Dispensing Masonic Aid.

DISPENSING MASONIC AID .

OUR attention is again called to this subject by a circular just received from a committee appointed at the recent annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin , for the purpose , as thoy state it , " to lay before the several Grand Lodges of the country the

question of Masonic relief , the object being to attempt to establish more systematic and uniform methods . " A careful reading of the circular discloses the fact that the only " uniform method" embraced in the movement is an attempt to establish the following proposition , which Grand Lodges are asked to adopt :

" It is the duty of each Lodge to take care of its own members in distress , wherever they may be . In case of its inability to do so , this duty devolves upon the Grand Lodge from which it holds its charter . It being understood that in no case is tho Lodge furnishing relief and asking reimbursement to go beyond actual necessities , without express authority from the reimbursing body . " „ .

••The chairman of this committee , and so presumably the active mover iu this matter on the part of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin , is Bro . Wm . C . Swain P . G . M ., and

this calls to mind that at the Masonic Congress , held in Chicago during the World ' s Fair , Bro . Swain made an effort to commit the Congress to a similar proposition , which was as follows :

" The conclusion of the Congress is that each jurisdiction should take care of its own members when in distress , and that it is the duty of Grand Lodges to see that all legitimaoo expenses incurred in the relief or burial of a Brother in foreign jurisdictions are paid either by the Lodge of which he is a member , or the Grand Lodge from which it holds its charter . "

This proposition received but very little support outside of the delegates from Wisconsin , while the following was almost unanimously adopted : " The conclusion of the Congress is , that worthy Masons are entitled to relief from Brethren and Lodges wheresoever they may

be found in need of relief , and that the Brethren of Lodges granting such aid are not entitled to demand reimbursement from the Lodges in which they hold their membership , but that when a

member of one Lodge is relieved by another , and the financial situation of his Lodge is such as to permit , common courtesy and duty alike demand that it should reimburse a poorer Lodge relieving its members . "

The Grand Lodge of Indiana came to this same conclusion in 1869—just a quarter of a century ago—and has successfully maintained it ever since . It is so taught in the very first degree in Masonry , in the grand lesson

that a Mason ' s Lodge extends from East to West aud between North and South , and that Masonic charity should be equally extensive . This same idea of universality is expressed in the petition which a man presents

to a Lodge when he desires to become a Mason . Here is the form of it : " The petition of the subscriber respectfully showeth , that having long entertained a favourable opinion of your ancient Institution , he is desirous of being admitted a member thereof if found

worthy . ' Nothing is said about becoming a member of that particular Lodge , or of any Lodge , for that matter . In fact , it may be said that the present system of Lodges is a modern invention in this " ancient institution . " The obligation to aid a Brother who needs assistance is a

personal one , which every Mason has assumed , and the rendering of aid by Lodges is only that the burden may be borne equally by many instead of a few , and thus make it light for all . The needy Brother is entitled to assistance wherever he may be , and the duty of affording it rests where the application is made .

In sending out this circular , with a proposition for Grand Lodges to consider , one would naturally suppose that the committee would have presented some arguments to support it ; but all we find in it is the recital of two cases in Wisconsin , where Lodges had been

compelled to expend a larger amouut of money than they could afford , in the relief of Masons holding a membership in some other State . Now , let us suppose that instead of this , two members of these same Lodges had been away from home , and had received an equal

amount of relief from Lodges in another State , would not demand for reimbursement from these foreign Lodges have proved just as great a burden on them as though

the aid had been given them at home ? We can see no difference in it , and their members were just as liable to be away from home and need assistance as that a strange Brother should come among them in that condition . Making one Lodge responsible for aid

Dispensing Masonic Aid.

afforded one of its members by some other party is narrowing Masonic charity iuto a channel that the great Masonic Brotherhood will never accept . Such a plan is wholly contrary to the design and spirit of Masonry , and if we are not much mistaken the Grand of her

