THEIR EXCLUSIVENESS.
1. Another objection which may be urged against secret societies in
general, is their selfish exclusiveness.
It is well known that the Christian religion has often been subjected
to reproach by the bigotry and sectarianism of its professors. If the
_Bible_ inculcated bigotry and sectarianism, it would be a
well-founded objection to Christianity itself; but Christianity is
eminently catholic and democratic, and is diametrically opposed to an
exclusive and partisan spirit. The command of Christ to his church is
to make no distinction on account of class or condition, but to
receive all, and especially to care for the poor, the unfortunate, the
oppressed, the blind, the lame, the maimed, and the diseased.
Sometimes men calling themselves Christians act so directly contrary
to the impartial, catholic spirit and teachings of Christ as to render
themselves unworthy of all sympathy and encouragement; but the
exclusiveness of secret societies is, we think, unparalleled in our
day for its selfishness and meanness. They claim to be charitable and
benevolent institutions; they assert that membership in them confers
great honors and advantages; they profess (at least many of them) to
act on the principle of the universal brotherhood of men and
fatherhood of God. (Moore's Con. of Freemasonry, p. 125; Webb's
Monitor, pp. 21, 51; Proceedings of Odd-fellows' Grand Lodge of United
States, 1859, App., p. 6.) We say nothing now about the falsity of
these claims and professions; but we assert that, even admitting the
boasted honors and advantages enjoyed by members of secret
associations, such associations are eminently exclusive and selfish.
Of this proposition there is abundant proof.
2. The Masons utterly refuse to admit as members women, slaves,
persons not free-born, and persons having any maim, defect, or
imperfection in their bodies; or, at least, the principles of Masonry
forbid the admission of all such persons. (Masonic Constitutions,
published by authority of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, Art. 3 and 4.)
Moore, editor of the Masonic Review, in his Ancient Charges and
Regulations of Freemasonry, in commenting on the articles above
referred to, makes the following declarations: "The rituals and
ceremonies of the order forbid the presence of women;" and "the law
proclaiming her exclusion is as unrepealable as that of the Medes and
Persians." (P. 145.) Again: "Masonry requires candidates for its
honors to have been free by birth; no taint of slavery or dishonor
must rest upon their origin." (P. 143.) Once more this author remarks:
"A candidate for Masonry must be physically perfect. As under the
Jewish economy no person who was maimed or defective in his physical
organism, though of the tribe of Aaron, could enter upon the office of
a priest, nor a physically defective animal be offered in sacrifice,
so no man who is not 'perfect' in his bodily organization can legally
be made a Mason. We have occasionally met with men having but one arm
or one leg, who in that condition had been made Masons; and on one or
two occasions we have found those who were _totally blind_ who had
been admitted! This is so entirely illegal, so utterly at variance
with a law which every Mason is bound to obey, that it seems almost
incredible, yet it is true." (P. 152.) It is, hence, seen that Masonry
is very exclusive. No woman can be a member. This regulation excludes
at once one half of mankind from its boasted advantages. The oppressed
slave is excluded; the man born in slavery, though now free, is
excluded; the lame man is excluded; the man who has lost an eye is
excluded; the man who has lost a hand is excluded; the man who has
lost a foot is excluded; the man on whose birth any taint of dishonor
rests is excluded; the man who is imperfect in body is excluded. No
matter how good, patriotic, and wise such persons are, still they are
excluded; no matter how needy such persons are, still they are
excluded; no matter though a man have lost a hand, or foot, or eye in
defense of his country and liberty, still he is excluded; no matter
though a freedman, exhibiting bravery, and piety, and every virtue,
still the "taint of slavery rests on his birth," he is excluded.
Widows and orphans are excluded.
"If a brother should be a rebel against the state, the loyal
brotherhood can not expel him from the lodge, and his relation to it
remains indefeasible." (Moore's Constitutions, Art. 2.) A Mason may be
engaged in a wicked rebellion, and may stain his soul and hands with
innocent blood, and still he must be recognized as "a brother" and
must continue to enjoy all the boasted rights and advantages of the
order; but the patriot soldier who has been disabled for life in
defense of his country and liberty is excluded. The widows and orphans
of rebel Masons slain in battle, or righteously executed on the
scaffold, must receive "the benefits;" but the widows and orphans of
patriot soldiers who did not choose to join the Masons, or were
excluded by some bodily imperfection, or by wounds received in battle,
are left to the charities of "the ignorant and prejudiced." The Jew,
the Turk, the Hindoo, the American savage, and the infidel (provided
they are not atheists), are eligible to the boasted honors and
advantages of Masonry. (Moore's Constitutions, pp. 119, 123.) But if a
man have every intellectual gift and every moral virtue, and have some
bodily imperfection, he is excluded. A man may be as gifted and as
learned as Milton, as incorruptible and patriotic as Washington, and
as benevolent as Howard, but if he is physically imperfect he is
excluded from this association, which claims to be no respecter of
persons, but to be the patron of merit, and which professes to act on
the principle of the universal brotherhood of men.
