , a few weeks back , of

having to speak on this subject , but since then there appears to have been a regular epidemic of law cases reported in the London and provincial press in which pointed reference has been made to Freemasonry , or

to prominent members of the Order as such , while reports of other cases in which thc most strenuous efforts of members of the Order to settle matters quietly have failed , have come under our notice , all

tending to prove that it is not by any means safe to assume that in every case tho teachings of Freemasonry tend to make men very much better than

they would be without it . We do not know in what way or by what restrictions these un-Masonic displays can be prevented in the future , but we do know they create a very unfavourable impression on the general

public as to the value of Freemasonry , and such being the case it should be the endeavour of every well disposed member of the Order to discourage and prevent them as far as possible , either bv active

intercession between the disputants before resort is had to the law courts , or by showing disgust for such proceedings if extreme measures are entered upon . It is somewhat of a compliment to Freemasonry to notice how eagerly the ordinary critics of the public

Contentious Freemasons.

press will seize hold of anything like a disagreement in the ranks of the Craft , with a view of making unfavourable comments upon it . The recent visit of the Earl of Lathom to the Isle of Man , and the work he there performed with Masonic surroundings is a

case m point , but we tnmk tne exercise oi a little ordinary judgment in connection with that event will at once prove that the number of those whose conduct can hardly be regarded with favour was very small , if not really unworthy of notice . On the other hand ,

the matter has been taken up m such a way as to preclude the possibility of the Craft wholly ignoring the criticism ; a little attention to the subject now will perhaps be of service in preventing the repetition of such comments in the future .

Our contemporary , the Liverpool Courier , goes direct to the point of the matter , and traces the origin of the disagreement in the Isle of Man to the " umbrage caused to some of the Manx brethren who are directly or indirectly interested in undertakings with which the new structure will compete . " The new

structure here referred to is the Douglas Eiffel Tower , which was inaugurated last week by the Deputy Grand Master of England , with considerable Masonic ceremony , as reported in another part of our present issue . The brethren who manifested hostility to the

lower being nonoureci rjy Masonic ceremonial and a demonstration by Freemasons , such as is not often witnessed , are , continues our contemporary , very few in number—so few , indeed , that they may

be counted on the fingers . But " the fewness of their number and the insignificance of their influence have not prevented them working against the desire of the Provincial Grand Lodge and its Grand Master . " Inside the Lodge room this might be legitimate

enough , says the writer , but they , or some of them , have apparently carried their antagonism outside the Lodges , and even into the public prints , in a manner which is considered inconsistent with loyalty to the Order . The Grand Master of the Isle of Man is

understood to have taken up the matter with a view to preventing the repetition of such offences against the rules of the Craft , even if he does not see fit to inflict some sort of punishment on those members who may

in future use extraneous methods to override or discredit the judgment of the Grand Lodge . This is hardly the sort of subject loyal Freemasons can desire to see discussed in the outside press , and , as our contemporary puts it , the matter is only interesting to

the public because of the semblance of divided councils in the Order . Yet attention is devoted to it , and the enemies of Freemasonry naturally seize hold of such a case in order to make good their attacks , or launch fresh charges against the members of the Craft .

Now that the Earl of Lathom has carried out the programme laid down by those who desired to associate the Masonic Order with the new works in the Isle , it is well to give some denial to the charges made against the promoters of endeavouring to serve their