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Article ONE OR TWO HOME TRUTHS. Page 1 of 2 Article ONE OR TWO HOME TRUTHS. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
One Or Two Home Truths.
ONE OR TWO HOME TRUTHS .
WE are proud , very much proud , as some affected people say , of the fraternal spirit which animates the Society of Freemasons . In so far as we are men , we have , of course , our failings , our little weaknesses . "We are occasionally envious , not to say spiteful . Occasionally we not only think , bufc speak ill of our neighbours . We
are not remarkably blind to other people s faults , however much we may be disposed to overlook our own . Envy , hatred , and even uncharitableness are among our besetting frailties . In so far , we repeat , as we are men , we not unfrequently yield to these common infirmities of human
nature ; but inasmuch as we are brothers , knit together in one Society by a desire to do as we would be clone by , we are , of course , above all those weaknesses to which ordinary men are unfortunately subject . And yet—how funny it is that nearly every attribute we claim to possess must have its
attendant qualification—and yet there are those among us who are sometimes oblivious of their Masonic duties , who are not always observant of the obligations they have undertaken to fulfil . We do occasionally hear of those who are brothers as well as men speaking in disrespectful terms of
their fellows . We do find some who are prompted by illfeeling of one kind or other to asperse the character of others . In short , there are too many members of our Society who allow the vices of humanity to prevail over the virtues of Freemasonry , who are members
m name only , and yield themselves up with the greatest unction to those ill feelings and evil doings by which what we call the profane world is distinguished . It is nofc given to every one to attain distinction as a virtuous man , bufc all may try to become such . TJnfortunatelv there are those
in our Lodges who make a practice of eschewing good that evil may come . On some slight pretence or other , either because they have been annoyed or fancy they have been annoyed , they pour out the vials of their wrath on all they come in contact with . Some time ago—we should say a
good twelvemonths has elapsed — a high Provincial dignitary administered in open Provincial Grand Lodge one of those stern rebukes which ought to have made the blood run cold in the veins of the offender . One prominent case which he cited of a deadly offence against the laws of
Freemasonry was , if we remember rightly , thafc of an old Past Master , who took every opportunity of declaring , with a torrent of oaths and blasphemy , that he would black-ball every one who was proposed as a candidate for admission into the Lodge of which he was a member . Had this
individual been only a man , his reviling and his ill-nature would have passed unheeded , except , perhaps , among his own associates , but as he was a man and a brother , he was publicly , though not by name , rebuked by one who was high in office , and had the ri ght to do so . Subsequently ,
a case was brought before the judge of one of our Count y Courts , in which a newly initiated " brother had refused to pay his fees . The case broke down , owing to certain informalities in the procedure adopted , but while we must fain acknowledge that Freemasonry covers a multitude of
sins , we must also point out thafc the sin of nofc paying one ' s dues is nofc one of thafc mulfcitnde . A man may fall into bad circumstances after a time , and find himself unable to pay his subscriptions ; but at the very outset ,
when he is seeking admission into our ranks , he knows , or ought to know , that the entrance or initiation fees are not simply due by him , but payable likewise . He knows they will be demanded of
One Or Two Home Truths.
