The Wearing Of The Blue

would at once remove this distinction , and it could not be discovered who were the actual Officers of the private Lodge which they visited . Truly , love is blind ! Did it never strike our brother that the same aro-nment used in

another quarter would deprive him of the much prized collar which he wears as a Past Grand Officer . No doubt there are many brethren who could with equal reason to thafc displayed by Bro . Cochrane relate how they had been

misled in Grand and other Lodges by the number of Past Officers who wear almost the same insignia as that which denotes the Officers of the year . His view of the question appeared to him the practical way of looking at ifc . Will he please apply his view to the case of Pasfc Grand Officers ,

and then let ns know if it appears as practical as it did when he was simply considering Past Worshipful Masters ? Bro . Samuel Pope argued in much the same strain . The collar of an Officer was not an indication of rank , he said , but of office , and it was worn only in those places and on those occasions when he attended by virtue of his office .

. Later on , ne argued that Provincial orbce conterred the right to wear the purple in perpetuity , and he has similar views in regard fco Grand Lodge Office , for he argues that it is the chain he now wears which is the indication of his office as a Grand Deacon , while the purplecollar and apron—conferred on him , represent his rank . He probably overlooked the fact thafc it is the jewel of a

Worshipfnl Master which is the indication of his office , while the blue conferred on him represents his rank , otherwise he would not have said it was quite right , logical , true , and consistent to limit the wearing of the

official collars to when brethren attended officially . Bro . Canon Portal proposed an alteration in the motion of Bro . Nicholl , suggesting it should read as follows : — " That the Master , the Past Masters , and the Officers of a

Lodge shall be at liberty to wear their collars and jewels upon all Masonic occasions . " This form of amendment was seconded by Bro . Eastes , Deputy Provincial Grand

Master Kent , accepted by Bro . Nicholl , and then put to the vote , with the result already recorded—211 in favour of the recommendation of the Board of General Purposes and 210 against it .

It is , perhaps , bad taste to question the motives of those who disagree with us , and we should be the last to advocate anything like retaliation , except under the most exceptional circumstances , but we arguo those circumstances do now exist , and we cannot refrain from using

the arguments adopted by the opposition to support our own case . We have shown that the main objection urged against Past Masters wearing collars on all occasions is

that it leads to confusion , but on the principle that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander , the same may be said in regard to the collars worn by Past Grand ,

and Prov . Grand Officers . Why are they to be permitted to wear the insignia of their office on all occasions while brethren who have done as much , and in many cases infinitely more , to entitle them to distinction are debarred from doing so ? Bad as may be the sentiments by which

we are actuated we fear we shall nofc consider the Grand Officers are consistent until we see them appearing without the collar to which they consider themselves entitled by reason of their rank as Past Grand Officers . When

they do that we will believe it is time for Past Masters to accept cheerfully the dictum which deprives them of the coveted strip of blue , but until they do we hope Past

Masters , and all who aspire to that distinction , will use every lawful means in their power to secure the restitution of their rights .

As we have said above , it is the jewel which an Officer wears which distinguishes him from those wearing blue collars who are not Officers , just as the chain of Grand

Lodge office distinguishes acting from Past Grand Officers , and we hope this view of the case may ultimately be adopted as the correct one , for although the motion has been carried against the Past Masters , we are far from believing it is finally settled that they are to be debarred from the wearing of the blue .

Masonic Libraries.

MASONIC LIBRARIES .

A LIBRARY is an evidence of civilization . In no age of the world have large collections of books existed when the arts and sciences have not flourished . It is the main function of literature to spread information of the

Masonic Libraries.

achievements ofthe human mind and the human hand , to diffuse knowledge . Those were the darkest ages of the world when tyrants wrought their vengeance upon the accumulated thought of the centuries—upon the libraries

which were the results of the most skilful thought and careful acquisition . Happy are we in living in this nineteenth century , in being the literary heirs of the ages , in breathing an atmosphere of books , in having the printed

page always before us , either in the morning or evening or weekly paper , in the monthly magazine , in pamphlets and books almost innumerable , or in encyclopaedias which have taken all knowledge for their province .

Masonic libraries are of recent creation . This was fco have been expected of a secret society , and had Masonry

continued to be as secrefc as ifc was for the major period of its history , there would even now be no Masonic libraries . Originally the only matter that was written concerning Masonry was the MS . copy of the ancient Constitutions and

Charges . This embodied a sketch of the origin of the Craft , of the architectural achievements of its members , and of the regulations governing the Fraternity . Each of the old Lodges , in the pre-historic period of the Grand

Lodge of England , possessed a written copy of these Constitutions and Charges , which was carefully kept in the archives of the Lodge from public scrutiny , and was read at each making of a Mason . In fche course of time

our Brotherhood developed from its Operative into its Speculative stage . Cotemporaneous with this development came the invention of the art of printing , and the easy and rapid diffusion of knowledge by means of the printed page .

The history of the Craft came to be regarded as no longer a secret , and as a result information concerning it began to appear , both in books of general literature and in distinctively Masonic works . The Ancient Constitutions were the

Corner-stone of Masonic literature , and the edifice already erected on this foundation is a massive one , which time , year by year , is adding to , and the end no one can foresee . The Masonic newspaper ancl the Masonic magazine have

followed in the train of Masonic books , until now there is no lack of proper information available for the right comprehension of the origin of the Fraternity , its surprising

history , and the great underlying principles which actuate the Brotherhood . None of these are any longer secrets . We need not now consider whether the Craft has been

advantage _ d by the change , but ifc is unmistakably a change that has come to stay . Knowledge once imparted can never be recalled ; but we are of the number of those who think it is time that a halt should be called . We may not

recal the past , but we can pr . otect the present and the future . Just as a Masonic Lodge has no proper place in a profane procession , so when a Masonic Lodge is convened

in a Lodge room the profane have no business to be present , and whoever invites them to be present is recreant to his duty as an obligated member of the Fraternity .

Among the Grand Lodges of this continent which have succeeded in assembling large numbers of valuable Masonic books and manuscripts , the Grand Lodges of Pennsyslvania , Iowa , Massachusetts and New York merit special

mention . Their Grand Lodge Libraries are of the most valuable character . They represent years of enlightened research , and thousands of dollars in money . The Library of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania had its origin in 1787 ,

when " Ifc was ordered that the Treasurer buy every book for the use of this Lodge which may appear interesting on Masonry . " In 1816 it was further resolved , " That a committee be appointed to devise the best means of establishing H

a Masonic Library , for the useof the members of this Grand Lodge , and to report thereon . " The great work culminated in 1871 , under the lead of Bro . Chas . E . Meyer , when our present magnificent Library was inaugurated . Its

catalogue of Masonic books , issued in 1880 , covers sixty-six pages , and since then there have been many valuable additions to its literary treasures . The Library Committee have nofc been content with gathering the best books , but

they have also published them as well . The " Dedication Memorial Volume of fche Masonic Temple , Philadelphia , " and tbe " Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania

from 1730 , " are Masonic works of the rarest merit , and deserve the widest reading by the Brethren of this jurisdiction .

If a book he in truth " a ship of thought , " aud , as Shakespeare said , " My library Was dukedom large enough , " what is the office of a Masonic library ? Is it to be merely