3. Exclusiveness in about the same degree characterizes other secret
societies. The Constitution of the Odd-fellows' Grand Lodge of Ohio
provides that the candidate for membership must be "a free white
person possessed of some known means of support and free from all
infirmity or disease." (Art. 6, Sec. 1.) Substantially the same
qualifications for membership are required by the constitutions and
laws of other secret associations. (Constitution of Ancient Order of
Good-fellows, Art. 6, Sec. 1; Constitution of Improved Order of Red
Men, Art. 5, Sec. 1; Constitution of United Ancient Order of Druids,
Art. 8, Sec. 1.)
4. Not only are these associations exclusive and selfish in regard to
receiving members; not only do they utterly refuse to admit a man,
however good, and wise, and patriotic he may be, in case he is
diseased or infirm, or is disabled by wounds in the service of his
country, and is too poor and feeble to maintain himself and his
family; not only do they exclude all such persons from membership and
from the boasted privileges, and honors, and pecuniary benefits
pertaining thereto, but also their regulations in regard to their
internal affairs manifest an unchristian, anti-republican, exclusive,
selfish spirit. For instance, Masons will not, and, indeed, according
to their regulations, can not, bestow funeral honors upon deceased
members who had not advanced to the third degree. Those of the first
and second degree can not thus be honored. They are not entitled to
funeral obsequies, nor are they allowed to attend a Masonic funeral
procession. (Webb's Monitor, pp. 132-133.)
Again: Though Masonry makes professions of universal benevolence on
the ground "that the radiant arch of Masonry spans the whole habitable
globe;" though it declares that every true and worthy brother of the
order, no matter what be his language, country, religion, creed,
opinions, politics, or condition, is a legitimate object for the
exercise of benevolence, (Masonic Constitutions, by Grand Lodge of
Ohio, p. 80); still it is declared that "Master Masons only are
entitled to Masonic burial or relief from the charity fund." (Masonic
Constitutions by Grand Lodge of Ohio, p. 39.) The rulers of Masons can
not be chosen from the members of the first or second degree. It is
thus seen that the first two degrees serve as a sort of substratum on
which the other degrees rest, and the "honors and benefits" are not
intended for persons of the former.
The exclusiveness and selfishness of other secret associations are
also apparent from their regulations. As shown above, they exclude all
diseased and infirm persons from membership, and of course from all
the "benefits." They generally provide that, in case of sickness or
disability, a member shall receive three dollars per week, and in case
of the death of a member, the sum of thirty dollars shall be
contributed toward defraying his funeral expenses. But all the
associations making such regulations also provide that a member who is
in "arrears for dues" shall receive no aid in case of sickness or
disability; and in case of the death of a member who is "in arrears
for dues" nothing shall be contributed to defray his funeral expenses,
and his wife and children, however destitute they may be, can receive
no aid. In such cases, the destitute widow and orphans must not look
to "the _charitable_ association" of which the departed husband and
father was a member, but to outsiders--yes, to "prejudiced and
ignorant" outsiders--for aid to bury his dead body with decency.
Grosch says, "The philosopher's stone is found by the Odd-fellow in
three words, _Pay in advance_. There are few old members of the order
who can not relate some case of peculiar hardship caused by
non-payment of dues. Some good but careless brother, who neglected
this small item of duty until he was suddenly called out of this life,
was found to be not beneficial, and his widow and orphans, when _most_
in need, were left destitute of all _legal_ claims on the funds he had
for years been aiding to accumulate." (Monitor, p. 198, 199.) Such
facts as these prove secret associations to be exclusive, heartless,
selfish concerns. (See Constitution of Druids, Art. 2, Sec. 1, and
By-laws, Art. 11, Sec. 1; Constitution of Good-fellows, Art. 16, Sec.
1; Constitution of Amer. Prot. Asso., Art. 9, Sec. 1-5.)