Conservation Of Masonry.

CONSERVATION OF MASONRY .

THERE can be no doubt that the natural tendency of Masonry is to incite a reverent ancl conservative feeling toward itself on tho part of its followers . Brethren arc taught to recognise the wisclon and experience of the past , ancl to hold in deserved honour those ancient worthies who are supposed to have given form and character to the Masonic system . The general sentiment of Masonry is that of respect for those forms , regulations , and practices which have been long established , and which have been transmitted from generation to generation under the seal ancl attestation of well-informed brethren .

That there is this potential sentiment among brethren is a matter of congratulation , for the feeling is one which accords with the genius of Masonry ancl tends to the conservation of those interests which are most important Intelligent craftsmen appreciate the constraining force of such a sentiment , which disposes them alike to resist encroachments upon the well-established order of Masonic procedure ancl to hold the Institution to its defined courses ancl limitations . There may be some defects and blemishes in the Masonic

system— -the wear and tear of time may be noticeable in its present appearance —but this is no reason wh y radical hands should seek its overthrow . It may not be a perfect institution , but if it were demolished could a better societ y be built on its ruins ? Is not the Masonry which the fathers have formulated ancl sent clown to ns still adapted to do the work ancl fulfil the mission for which it was designed ? and is it not everyway best that brethren

should scrupulously observe the ancient landmarks , and walk in the old paths ? There are always some influences at work for change and destructiveness ; there are iconoclasts in every organization who seek to pull down what others have bnilded , and whose aim , more or less distinctly avowed , is revolution . Men of this stamp are always planning some new departure , ever seeking to change the ancient practice in one or another respect , that so , according to

their ideas , some important improvement may be effected . In France it is considered progress to strike out all recognition of a personal God from the ritual , and to so recast the system that Masonry shall become little else than materialistic philosophy and socialism . In Spain , also , the old landmarks are discarded , ancl strange antics are played in the name of our time-honoured institution—women being initiated into its mysterieswhile the

, profane are frequentl y invited to its spectacular exhibitions . Thus it comes about that in many localities there is an almost complete dismemberment of the Masonry of the past ; or at least the former rule and procedure have been set aside , and a new order of things has been introdueed which is claimed to be more iu accordance with the changing spirit ancl demands of a progressive age .

Even in our own country we may discover some of the same tendencies toward revolutionary and destructive measures . There are plenty of critics to point out defects ancl blemishes in the Masonic institution as it now exists —those who are adepts in scolding and fault-finding , and are swift to predict that something must be clone to save from threatened ruin . Thus one class of brethren desire to mould anew the institution so as to give it a more distinctive

religious character—to imbue it with the especial characteristics of a sect , and thus make it do the work of the church . . Another class would improve the system by taking from it the moral and religious elements it now possesses , asserting that Masonry would be stronger if it made no reference to God or the Bible . Others there are who seek to graft on the old Masonic tree the branches that blossom and bear fruit in beneficial societies , and those other