him , and if ho is not prepared to pay , he should not seek admission . Freemasonry is not conducted like many a West End business , on the long credit system as regards initiation fees , but , very properly , the terms are cash only . More recently still we have heard of a case of libel , which has
or , we should say rather , which would have been tried in one of our law courts . The vis et origo mail in this instance was a Lodge squabble in which certain members resolved on black-balling all candidates proposed by certain other members . This , of course , may be taken as another illustration
of that truly fraternal feeling which seizes on all men the moment they become Freemasons . There are nofc a few among us who " do good by stealth and blush to find ifc fame ! " but not so , the blaspheming P . M . 's and rabid blackbailers . Their deeds are nolle and thoy have no notion of
blushing when they find themselves notorious . They have no idea of hiding their ill-favoured light under a bushel ; on the contrary they are resolved ifc shall be placed where
it will be visible to the greatest number . We have never seen a code of morals in which blaspheming was written down as a virtue . We have read that in one of our numerous wars our British soldiers " swore
terribly in Flanders ; " bufc though we have every reason to believe their offence was condoned by the country , in consideration of the magnificent valour they exhibited , we cannot accept the round oaths of brave men as in any wise justifying the conduct of those narrow-minded ,
currish , ill-conditioned Masons who curse , not their enemies , but their brethren . As to black-balling , it is necessary there should be available in all societies a means for preventing the admission of unworthy persons into our Lodges , but the ballot-box was never intended to subserve the
parposes of malice . It was never contemplated thafc worthy people should suffer by this mode of secret voting . It was considered that the ballot box offered the best means for concealing adverse votes , so that whether a candidate were elected or rejected , he might remain in blissful ignorance
of those who had opposed him . But this secresy is destroyed , and the intent and purpose of the institution defied by brethren who deliberately announce in public their intention of black-balling all candidates indiscriminately . There are some people who are said to love darkness ,
because of the darkness of their deeds ; but the black-ballers , who thus defy the unwritten laws of Masonry , do so ostentatiously , as though there were something to boast of in theso public demonstrations of envy , hatred , malice , and all uncharitableness . Another evil which
ifc is tke duty of all Freemasons to resist is , the system of trading on Masonry , which , unfortunately , is far too commonly practised . We do not see why people who aro engaged in business shonld mix bnsiness and Freemasonry up together . Ifc is disgusting to have a card thrust into
your hand , with the address and nature of Bro . ' s occiipation inscribed upon it . A man , be he a Mason or not , is perfectly justified in touting for customers whenever and wherever he can ; but he must do so in a legitimate fashion . If we are desirous of buying goods of a certain
man who is a member of our Fraternity , we shall do so because he sells what we want , and his godds are of excellent quality : or because we believe him to be a worthy and enterprising tradesman , and we are anxious to do him a good turn ; but we should never dream of buying his
shirts , or his butter and cheese , or his groceries , or whatever he may have to sell , because he happens to be a Mason . Ifc is a prostitution of Masonry to emblazon one ' s business premises with the signs and symbols of our mystic brotherhood . The glass of ale is nofc fresher or clearer , the Ban-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
One Or Two Home Truths.
ONE OR TWO HOME TRUTHS .
WE are proud , very much proud , as some affected people say , of the fraternal spirit which animates the Society of Freemasons . In so far as we are men , we have , of course , our failings , our little weaknesses . "We are occasionally envious , not to say spiteful . Occasionally we not only think , bufc speak ill of our neighbours . We
are not remarkably blind to other people s faults , however much we may be disposed to overlook our own . Envy , hatred , and even uncharitableness are among our besetting frailties . In so far , we repeat , as we are men , we not unfrequently yield to these common infirmities of human
nature ; but inasmuch as we are brothers , knit together in one Society by a desire to do as we would be clone by , we are , of course , above all those weaknesses to which ordinary men are unfortunately subject . And yet—how funny it is that nearly every attribute we claim to possess must have its
attendant qualification—and yet there are those among us who are sometimes oblivious of their Masonic duties , who are not always observant of the obligations they have undertaken to fulfil . We do occasionally hear of those who are brothers as well as men speaking in disrespectful terms of
their fellows . We do find some who are prompted by illfeeling of one kind or other to asperse the character of others . In short , there are too many members of our Society who allow the vices of humanity to prevail over the virtues of Freemasonry , who are members
m name only , and yield themselves up with the greatest unction to those ill feelings and evil doings by which what we call the profane world is distinguished . It is nofc given to every one to attain distinction as a virtuous man , bufc all may try to become such . TJnfortunatelv there are those
in our Lodges who make a practice of eschewing good that evil may come . On some slight pretence or other , either because they have been annoyed or fancy they have been annoyed , they pour out the vials of their wrath on all they come in contact with . Some time ago—we should say a
good twelvemonths has elapsed — a high Provincial dignitary administered in open Provincial Grand Lodge one of those stern rebukes which ought to have made the blood run cold in the veins of the offender . One prominent case which he cited of a deadly offence against the laws of
Freemasonry was , if we remember rightly , thafc of an old Past Master , who took every opportunity of declaring , with a torrent of oaths and blasphemy , that he would black-ball every one who was proposed as a candidate for admission into the Lodge of which he was a member . Had this
individual been only a man , his reviling and his ill-nature would have passed unheeded , except , perhaps , among his own associates , but as he was a man and a brother , he was publicly , though not by name , rebuked by one who was high in office , and had the ri ght to do so . Subsequently ,
a case was brought before the judge of one of our Count y Courts , in which a newly initiated " brother had refused to pay his fees . The case broke down , owing to certain informalities in the procedure adopted , but while we must fain acknowledge that Freemasonry covers a multitude of
sins , we must also point out thafc the sin of nofc paying one ' s dues is nofc one of thafc mulfcitnde . A man may fall into bad circumstances after a time , and find himself unable to pay his subscriptions ; but at the very outset ,
when he is seeking admission into our ranks , he knows , or ought to know , that the entrance or initiation fees are not simply due by him , but payable likewise . He knows they will be demanded of
One Or Two Home Truths.
