Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . All Letters must hear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

ROB MORRIS'S REPLY TO B EO . JACOB NORTON

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEMI SIR AND B ROTHER , —Returning from a tour westward , of considerable length , I have just seen your issue of 29 th January . Upon the first page the heading attracted my eye , — " What a great American Mason believes . " Laying aside the magazine until this

evening hour , I trim the lamp , turn the light upon my better half , in deference to her weaker eyes , and prepare to enjoy the fun always afforded me of reading articles from the pen of onr Masonic agnostic , Brother Jacob Norton . For a score of years Brothpr Norton has been breaking down the Masonio fences one after the other , dinging

hcunne broad and deep in onr history , showing the improprieties with which onr ritnals are choked , rediculing our claims to antiquity , and exposing what we deemed esotery to a profane world . He has been the Thomas Carlyle of Mnsonio literature— "in Freemasonry are half a million men , mostly fools . " Personally a charitable and

amiable gentleman ( I mean Norton , not Oirlyle ) , venerable from age , wpfil'hy as to pecuninrv affairs , happy in his domestic relations , Bmrher Jacob Norton on his leys is one of whom your convivial clubs mi ' - hfc justly Jiffi-m . with largo and emphasized repetitions— "Tin's a j -Hv sjoo r l fallow , " and nobody would deny it . But seated at his

desk Jacob becomes as d'ffVent a man in temperament as his namesake the first Jacob was different at Bethel from Jacob as described in the latter part of Genesis xxx . Then he takes up his steeliest steel

pen ; then he mingles his ink with gall . He uses sand paper ; he puts on a frown calculated to disturb the digestion of the beholder , and having decided what Masonio landmark he will next demolish , he proceeds to demolish it .

Now I have rather enjoyed the Nortonian shofc-and-shell—when directed n . other persons . The utter discomfiture of Dr . Mackey , Albert Pike , et id g-nus o » m <; was especially gratifying to my self pride , knowing well that . I had never sinned according to their sins . Therefore . I op ° n your issue of 29 th January , as before remarked ,

re-rea ' . the pleasant heading ;— " What a sreat American Mason can be'ieve "—and proceed to enjoy the inquisitorial tortures that Brother Norton will surely inflict . Bnt , oh , dismay ! the first line confounds me ! When I read " Bro . Rob Morris is an LL . D ., a P . G . M . of

Kentucky , a linsrnisf , a scholar , an orator , an author and a poet , then I know what Brother Jacob has in store for me . This is tho nneathso-n ' a , the chloroform , what in Arkansas we style the 7 wneyfuglvn . il , by which h' < prepares his subject for dissection ; yea , vivisection ! Then I feel convince ! that he has before him all the

errors and shortcomings of my forty-one years of Masonry , and will exons and torture mo with them seriatim . The venerable lady on the other side of the table looks up w ^ th surprise at the emphasis with which I pronounce the name of the infernal regions , and I am obliged to prevaricate by affirming to her that " it is that bad tooth again !"

( Two hours later ) . Recovered from the first shock , I find that Bro . Norton has been more kind to me than to others , more kind than I deserve . And really , omitting his extravagant manner of expressing my faith in Masonic tradition , he has not made a bad story of it . In the jocular

sense he has told the truth of me . Tea , "this great American Mason" does believe in the traditions as supplementing Masonic history . And so did Brother Jacob , until he got mad with the Boston Masons , because they would not leave out " the two Saints John , " and " the Star in the East , " and demitted from the Order . Had

the Boston people inherited his hatred of Jesus , and inserted a lot of Talmudic traditions , Brother Norton had even now been a Master in Israel , a paying member , perhaps " an LL . D ., a P . G . M ., a linguist , a scholar , au orator , an author , and a poet , " like the present writer . If time and space permitted I shonld like to give a sketch of what

Brother Jacob Norton believes , or professes to believe , as a member of his religion and a worshipper in his synagogue . When I recal the matters contained in his creed , —and a hundred treatises , whose very names are portentous , I can only wonder how he arets time to perform his duties as tbe great American Agnostic . What leisure hours can a man have to concoct such furious declamation

upon Masonic faiths after studying daily the twelve treatises ? Really now , would my Boston friend like to see the forms and beliefs of Modern Judaism , mostly traditional as they are , shown up ludicrously and as objects of mirth ? He knows how the different sets of Jews revile each other nnd put each other to SCOBU . He

knows that the Modern School of Hebrews , through their newspapers and oral instruction , are as clearly agnostic with regard to the old beliefs of his church as Brother Norton is in regard to the old beliefs of Freemasonry . Would he enjoy such a treat as he is giving the Masonic world in making a travesty of my opinions were I to

make a travesty of his opinions ? But I hope I have too much respect for him , and too much respect for myself to do it . Finally , I give voice to a large number of persons who are aware of Brother Norton ' s unhappy pessimism when I request him to tell us ichat he does beliere ? Come now , take a softer pen and milder

ink , and a placid hour , and sketch the Masonic system that you would recommend ; omitting all landmarks , all Palestine discoveries , all of Rob Morris ' s foolish beliefs , all of Brother Pike ' s unutterable stuff ,

all of Mackey ' s bosh , all of Montague , and Weeping Virgins , and Price , and Philadelphiaisms ; tell us , oh S . ge of Boston , oh thou long demitted , yet not graceless and hopeless teacher , tell the yearning and anxious what is Masonry , Nortonian Masonry . It ia

Correspondence.

said of a lady , who had gone astray under Theodore Parker ' s teaching , that she came to him once , broken-hearted and hopeless , and said , " You have taken away my Lord and I know not where you have laid him ! " So , even so , Brother Jacob Norton , you have

removed our Solomon , our Hirams , all that we deemed traditions and landmarks!—what ia there left ? Awaiting your reply , I subscribe myself , " Faint yefc pursuing , "

Your Brother , ROB MORRIS La Grange , Kentucky , 31 st March 1887 .

THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OP TTLERS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I was rather amused by your article on the above subject lately , and perhaps as one of the class who , like every other species of the genus homo , are afflicted with " idiosyncrasies , " yon may permit me to have my little say . It is no very

«_ reafc matter for surprise that amongst Tylers there shonld be little differences , and that , aa in even the best regulated families , " accidents will happen " occasionally amongst them . But , without blowim ? my own trumpet with unnecessary vehemence , permit me to say that , in a majority of cases , we Tylers do behave ourselves in a

reasonably moderate , sensible , and intelligent manner , and are deserving ? of some little degree of respect . I myself am exceptionally fortunate ; I am thankful that my lines have fallen in pleasant places . True , I do not , as you describe it , tout for the sale on commission of collars , aprons , jewels , calendars , & o ., and therefore

I am bold enough to exclude myself from the catesrory of those whom you stigmatise as trading on Freemasonry . Then , again , being on the verge of entering into the sere and yellow leaf , I carefully avoid all flippancy and frivolity such as yon appear to have detected in some of my companions ; and I am told I maintain a firm ,

dignified , yet respectful demeanour towards all the members of the Lodges whose Tyler I am . It is true that at one period of my life I was in a far better position than I am now , but because I am grateful to be able to eke out my scanty means by acting as a Tyler , it is by no means necessary that I shonld be flouted as a

flunkey or snubbed as a servant . I am not ; but I know some poor fellows who are . I have known some Tylers , who though far better off pecuniarily than many of the brethren they " serve , " are treated a shade worse than a " self-made aristocrat" would treat his footman . On the other hand , there are some described tome who

perk themselves up in their " little brief authority , " and perform such cockatoo antics that they excite amusement rather than dissatisfaction . There is one Tyler , whose name yon will pardon me for concealing , he being a personal friend , who is remarkably fond of exercising bis prerogative of taking round the charity-box at

Lodge banquets , This , I suppose , is part of a Tyler's legitimate duty , though in the Lodge I tyle I am not required to perform such a service . Bat my friend above referred to delights in dancing round with the box , handing it with obsequious politeness to all the company—visitors included !—amidst a perfect torrent of winks

and laughter , showing plainly that the brethren are fully alive to the " idiosyncrasy" of their Tyler . But having done all this , he trips up like a teacher of dancing to tho Worshipful Master , and announces in stentorian voice "his pleasure" that so much money has been collected dnring the evening . This is the narrative as

it was explained to me , but it was impossible to suppress a guffaw when told of the crowning act of my friend ' s sangfroid . Having replaced the box in its wonted corner , he drew a chair near the entrance doorway , and producing his short-briar-root pipe and tobacco , he puffed away with the utmost complacency until

summoned to discharge his final duty , which he did with the most majestic and stentorian tones . I confess that in the early stages of my official life I was a little " stage struck" with the Tyler ' s toast , and had my peculiar ideas as to how it should be delivered ; but experience has , I venture to hope , cured me of a little " idiosyncrasy "

in that respect . Amongst the other "Tylers whom I have met , " was one who earned my respect , and the respect also of all the brethren with whom he came in contact , by his strict regard for courtesy , and his own position in the Lodge . The Worshipful Master , who was young

in office , commanded this Tyler in rather imperious manner to go to another y .-Tb of the hotel to fetch some books or documents to which he desired to refer . Without deigning to touch his forelock , as you might expect a cabman to do , he quickly turned to a waiter who was standing by , with the remark , " Waiter , the W . M . requests you

to do something for him ; attend and await his instructions . " There was a mutual look of puzzled surprise between the W . M . and the Tyler , but subsequently the former took an opportunity of making a personal explanation at the banquet table , absolving the Tyler from any act of discourtesy , and the episode tended to raise that Officer

in the estimation of the members , who warmly applauded hin for his little " idiosyncrasy . " There are many other anecdotes that might be related of the peculiarities exhibited by Tylers ; these would make an interesting volume if one had only the time to collect them . But I will not trespass too long upon your valuable space

just now . For instance , I was pre ? ent in a Lodge once when the candidate for initiation did not come properly prepared , and the consternation depicted on the countenances of the brethren when the just and upright man in the north-east corner produced his

purse , in response to the appeal of the Junior Deacon , was a sight never to be forgotten . I do not mean to impute the whole of the blame to the Tyler , or to exonerate the Director of Ceremonies—who by the bye was a Past Master—but the extraordinary occurrence nevertheless took place with the result that every Mason { knows .