Shall Masonry Be?

its morals , the lessons of virtue it teaches , that drives it on through the opposition without , and carries it on with its load of corruption within . Understand me not as admitting that worse men are found within the Masonic Institution than are found in other secret orders . What I have

charged to Masonry I can with equal truth charge to any other secret society ; or indeed , to any of the Christian churches . It is a truth that that which most injures Christianity , are the vices and crimes of her members . Not a day passes but we

read of some scandal , some Christian being the actor in the disgrace . That professed Christians are bad men and professed Masons hypocrites , are no arguments against either institutions . Nay ! Any institution that can prosper in spite of the

corruption of its members , must be built upon truthand solid foundation . I wish to . call y our attention to one crying evil of the times ; an evil—or rather a crime — that is practiced in church and secret societ y alike . I allude to the crime of slander . In our Masonic

Institution , politics cannot enter . Our members would cut loose from any society that would pin their faith to any one dogma in religion , or to any one party in politics , Our members think and act for themselves . Disagreement is the natural sequence of independent thinking . With

honest disagreement we are satisfied , and of it we do not complain ; but disagreement in politics now seems to mean a right to slander those with whom you disagree . In these clays , let a Mason becomj-N a candidate for an office , and immediately , some other brother will

commence to circulate the vilest stories against him , to compass his defeat . Anything that will lose him votes will be freely said . If the charges are true , the unworthy candidate should be expelled from Masonry ; if not true , the one making the charges should be expelled for slander . Masonry

teaches naught else but truth . Truth is the corner-stone of its temple . Truth should alone be tolerated therein . If a Mason err , it is the bounden duty of his brother to gently renijnd him of his error , rather than to circulate his shortcomings to the ear of the gaping public . My brethren , I am ready to forgive the drunkard , his appetite may have made him so ;

I am ready to forgive the thief , his povert y may have made him one ; I am read y to forgive the man who brawls , his intellect may be clouded with anger ; but I am not ready to forgive the slanderer . His is the unpardonable sin . The drunkard gratifies

his appetite ; the thief takes that which benefits him ; the man who fights gluts his revenge , or resents an injury ; but the slanderer is the blind serpent that strikes its fangs into , and poisons whatever comes near it ; andlike the serpenthe is not

, , benefited by the blow which is so unkindl y given . It may be divine , but it is not human , to love that person by whom you are slandered . It is the whipped cur , only , which licks the hand that smites it

Brotherly love is the cement of the Masonic temple ; if that cement be frozen by slander , it will be brittle indeed , and the temple must fall .

There can be no blow given our Institution , soda magingas the one given by Masonic craftsmen . Blows given by the uninitiated are like unto powder exploded on the hare surface of a rock . A little noise , a little smoke , a little blackening of the rock , is

the sum total of the result . The rock is still as strong as before . Blows given by craftsmen are like unto powder exploded deep in the heart of the rock . Before we hear the crash the stone is spilit in twain .

My brethren , I believe the day of Masonic trial is not far distant . Out of the deep there seems to be many little clouds arising . For 25 years , prior to 1875 , scarce a wind opposed our sails . Now , every few weeks we hear of an

Anti-Masonic convention being held . True , these conventions are not of a sufficient magnitude to be formidable ; still they go to show that opposition is increasing , is growing . One the strongest church organisations is arrayed against us . Many

religious zealots—among whom are able minds—boldly cry : " Down with Masonry . " AVe may say that it all amounts to nothing ; that it is fanaticism . True . But that does not change the fact that it all means opposition . The news-stands are full of

pretended Masonic expositions . As you travel on the cars the newsboy drops into your lap a book called " Exposition of Freemasonry . " Does not this show that