him , and if ho is not prepared to pay , he should not seek admission . Freemasonry is not conducted like many a West End business , on the long credit system as regards initiation fees , but , very properly , the terms are cash only . More recently still we have heard of a case of libel , which has
or , we should say rather , which would have been tried in one of our law courts . The vis et origo mail in this instance was a Lodge squabble in which certain members resolved on black-balling all candidates proposed by certain other members . This , of course , may be taken as another illustration
of that truly fraternal feeling which seizes on all men the moment they become Freemasons . There are nofc a few among us who " do good by stealth and blush to find ifc fame ! " but not so , the blaspheming P . M . 's and rabid blackbailers . Their deeds are nolle and thoy have no notion of
blushing when they find themselves notorious . They have no idea of hiding their ill-favoured light under a bushel ; on the contrary they are resolved ifc shall be placed where
it will be visible to the greatest number . We have never seen a code of morals in which blaspheming was written down as a virtue . We have read that in one of our numerous wars our British soldiers " swore
terribly in Flanders ; " bufc though we have every reason to believe their offence was condoned by the country , in consideration of the magnificent valour they exhibited , we cannot accept the round oaths of brave men as in any wise justifying the conduct of those narrow-minded ,
currish , ill-conditioned Masons who curse , not their enemies , but their brethren . As to black-balling , it is necessary there should be available in all societies a means for preventing the admission of unworthy persons into our Lodges , but the ballot-box was never intended to subserve the
parposes of malice . It was never contemplated thafc worthy people should suffer by this mode of secret voting . It was considered that the ballot box offered the best means for concealing adverse votes , so that whether a candidate were elected or rejected , he might remain in blissful ignorance
of those who had opposed him . But this secresy is destroyed , and the intent and purpose of the institution defied by brethren who deliberately announce in public their intention of black-balling all candidates indiscriminately . There are some people who are said to love darkness ,
because of the darkness of their deeds ; but the black-ballers , who thus defy the unwritten laws of Masonry , do so ostentatiously , as though there were something to boast of in theso public demonstrations of envy , hatred , malice , and all uncharitableness . Another evil which
ifc is tke duty of all Freemasons to resist is , the system of trading on Masonry , which , unfortunately , is far too commonly practised . We do not see why people who aro engaged in business shonld mix bnsiness and Freemasonry up together . Ifc is disgusting to have a card thrust into
your hand , with the address and nature of Bro . ' s occiipation inscribed upon it . A man , be he a Mason or not , is perfectly justified in touting for customers whenever and wherever he can ; but he must do so in a legitimate fashion . If we are desirous of buying goods of a certain
man who is a member of our Fraternity , we shall do so because he sells what we want , and his godds are of excellent quality : or because we believe him to be a worthy and enterprising tradesman , and we are anxious to do him a good turn ; but we should never dream of buying his
shirts , or his butter and cheese , or his groceries , or whatever he may have to sell , because he happens to be a Mason . Ifc is a prostitution of Masonry to emblazon one ' s business premises with the signs and symbols of our mystic brotherhood . The glass of ale is nofc fresher or clearer , the Ban-