Obnoxious Members.

OBNOXIOUS MEMBERS .

IT is fair to regard Freemasonry as sufficiently worldly as to have in its ranks men who are undesirable as companions , but as is well known , " once a Mason , always a Mason , " and there would

seem to be no possibility of ridding oneself , or a Lodge , of the Brother who in course of time proves himself an unsuitable associate . Happily the Craft is not encumbered with many examples of the obnoxious

may show himself to be the " most consummate scoundrel , " and , if he has the impudence to do so , visit his Lodge just as though nothing had happened .

element , but that one does occasionally force himself upon us must be admitted , and when that does unfortunately occur the difficulty is to know how to

deal with the person concerned . As a case in point we may quote a paragraph that recently appeared in the " South Eastern Herald , " which , if somewhat strong , is no doubt founded on something in the form of fact . It is as follows :

" Last week Captain Darley , who is an enthusiastic Mason , wrote to advocate the doctrines of Freemasonry as a remedy for the social ills to which the present generation are heirs . We fully recognise the noble

character of its teachings ; but Freemasonry has been sadly abused in the metropolis . There are so many men in its ranks who have entered them for purely selfish purposes , and it is therefore not surprising that some of them should be no credit to the Craft . There is , for example , a man who takes a prominent part in one of our local Lodges who is about the most consummate

scoundrel that ever escaped being hanged , who is just as ready to betray a Brother Mason as anyone else if he can only gain something by it . This man ' s very name stinks in this district , ' and if he had his deserts we believe he

would at this moment be in penal servitude ; yet , we are told , he continues to attend the Lodge meetings , and to express himself with all the impudence in the world . Have the Masons no way of dis-embairassing themselves

of this unsavoury comrade , who is bringing disgrace upon a community with such splendid aims ? Surely they can at least make it too warm for him if he seeks to attend the Lodge .

We fancy there are very few Provincial Lodges that would tolerate his presence ; and this brings us to the thought which has often struck us , that Freemasonry in

London is not what it is in the country , wheie to be a Mason is very often prima facie to be an honest man , and to betray a Brother is rightly regarded as a heinous Crime . "

Assuming , for the time being , that the facts are as stated by our contemporary , it may be asked , how is it possible to rid a Lodge of such an obnoxious

member as here referred to ? Virtually there is no way of doing so , and the question arises , what is best to * be done under such circumstances ? In this country little notice is taken of outside actions on the part of members of the Order , any one of whom

Obnoxious Members.

In saying this it may be best to explain that such are the conditions in practice ; in theory , perhaps , a dishonourable member can be excluded , but how often is any action taken , much less a definite sentence

passed ? and provided that the culprit does not stay away of his own free will and accord there is no reason why he should not force his company on those who had previously regarded him with favour .

The same difficulty is occasionally met with in mundane affairs , where it is well known that social Clubs and other organisations have been broken up , and

re-formed a few minutes later , simply to get rid of an obnoxious member ; but this cannot be done in Freemasonry , for although it might be practicable for a majority to decide on the return of the Warrant ,

we very much doubt the possibility of their getting a

new permit , even if the question of expense of re-consecration had not to be taken into account . In America better provision is made for this

particular feature , Masonic trials taking place on many matters which are ignorned in this country , and sentences of exclusion of otherwise being fairly common

in nearly every Jurisdiction . Why should it not be

so ? How is it possible to maintain the high reputation for the Order , if no notice is taken of un-Masonic or illegal actions on the part of individual

members ? These and similar questions may well be asked by those who recognise , as all should do , that

the Masonic Order of this country , as in all others , unfortunately numbers in its midst a share of the black sheep of humanity .

We do not propose to now consider the final item of our contemporary ' s remarks , as to the inferiority

of Loudon as compared with Provincial Lodges , but there is food for reflection in the comment , and we may revert to it on some future occasion .

According to a recently written letter of young Prince Leopold , of Prussia , a new design for a Masonic badge has been made . The Prince says : " The Grand Masters of the old Prussian Grand Lodges are hereby informed

that I shall wear , after consultation with His Majesty ,

the Emperor , and on having received his permission as a protector of Freemasonry , a cross in red enamel in the form of a cross of the Knights of St . John , but instead of the eagles in the corner , a hexagon with the All-seeing Eye . I shall wear it both outside and inside the Lodge

Boom , suspended by a red ribbon around the neck . " The Prince , who is a brother-in-law of the Emperor , was recently initiated with gieat ceiemcny into the Fraternity in Berlin . Prince Henry of Schoniach-Carolath , Grand

Master of tbe Lodge of Koyal York , welcomed the Prince in behalf of the Prussian Masons and expressed the thanks of German Masons that the traditional relations between the old Lodges of the Royal York had beeu renewed .- — " Bough Ashlar . "