Lod . ^ e Wisconsin will stand alone with proposition . There may possibly be a few Grand Lodges in the far West that will support it , but the great majority will continue to dispense Masonic aid without the hope of fee or reward . — " Masonic Advocate . "

The following letter , which appears in the same issue of the " Advocate , " is also of interest ia this connection : LAFAYETTE , IND ,, 4 th October 1894 . DKAB BROTHER , — The frequoucy with which city Lodges are solicited for charity by persons representing themselves to be Masons leads ine to write our plan of dealing with them to find out

if thoy are worthy and thus savo our Lodges considerable money each year . Nine out of every ten who apply are frauds . When O'ie appears before one of our relief board claiming to be a Mason , we take his full name , the number and name and location of the Lodge to which he claims allegiance . He is then given a telegram inquiring as to the truth of his statements , to the Worshipful

Master of tho Lodge . Accompanying this is au order to the telegraph office to send it and collect of the relief board . Wo do not pretend to do the telegraphing ourselves because we have found it cheaper to let the applicant carry tho message , for this reason * . Nine out of ten of such messages are never sent , and thus we are

saved much money . The applic mt , if he be a fraud , is thus exposed . If the message is delivered at the telegraph office an answer is usually received within three or four hours if in the daytime . Sometimes the other Lodgo pays the expense of the reply and sometimes it is left to us to pay . If the reply is favourable , of course wo help him .

While awaiting the reply the applicant is entitled to be considered a Mason . Therefore if he needs food or rest an order is given to him to a transient boaraing-house with the order to collect what is ordered on the card . Only one in four of these orders ever como back . Thinking this plan would be of interest to Lodges who are not using it , this letter is written . Fraternally yours , GEO . F . KEIPEB , W . M . No . 123 .

Penniless Pilgrims.

PENNILESS PILGRIMS .

A FEW weeks ago the " Westminster Gazette" contained an announcement that two young journalists , Mr . Edwin R . Louden and Mr . Herbert G . Field , had started on a tramp round the world under tho following extraordinary conditions . " The whole journey will be made on foot except where sea voyages are absolutely unavoidable . They take no money with them—will not use ( till their return ) the proceeds of the journalistic work they

have undertaken—and for their necessary expenses during the four or five years they expect to be away they rely entirely on their wits and good luck , being ready to tackle anything they may come across in the shape of honest work , be it a diplomatic mission or a temperance lecture . They carry very little in the way of luggage , but take a ' kodak , ' which will be in constant use , both for business and pleasure . "

This is by no means a new idea , for in a very humorous work issued in 1618 , a work which is considered to be one of the greatest curiosities of English literature , is an account of the manner in which a doggrel poet obtained food and shelter during an expedition

undertaken up ' . 'n somewhat similar lines to that of the above . It is a racy although affected and nonsensical description of a journey into Scotland by John Ta > lor , the eccentric Thames boatman , who by permission of King James the First was allowed to style himself " Tlie King ' s Majcstie ' s Water Poet and Queen's Waterman . "

Taylor ' s narrative , which contains a description of the manners , customs , scenery , and people , is a wondrous combination of prose and verse , and is considered to be exceptionally good . With the prevailing redundancy of language which characterised the writings of the ago in which he lived , the author entitles his

effusion " Tho Pennyles Pilgrimage , or Money-lesse Perambulation of Iohn Taylor , alias the King ' s Majestie's Water-Poet . How he travail'd from London to Edenborough in Scotland , not carrying any money to or fro , neither begging , borrowing or asking meate , drinke , or lodging , & c . "

According to " Chambers , ' Sir Walter Scott acknowledges himself to bo indebted to the Water Poet for his description of the Highlands , and method of hunting called the Tinchol , which has furnished materials for tho hunting scene in the celebrated romance of Waverley . Edward Roberts P . M .

A new Mark Lodge will shortly be consecrated in Bootle . Mark Masonry , says the " Liverpool Mercury , " has , during the past year or two , made considerable progress in the Province of Lancashire , especially in the Western Division , of which Liverpool is the centre .