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Article TO OFE STJBSCEIBEES. ← Page 5 of 8 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To Ofe Stjbsceibees.
read the paragraphs which he proposed should be omitted / ' And what was more natural than that he should do so , seeing that he proceeded to descant upon these paragraphs , and give his reasons ( on the validity of which we express no opinion here ) why he did not move for the reception of those portions of the report with the rest . So far as the resolution is concerned , we trust we have said enough to prove to the Brethren , and even to Bro . Havers himself , that we did not
distort his words , and that , looking at their identity with those of the Grand Secretary , we have not unfairly reported him . But we are compelled to go further , for Bro . Binckes , not being allowed to refer to the Magazine , complained that Bro . Havers should use the word " monstrous , " as applied to a portion of the Colonial Committee ' s report , upon which Bro . Havers , with some warmth , replied , —
"It is also unfair of Bro . Binckes to quote as authoritative the Magazine reports , which have been often complained of ; and , till of recent years , it has been in the habit of leaving out the ' points' and all the arguments unfavourable to its views , and making what we said appear frivolous in the eyes of the public . I never stated that it was ' monstrous' to do this , that , or the other . "
Now , if there is one thing in connection with the Magazine in which the present managers take a greater pride than another , it is that in their reports they carefully eschew all bias , and give the arguments against their own opinions as fully , if not more fully , than
those in their support . And what has been the cause of this improvement—for improvement Bro . Havers fairly acknowledges it to be—but this , that for several years the Magazine was conducted by amateur writers , and there was not a single professional reporter upon it ? Such Brethren in writing a report would , no doubt , even with the utmost desire to be correct—for we will give to every Brother
credit for good intentions—occasionally omit points and distort arguments ; whilst now no less than six Brethren connected with the literary department of the Freemasons' Magazine are professional newspaper and magazine writers , the majority of them having graduated in the professions as first-class parliamentary reporters—a class of gentlemen noted above all others for the impartiality of
their reports . No sooner did the present managers of the Magazine take the reins of power in their hands , than they determined to make it , more fully than it had hitherto been , the exponent of the opinions of the Craft ; and they knew that the only way properly to do so was to give accurate reports of the proceedings of
Grand Lodge as the governing body of the Craft . To this end they introduced short-hand writers into Grand Lodge , through the legal channel of getting them elected into office in a private Lodge ; and the instant they found the taking of notes was , objected to , they applied to the Most Worshipful Grand Master for his sanction to the publication of the proceedings , and for permission for dutyqualified reporters to take notes—a permission which was most graciously granted , and which it will be our earnest endeavour , as it
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To Ofe Stjbsceibees.
read the paragraphs which he proposed should be omitted / ' And what was more natural than that he should do so , seeing that he proceeded to descant upon these paragraphs , and give his reasons ( on the validity of which we express no opinion here ) why he did not move for the reception of those portions of the report with the rest . So far as the resolution is concerned , we trust we have said enough to prove to the Brethren , and even to Bro . Havers himself , that we did not
distort his words , and that , looking at their identity with those of the Grand Secretary , we have not unfairly reported him . But we are compelled to go further , for Bro . Binckes , not being allowed to refer to the Magazine , complained that Bro . Havers should use the word " monstrous , " as applied to a portion of the Colonial Committee ' s report , upon which Bro . Havers , with some warmth , replied , —
"It is also unfair of Bro . Binckes to quote as authoritative the Magazine reports , which have been often complained of ; and , till of recent years , it has been in the habit of leaving out the ' points' and all the arguments unfavourable to its views , and making what we said appear frivolous in the eyes of the public . I never stated that it was ' monstrous' to do this , that , or the other . "
Now , if there is one thing in connection with the Magazine in which the present managers take a greater pride than another , it is that in their reports they carefully eschew all bias , and give the arguments against their own opinions as fully , if not more fully , than
those in their support . And what has been the cause of this improvement—for improvement Bro . Havers fairly acknowledges it to be—but this , that for several years the Magazine was conducted by amateur writers , and there was not a single professional reporter upon it ? Such Brethren in writing a report would , no doubt , even with the utmost desire to be correct—for we will give to every Brother
credit for good intentions—occasionally omit points and distort arguments ; whilst now no less than six Brethren connected with the literary department of the Freemasons' Magazine are professional newspaper and magazine writers , the majority of them having graduated in the professions as first-class parliamentary reporters—a class of gentlemen noted above all others for the impartiality of
their reports . No sooner did the present managers of the Magazine take the reins of power in their hands , than they determined to make it , more fully than it had hitherto been , the exponent of the opinions of the Craft ; and they knew that the only way properly to do so was to give accurate reports of the proceedings of
Grand Lodge as the governing body of the Craft . To this end they introduced short-hand writers into Grand Lodge , through the legal channel of getting them elected into office in a private Lodge ; and the instant they found the taking of notes was , objected to , they applied to the Most Worshipful Grand Master for his sanction to the publication of the proceedings , and for permission for dutyqualified reporters to take notes—a permission which was most graciously granted , and which it will be our earnest endeavour , as it