The Moral Character Of The Ballot.

THE MORAL CHARACTER OF THE BALLOT .

THAT the ballot was intended as a moral agent there is no question . Whether for , or against , the ballot was intended to accomplish a moral purpose . This is in accordance with all the instructions received ; and the man with ideas in accordance with these instructions will east his ballot in harmony with moral principles rather than on any basis of personal enmity .

Without doubt this should be the basis of the ballot , and as a rule it is ; still there are at times exceptions , when the prejudices of men govern their actions in this matter , and they cast their ballot in the interest of some narrow personal enmity rather than for the broad , moral principle that should govern their actions , and which adds dignity thereto .

We well understand , surrounded as we are by many conflicting forces , that there may be temptations to use the black-ball , that are not moral . Temptations that are governed wholly by some immoral act often come to the front . Then a wrong , started by another , may sometimes prompt one to retaliate , and the retaliation may even be the promptings of quite a high character .

Some few years since all was going well in a certain Lodge . Bros . Aand B — were in line for the first and second positions , and they and their friends thought it no question but what they would both in turn preside over the Lodge . Everything seemed to favour them ; they had been faithful in attendance , they were zealous and competent . They had been allowed to

reach the second and third places of honour . Why should they not advance , in order to be first ? They undoubtedly would have thus been advanced in order but for a third party suddenly appearing on the scene . Without regard to any proper idea of patient waiting for his regular turn , the friends of this third party were determined to obtain for him the highest position , without

waiting for the other two faithful Brothers who ranked him . There was nothing to offer against the two , and the friends of the third party seemed very willing that they should go to the front , after their man had been there . Quietly extra exertions were put forth by the friends of the third party , and the class of Seldom- ever-Comes were on hand in force . Among this class the

name of the third party was circulated . They had little idea of the merits of the case ; and little knowledge of the faithful and long services rendered by members one and two . It made no difference to these who were pushing the thing . All they were interested in was to first obtain the position for their man . The prize was secured for the third party . At the

next meeting of the Lodge the Seldom-ever-Comes were conspicuous for their absence , and the attendance was back to the normal condition . Really members one and two never had more friends in court than he who had been

so ruthlessly thrust upon them by the Seldom-ever-Comes . Names for candidates were proposed ; but one after another they were all black-balled , and it finally dawned upon the successful (?) number three and his friends that the fight was not over ; indeed , that it had hardly begun .

One can readily imagine the situation of the body , and how its prosperity and usefulness were interfered with by the arbitrary action of a few headstrong persons , sustained by the Seldom-ever-Comes . Here was a case where

the ballot was used in order to put a third Brother over two who had faithfully earned their laurels . The friends of the two now retaliated , and cast black-ball after black-ball against the Lodge and the Brother who had so ruthlessly obtained the prize .

Of course some will say " two wrongs do not make one right ; " still , it was a most peculiar situation . One to be regretted ; and while we are quite charitable to the two brothers or their friends who took that way to defend themselves , we deplore the act that led to it . These men had earned their honours ; and if there was to have been any waiting or delay it should have

been on the part of the late comer . There are few men of spirit who would not have smarted under such an act , and probably have acted just as they did ; still their ballots were not in accordance with high morality , unless , perhaps , we reach it by an indirect method , and claim that it was moral and

right to punish a man , and even Che Lodge , for such an act . It was a pecular case and shows what is liable to come up , and that we must ever be on the alert for just such phenomenal conditions , and that we should , if possible , prevent the first steps that lead to it . The first steps not coming to the front , there will be no second ones to follow in their wake .

Another instance a while ago came to our notice . A Brother applied for membership in a body . Ho was opposed , and it was quite evident that the opposition was on purely personal grounds , for he was faithful and wellknown , and was a man of exceptional character . It was very easy to see the basis of the opposition to him ; and it required no superior insight into

human nature to understand just where the opposition stood in relation to this case . And it was one of those cases that unfortunately will injure the Lodge ; so the few who did the act punished the Lodge even more than they punished the one individual whom they opposed . And morally they injured themselves , for they cast their ballot in the interest of mere personality

rather than in the interest of the body . Another peculiar case came under our personal observation . Some years ago the names of a number of candidates were presented to a Lodge . The Brother presiding in the East , on personal grounds , was opposed to one of the candidates . The names of the candidates that he was interested in he very quietly had presented first , and

they were favourably acted upon , and all seemed propitious for the third and last name . But when that was presented the black ball appeared . The Lodge was taken by surprise , for they knew the candidate to be a good man , and in every respect the peer of the other two . That black ball caused considerable talk , and some of the Brethren present , who were familiar with

