Extending The Scope Of Freemasonry.

Relief and Truth ; as by a judicious display of these three givat principles they may prove to the world afc large the true basis on which our Order is formed , and , it mrvy be ,

lay a foundation on which shall some day arise a means of relieving their fellow creatures of some of their greatest troubles .

It is only a few weeks back a writer in one of the leading papers of this country spoke of an extension of the scope of Freemasonry which , although it may be ascribing too much power to the Craffc , yefc proves the opinion entertained

concerning it by one who is generally accredited with knowing something of the world ; again , our last issue contained an extract from another daily paper recording the efforts our Italian brethren are asking Freemasons to make , with a view of securing " a general disarmament in

the interests of peace . " The former writer fco whom we refer , after speaking in general terms of Freemasonry , and instancing some particular cases iu which it had proved of the greatest service to its members , concludes wifch the

apprehension thafc , in a political sense , should ever revolution attack society in this country , Masonry would prove one of the strongest stays to its progress . He considers it certain that a civil war would be impossible in a country

like this were Masons to do—as in all probability they would—their duty . Either some modus vivendi or the abdication of rights by one side or the other would be

resolved upon , for he argues that the two thousand two hundred English Lodges could never be arrayed in battle one against the other .

This is a bold opinion to express , and we are afraid it would nob prove practical should tho occasion unfortunately arise to put it to the test , bufc it is useful to consider such statements and weigh their effect on the Craffc as a wholo .

Taken in connection with the second quotation already mentioned , and which records that the Chief Masonic Lodge in Italy has communicated with the leading Lodges in all the countries of Europe , praying all Masons holding

high State positions to do their utmost to bring about a general disarmament in the interests of peace , it may be said to point to an extension of the scope of Freemasonry

which should merit the approval and support of each individual Mason , and of every lover of good order , peace and prosperity throughout the universe .

As we have already said , it may never be possible for Freemasonry to accomplish as much as these enthusiasts desire . It would certainly be expecting too much at present to even hope that the Craft should play any

important part in the prevention or discontinuance of national quarrels ; bufc ifc is not too much to anticipate that Freemasonry will some day have a much wider influence than it at present possesses in adjusting quarrels or

differences between private individuals , even though neither of the disputants are members of the Fraternity . It is only necessary they should be known to

Freemasons to call forth the peacemaking proclivities of the Craft , the aim of whose members is , aud ever has been , to be happy themselves and communicate happiness to their fellow creatures .

A Mania Spreading Among American Grand Masters.

A MANIA SPREADING AMONG AMERICAN GRAND MASTERS .

BY BEO . JACOB NORTON . WITHIN a few months I have made known to ihe readers of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE that one American Grand Master took tbe Charter away from the oldest Lodge in the State , because it would adhere to an

old custom it received from Grand Master Oxnard in 1750 , which custom remains unchanged in England to the present time . Another Grand Master took away a Charter from a Lodge because it did not decide that one of its members

was guilty of a Masonic offence . And another Grand Master did the same thing because the Lodge would not punish one of its members for having published his disbelief in the authenticity of the Bible . And now I learn tbat the Grand Master of Ohio is afflicted with the same

mania , and has taken away the Charters of two Lodges , not because they were guilty of offences similar to the above , but because they elected Cerneauites for Masters or Wardens . Aa , however , the meaning of " Cerneauites " may not be known to young Masons , I shall briefly state that in 1807

A Mania Spreading Among American Grand Masters.

Joseph Cerneau opened a Scotch Rite concern in New York , but as the Charlestonian Scotch Rifcers claimed the fathership and mothership of the said Rite , they authorised J . J . Gourgas to open another Scottish Rite concern in New

York , and the Scotch Rite factions of the said origins have been fighting ever since . Each claims to be the Slman Pure , and stigmatises the other as bogus , clandestine , illegitimate , & c . Tho dignitaries of the Grand Lodge of

Massachusetts , who are out-and-out Gourgasites , have so far been afflicted with the high degree mania as to prohibit Masons in their jurisdiction from joining or belonging to the Cerneau faction , under the following penalties : —

1 st . Cerneauites " may he expelled . " And 2 nd , a Cerneamte must not be elected to an office in a Lodge . Our Boston Grand Lodge , however , soon discovered its mistake ; it did nofc indeed have sufficient courage to repeal the said laws ,

but they had discretion enough to allow those laws to fall into desuetude . The Cerneau concerns are in a flourishing condition . Cerneauites were installed by District Grand Masters into Lodge offices , and fche well-known Bro . John

Haigh , of Somerville , Massachusetts , recently served as Sovereign Grand Commander of all the Cerneauites in North America , and not one of the Gourgas faction said " nay " to him . In short , the laws against Cerneauism are dead letters in Massachusetts .

