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Article PERSECUTION ← Page 3 of 21 →
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Persecution
Towards the poor worthy aged , and decayed Freemason , in urging his just claims ; towards our Brethren who are likely to be misled , and whose best interests as a society are greatly endangered ; and towards our Most Worshipful Grand Master , in boldly repelling the reviiers of his good name ? Such being the case , and with the knowledge that " the good I stand on is my truth and honesty . " I most respectfully entreat your attention to the following statement of facts . On the 13 th of November a public'meeting of Governors and Subscribers
to the Aged Masons' Asylum , was held at Radley's Hotel , Bridge Street , Blaekfriars , in pursuance of a circular notice ; and for the purpose of confirming certain resolutions passed at a former meeting , and for general business . Having perused that circular notice , and being a subscriber , I attended ; and before the commencement of business , caused the following printed letter to be in the hands of every person present .
THE ASYLUM FOB WORTHY AGED AND DECAYED FREEMASONS , ALIAS THE WORKHOUSE QUESTION . BRETHREN , — Are we to have a Workhouse , or not ? Are we fo have an Institution calculated to relieve worthy , aged , and decayed Freemasons , or not ? These are important antagonist questions , which the Brethren must decide . When we look to the persons most forward in proposing and
maintaining these questions , the mind hardly hesitates one instant in its decision . His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex , our Most Worshipful Grand Master , proposes and maintains that we ought to have an Institution " calculated to relieve" worthy , aged , and decayed Freemasons . And is His Royal Highness an adventurer , seeking or calculating any personal profit in the matter ? No . AVhatevcr he proposes or maintains is solely for the benefit of the Craft .
But if we consider the question of a Workhouse , and look the proposition practically in the face , we instantly see Job , Humbug , and Co . in a long train of surveyors , builders , bricklayers , carpenters , plumbers , painters , glaziers , upholders , tailors , butchers , bakers , tallow-chandlers , doctors , and lawyers— - every man Jack of them seeking a Masonic charitable contract , which will put solid pudding into their own hungry stomachs , and send the real claimants—the worthy , aged , and decayed Freemasons—empty away . For will it he maintained , that they will buy ground for nothing—build the
Workhouse for nothing—furnish it for nothing—clothe the paupers for nothingfeed them for nothing—and physic them for nothing ? And when all these somethings are put together , will not the remainder he something like the Irishman ' s stocking—no feet without any legs ? Let not Brethren be offended at the word Pauper ; for surely the Workhouse proposition is a recruiting for paupers ; as they declare that they only want to help and relieve those who are " destitute of all resources , except what charity supplied . " God bless those poor destitute ! Their best
( self styled ) friends say , " Good people , we have a sum of money in hand , but we cannot relieve you ; it is devoted to a building fund ; our Brother Turnstyle has got the contract , and he must be paid . " Which is , properly speaking , giving a Brother a stone when he asks for bread ; and inclines us to believe , that when certain persons relieve paupers they " cry for pleasure , " * that themselves will have relief without appearing to claim charity . Thus far even a comparison of the persons proposing these two questions ought at once to decide the matter with any reasonable mind . Shall His Royal Highness ' s advice be followed , who seeks to benefit the real claimants for charity , without personal profit ; or the advice of some smooth- '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Persecution
Towards the poor worthy aged , and decayed Freemason , in urging his just claims ; towards our Brethren who are likely to be misled , and whose best interests as a society are greatly endangered ; and towards our Most Worshipful Grand Master , in boldly repelling the reviiers of his good name ? Such being the case , and with the knowledge that " the good I stand on is my truth and honesty . " I most respectfully entreat your attention to the following statement of facts . On the 13 th of November a public'meeting of Governors and Subscribers
to the Aged Masons' Asylum , was held at Radley's Hotel , Bridge Street , Blaekfriars , in pursuance of a circular notice ; and for the purpose of confirming certain resolutions passed at a former meeting , and for general business . Having perused that circular notice , and being a subscriber , I attended ; and before the commencement of business , caused the following printed letter to be in the hands of every person present .
THE ASYLUM FOB WORTHY AGED AND DECAYED FREEMASONS , ALIAS THE WORKHOUSE QUESTION . BRETHREN , — Are we to have a Workhouse , or not ? Are we fo have an Institution calculated to relieve worthy , aged , and decayed Freemasons , or not ? These are important antagonist questions , which the Brethren must decide . When we look to the persons most forward in proposing and
maintaining these questions , the mind hardly hesitates one instant in its decision . His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex , our Most Worshipful Grand Master , proposes and maintains that we ought to have an Institution " calculated to relieve" worthy , aged , and decayed Freemasons . And is His Royal Highness an adventurer , seeking or calculating any personal profit in the matter ? No . AVhatevcr he proposes or maintains is solely for the benefit of the Craft .
But if we consider the question of a Workhouse , and look the proposition practically in the face , we instantly see Job , Humbug , and Co . in a long train of surveyors , builders , bricklayers , carpenters , plumbers , painters , glaziers , upholders , tailors , butchers , bakers , tallow-chandlers , doctors , and lawyers— - every man Jack of them seeking a Masonic charitable contract , which will put solid pudding into their own hungry stomachs , and send the real claimants—the worthy , aged , and decayed Freemasons—empty away . For will it he maintained , that they will buy ground for nothing—build the
Workhouse for nothing—furnish it for nothing—clothe the paupers for nothingfeed them for nothing—and physic them for nothing ? And when all these somethings are put together , will not the remainder he something like the Irishman ' s stocking—no feet without any legs ? Let not Brethren be offended at the word Pauper ; for surely the Workhouse proposition is a recruiting for paupers ; as they declare that they only want to help and relieve those who are " destitute of all resources , except what charity supplied . " God bless those poor destitute ! Their best
( self styled ) friends say , " Good people , we have a sum of money in hand , but we cannot relieve you ; it is devoted to a building fund ; our Brother Turnstyle has got the contract , and he must be paid . " Which is , properly speaking , giving a Brother a stone when he asks for bread ; and inclines us to believe , that when certain persons relieve paupers they " cry for pleasure , " * that themselves will have relief without appearing to claim charity . Thus far even a comparison of the persons proposing these two questions ought at once to decide the matter with any reasonable mind . Shall His Royal Highness ' s advice be followed , who seeks to benefit the real claimants for charity , without personal profit ; or the advice of some smooth- '