The Moral Character Of The Ballot.

the situation , did not hesitate to proclaim just where the trouble was , and even went so far as to condemn the act and the order of presenting the names , and even said that had they known that their friend would have been dealt with in this manner they would have retaliated on those who were the special friends of the presiding officer . They were indignant . But the act

had been done . They had favourably voted for the presiding officer ' s friends , and they expected as much courtesy for their friend . By this act an ill feeling was introduced into the body , which resulted in a falling off of attendance and general injury to the Lodge . Such cases are all the while coming up . I suppose they occur everywhere

—for everywhere human nature is much the same . I have even known of it in a church convention that had met to elect a bishop . Still , how much better would it be if , when the black ball is cast , we could feel that it was upon some higher basis than mere personal spite or prejudice . Such black balls—black balls that have no moral character back of them—are injurious

to any Lodge . The black ball is for the purpose of protection to the'body , and as such it should be used , but when used on the lower basis of personal ill-will it is injurious to the best interests of the Craft . The black ball is an essential feature in the Lodge , and it is also essential that at times it be used , but let it be used through a moral principle and then it will have some

weight . Such was evidently the original object of the black ball . It was to keep out objectionable characters , that is objectionable to the moral standing of the Lodge , and not because objectionable to some Brother on the basis of mere personal enmity . It was not intended as a punishment or to cast reproach upon the name of any worthy fellow citizen or Brother , but to

protect the body from such characters as it was believed would in some manner be injurious to the Craft . When a Brother has no other motive in casting a black ball than to satisfy his own personal pique , or the mere

personal objection of some other Brother , he had better refrain from voting . Personal matters of this nature do not have any moral weight ; on the contrary , they are highly immoral , and result in much injury to the body wherein such things occur .

The black ball , cast from a moral point of view , carries with it some dignity , but when it degenerates into mere personal spite it no longer carries with it such moral weight , but becomes an agent of demoralisation . On which side shall we cast our black ball ? It would seem that there could be

but one answer thereto—ever on the side that shall carry with it some moral weight , and never on the side of personal spite . —I . P . N ., in " American Tyler . "

The Order Of The Temple In Modern Times.

THE ORDER OF THE TEMPLE IN MODERN TIMES .

THERE is much dispute as to what is the exact connection between the Templars of old and those of the present day , by what course the line of descent is to be traced , or if , indeed , it is traceable . It is contended by some that Pope Clement V . and King Phillip wiped the Order out of existence in the fourteenth century . Others trace the line down to this day without a break from DeMolay .

One theory is that the Order was re-established in Portugal in 1317 under the name of the " Order of Christ . "

Another is that DeMolay , foreseeing his fate under the persecution of Phillip , had his successor appointed before he was burned to death , and that there had been an unbroken line of Grand Masters , John Mark Larmenius succeeding DeMolay in 1313 , and others following in their Order , up to Sir William Sydney Smith , who died in 1840 .

The Scotch theory is that the Order was preserved in Scotland through there being no persecution in that country ; that the Templars joined Robert Bruce and aided him to his throne .

It is believed that Robert Bruce founded a Masonic Order called the " Boyal Order , " and in which , it is said , all the Templars who had aided his fortunes were enrolled . It is said that , in consequence of the general persecution of tho Order , the Scotch Knights amalgamated with the Order of St . John , taking much of their wealth with them , and their identity was so

far maintained as to leave satisfactory proof of the fact , for by a charter of King James II . —recorded entire in the Registry of the Great Seal of Scotland , dated two centuries after the amalgamation of the Orders—they are r eferred to as Brethren of the Hospital of Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon . Upon the loss of their possessions the Knights are said to have drawn off in a body , with the Grand Prior , David Seaton , at their head .

Various other theories are advanced , some of which are logical , while others are only romantic . The English Knights are said to come nearer the old Order in their forms and customs .

Addison says that at the period of the dissolution of the Order of the Templars in England many of the retainers of the most ancient Knights continued to reside in the Temple . Not having been members of the Fraternity they were not included in the proscription . The Temple was transferred to the lawyers , and these domestics appear to have transferred

their allegiance to the lawyers also , and to have continued and kept alive amongst them many of the ancient customs and observances of the old Knights . Not long after the lawyers had established themselves in the Convent of the Temple , the judges of the Court of Common Pleas were made Knights ,

while the professors of the common law , who had the exclusive privilege of practising in that court , assumed the titles or degrees of Freres Serjens or Fraters Servientcs , so thafc an Order of Knights and serving Brethren was most curiously revived in the Temple and introduced into the profession of the law . The Freres Serjens des Armes of the old chivalry of the Temple