Gleanings.

GLEANINGS .

— : o : — A C ENTENARIAN DOCTOR . —There would seem to be something in the combination of Freemasonry with medioine that makes for longevity . Not very long ago we had occasion to congratulate H ^ WAliana Salmon , of Pennlyne , Glamorganshire , the oldest member of the College of Snrgeons , on hia completion of his 102 nd year .

Now a rival medico-Masouio planet swims into our ken iu the form of Dr . Enoch Fithian , of Greenwich , Cumberland County ( U . S . A . ) . who , on 10 th May celebrated the completion of a century of life . Dr . Fithian , who was born on 10 th May 1792 , claims to be the oldest

Freemason in the United States , having been initiated seventy-six years ago . He boasts that he has seen every President of the United States from Washington , whom he Baw at Philadelphia during his second term of office , down to the present ocenpant of the White House . —British Medical Journal .

The following pithy paragraph was captured in an exchange : — Titles are all right , bnt they are not the man , nor the qualification to fill the office . Ignorance can ocoupy the Oriental Chair , but cannot teach .

A Lodge in the United States was reoently disciplined for « ' tolerating drunkenness within its walls , " the Master being accused also of the same offence . Bro . "Wheeler , of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut , in his report on correspondence , thus referred to the affair : —If this be true , the sooner that Lodge is blotted ont of

existence and tbe Master expelled from the Order , the better it will be for Freemasonry in those parte . A Lodge room is no place to open a club room , with grog proolivities . A few such cases would demonstrate the necessity of a more careful scrutiny of Lodges by competent authority , like the Grand Lecturer or District Depnty

system . —Canadian GrafUman . In some jurisdictions in the United States degree are sometimes conferred on Sundays . The Voice of Masonry oondemns suoh Sabbath breaking as follows : —Conferring degrees on Sunday wonld not be religions service , nor work of either necessity or charity , and consequently would not be right . Sunday is a day devoted to religions

service and rest , and Masons are supposed to observe it accordingly , or at least not to do anything that will conflict with any of the proper duties of the day . This , in part , is because Masonry is not to oonfliot with any of the duties one OWOB to God , to his country , to his neighbour , to his family , or to himself . Any way , six days of the week are sufficient for the conferring of Masonic degrees , and on the seventh the Craft may justly and righteously rest from their labours .

It is not secrecy that the Roman Catholio Churoh fear . They dare not encourage or countenance a sooiety which inculoates human equality , and takes the Word of God as its supreme rule . They are not afraid of the darkness of treason as they are of the daylight of universal intelligence . They do not dread the cabalistic signs of Freemasonry so muoh as theyjdo the elevation of their subjects .

I do not think that any one will make the mistake of thinking that Masonry is a religious body ; it is not a political party ; it is not of any church or sect , but may it be said to our eternal honour that it never will be an organisation of atheists ! We try to ingraft a lofty citizenship in our members . —J . W . Thompson .

Freemasons are so-called because they are made free , brought out of darkuess into light , elevated from ignorance to knowledge , taught how to live iu hononr and how to die iu peace . —C . W . Camp . As an educator iu the great moral duties men owe to tbe race , in breaking down the bnrriers of social distinctions and teaching the

brotherhood of man , in insisting ou tho duty of charity towards all men , in teaching self-restraint , obedience to authority , to bo good men and trap , to be good citizens , to look to God as the author and finisher of all , Masonry is doing au estimable servico to the state as well ns to tbe individual . It is these things thnt awaken the

enthusiasm of its mombers . But , brethren , we must never lose sight of the iruth that onr Order is only what we , its members , make it . It has no inherent vitality . There is a grand ideal set before IIB , but we must seo that that ideal is realised . The world can only judge the Institution b y its works ; if it judges it harshly we have only ourselves to blame .

Aa you have a filial reverence for your parents , so , as a Mason , you must have a patriotic veneration for the rulers of your country . Never disturb the public tranquility by joining in plots or conspiracies against the peace of tho nation , or against tho government under which you live . A Mason ought to be a poacoful snbject , and pra ctice iu public the lessons of snbmission and obedience tnafc he is taught in tbe Lodge . The destruction of order is sin . —Oliver .

Every Master agrees not to rule or govern the Lodge ovor which he ia called to preside in a hanghty or arbitr . iry manner . Yet he often acta to snit his own opinions , and with doubtful jnstice to his Ijod ge , and there is no appeal from his decision . The Master ' s Prerogative should yield to the equitable , just and parliamentary

practice of submitting doubtful decisions on nppeal to tho bod y governed , which , we claim , is the superior authority , and did not elevate its Master to his place to become an autocrat , but to simply preside , and aot as the executive of its will . Wo once witnessed a

and Maxtor give a decision on a measure of considerable importaan , "I 011 * against tho manifested desire of the Grand Lodge , and as mere is no app 3 nl allowed , as in all other dolibeiative b' lies ' , tbe Z ? I ! % V Rnbm'tted to . SimiK- occurrences happen often in constituent bodies .

ort ? m XOQa i ? SayS tbafc in Mississippi a person who sells lager beer would > " v -l * ° b e , i Kibl ° for tho degrees of Masonry . But how beliove ••B 0 lrl S inKer n ] e only ? There is no alcohol , we thore i « "' ° al ' ' ' tho , l S ° !» mo would acorn to imply tl--t

Gleanings.