Now the Grand Lodge of Ohio is also controlled by Gourgasites , and of course they passed similar laws against Cerneauites , and not only were the said laws passed by the Ohio Grand Lodge , but in their Chapters and

Commanderies they have enacted similar laws against Cerneauites , and what is more , they there carry out their laws : for instance , the Rev . Bro . Moore , the Editor of the Masonic Review , of Cincinnati , was expelled from one of their so-called Masonic Bodies . And as two Lodsres in the State

of Ohio elected Cerneauites for Masters or Wardens , the Ohio Grand Master popped down upon them ancl took away their Charters . Ancl now , for the rest of the story , I refer the reader to the following article , copied by the Masonic World from the " Ohio State Journal" of Gth January 1888 , together with some comments by the Masonic editor .

Masons Appeal To The Court Of Common Pleas For Their Rights.

MASONS APPEAL TO THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS FOR THEIR RIGHTS .

NEWAKK , 0 ., Jan . 5 . —The following petition was to-day filed in the Conrt of Common Pleas of this county : State of Ohio , Licking County Court of Common Pleas . John W . Hughes and Edwin R . Braddock , plaintiffs , v . S . Stacker Williams , Graud Master of fche Grand Lodge of Ohio , defendant . — Petition .

Tho said plaintiffs here show that Newark Lodge , No . 97 , Free and Accepted Masons , is a corporation duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio , and is possessed of and owns personal property to the value of at least dollars ; that it is located and transacts its business in the City of Newark , in ihe State of Ohio ,

in premises leased by it for that purpose for a term of years , which bnsiness consists in stated meetings of its members held from time to time for the purpose of conferring the degrees of entered apprentice , fellow craffc and Master Mason , and receiving therefor the fees , dues aud emoluments for the same , and for receiving contributions

from its members in the way of fees and dues ; thafc at said stated meetings it transacts such other business as may properly come before it ; that said personal property and leasehold estate was purchased and acquired with funds contributed to said Newark Lodge , No . 97 , by the members thereof , including these plaintiffs ;

that its officers consist of a Worshipful Master , Senior Warden , Junior Warden , Secretary , Treasurer , Senior Deacon , Junior Deacon , Tyler , and three Trustees , and said officers , including said Senior Warden and Junior Warden , have the custody , management

and control of the property of said Lodge , the functions of eaoh of said officers are properly set out in tha Constitution and By-Laws of the Grand Lodge of Ohio , and of said Newark Lodge , No . 97 .

And the plaintiffs further say thafc the Grand Lodge of Ohio is a corporation duly incorporated by special act of the General Assembly of tho State of Ohio , passed March 12 , 1844 , entitled " An Act to incorporate the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons , " which said act of incorporation is here referred to and made a part thereof .

The said Grand Lodge of Ohio is composed of three representatives from each of the subordinate Lodges of the State ; that is to say , the Worshipfnl Master , Senior Warden and Junior Warden , each of whom , ex-officio , is a member of the Grand Lodge of tho State of Ohio , and has a right fco participate in the business thereof under

article 2 of the Constitution of the said Grand Lodge , which is as follows : Article II . The Grand Lodge shall consist of a Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , Senior Grand Warden , Junior Grand Warden ,

Grand Treasurer , Grand Secretary , Grand Chaplain , Grand Orator , Grand Marshal , Senior Grand Deacon , Junior Grand Deacon , and Grand Tyler , with such other officers as it may from time to time create , together with the Masters and Wardens , or their proxies , duly consfcifcutsd , of the chartered Lodges nnder its jurii-