Great are the uses of advertisement , but fearful and wonderful are the announcements thnt sometimes meet onr eyes . An advertise * ment in the Daily Telegraph displays a notice in large oapitals , " Drunk nearly one hundred years . " We gasped for breath and

wondered to whioh degenerate descendant of Methuselah it could possibly refer . We expected- to find some patent m ^ dioal cure for inebriation , and were considerably relieved when reading further on that tbo startling heading was merely a prelude to a very innocent advertisement of a firm of tea dealers .

The door of Masonry is not supposed to open until he who knocks has proven his entitlement to enter ; but qnick and wide its portal swings oj < ir for him who brings an honest heart , a faith in God , a belief in the wisdom of an upright life , an acknowledgment that all need friendly help along life ' s devious road , and a desire to be of help and comfort to his fellow-men .

The three degrees of Masonry have a peculiar triple significance . They represent youth , when we ought to apply onr minds to the attainment of knowledge , in order thnt in manhood we may apply that knowledge to the duties of the Most High , and the benefit of

our neighbour and ourselves ; and old age , when wo may enjoy happy reflections of a well spent life below , " and contemplate death as the end of affliotion and the entrance to a better life . "—Jos . L Carson .

In France Franc-Maconnene ia not tho institution Freemasonry is in England . In this country politics form no part of the speculative system of Masonio Morality ; whereas in France , as well as in Italy and some other countries , politics enter very largely into the proceedings condnoted under the cover of Masonio Lodges . It ia

surprising therefore to note that according to the Saint Public there are 24 , 500 Freemasons in France represented in Parliament by no fewer than 150 deputies , giving one depnty to every 162 Freemasons The proportion is a very large one , as there is only one depaty to 22 , 000 ordinary oitizenB . —Newcastle Daily Chronicle .

Sit down heavily npon any one who burlesques the solemn oere * mony in onr Craft , by ruffianism , by nndue severity , or what ia worse , by buffoonery . There is no room for "fan" in oar degrees . —Exchange .

The number of Master Masons ( affiliated ) in the United States ia 673 , 643 ; 36 , 781 were raised la « t year , and 9 , 058 died . Tha largest Grand Lodge is New York , 75 , 775 ; Illinois comes second , 42 , 369 ; Pennsylvania third , 41 , 192 ; the smallest is Arizona , 429 The largest number were raised in New York , 4 , 622 j the smallest in Utah , 21 .

An Irishman submits the following in favour of Becret societies : — "Gintlemen , I couldn't begin to tell yez half the priviledgei appertainin' to a membership in this so iety , bnt I'll tell yez a few . First , when yez is sick it'll not be pertaties and tay ye'll be gettin ' , but foine cuts of roast bafe . Nixt , yez are dead ye'll have

such a fine funeral that the folks on the sidewalk'll be after askin * wid thoir eyes stiokin' out like a lobster ' s , ' Shure , who ' s in tho coffin ? ' and whin yez are buried , we'll take seoh exsadin' good care av yonr woives and ohildrin that the'll all be rejoio . ' u' greatly because ther ' re widdies an' orphans .

Ignorance is the bane of Freemasonry . The Freemasons of Klerksdorf , Sonth Africa , are in a state of disorganisation . English and Sootch L ' lges are quarrelling with

each other , and either Lodgo among themselves . Iu San Francisco all tho Lodges meet weekly , the first week iu every month being occupied in Lodgo business , and the others being devoted to degreo work . Neither banquets nor suppers are held .

Wo Tegret to notice the use of tho words " higher degrees " and " lower degrees " in dealing with Masonio questions . As ther ? are neither higher nor lower degrees , this is a misuse of terms in describing Masonio bodies . There are various and different associations composed of Masons , but there is nothing higher in Masonry than a

plain and pure Master Mason . He is the complete unit in Freemasonry , and while he may be aggregated with others to form some new combination calling itself Masonio , it shonid never be forgotten that the foundation is tho tbr ° e ancinnt and symbolic degrees . Tbe

fact that the higher claimants nlways are "areful to call themselves Musonic , is sufficient proof that the arithmetical progression of figures , while very important in measuring personal wealth , doea not in Masonry indicate superiority in any respect . —Arnold .

During the period when serious business occupies the attention of tbe brethren , you must not leave your seat , or engage in conversation with your neighbour , not ovou iu whispers ; neither shonid yon .

move tbe chair on which you are seated , or make any other noise to disturb tho Muster or his Officers in tho orderly execution of their respective duties . Silenco is the leading characteristic of a wellregulated Lodge . —Oliver .

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