Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
About Our American Scotch Rite Cranks, Once More.
ABOUT OUR AMERICAN SCOTCH RITE CRANKS , ONCE MORE .
BY BBO . JACOI : NORTON . THE late Bro . W . S . Gardner P . G . M . of Massachusetts , though ho waa formerly an admirer of Masonic high
degreedom , finally carao to tho conclusion thafc all tho socalled high degrees wero " mere Masonic excrescences , " and that no Grand Lodge should encourage or interfere
with high degreedom whatever . I havo more than once described the American Scotch Rite factions , and more especially the battles between the Gourgasites and
Cerneauites , since 1813 . Common sense proves conclusively that if one of these factions is a humbug , so is the other . But , nevertheless , the Gourgasites have somehow managed to capture some of our Grand Lodges . Of these the most conspicuous are , 1 st , the Grand Lodge of Ohio ; 2 nd , the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts ; 3 rd , tho Grand Lodge of
Pennsylvania . How many other of our Grand Lodges are tainted with more or less of high degree cranhjism , I know not . In Massachusetts a Cerneauito may le expelled from Masonry . In Ohio , Cerneauites musfc be expelled from Lodges , Commanderies * , & c , & c . ; and I recently noticed thafc my friend Bro . MacCalla , Grand Master of
Pennsylvania , was compelled ( I believe against his will ) warn all the Cearneautite sinners in his jurisdiction that , if they do not discard Cerneauism on a certain day , they must be expelled from all tho rights and privileges of
Masonry . I am , however , glad to perceive that though the high degree mania is spreading in American jurisdictions , there is at least one jurisdiction where common sense still prevails , as the following address of Bro . Ingersoll , Grand
Master of Tennessee , and the approbation it received from tho Committee of Jurisprudence , which was unanimously approved by the Grand Lodge , on 1 st February 1889 , will show . Grand Master H . H . Ingersoll said : —
" Last month the Grand Master of Ohio notified me that ho had withdrawn the Commission of Bro . Wilbur F . Foster as representative of tho Grand Lodge of Ohio near this Grand Lodge ; and our Representative
near the Grand Lodge of Ohio having departed this lifo , and tbe Grand Master of Ohio having refused to receive a Representative , hence , diplomatic relations
between the two Grand Lodges may be said to bo in abeyance . " Tho cause of this I presume to be tho Scottish Rite war in Ohio , and my request to the Grand Master of that State to nominate for our Representative near tho Grand Lodge of Ohio some worthy brother who had not been
conspicuous in bitterness and intolerance in thatwar , —as none such could properly represent the liberal , generous spirit of Tennessee Masonry . To this the Grand Master [ of Ohio ] responded : ' The majority of Masons in Ohio
do not tolerate treason and rebellion , ' and recommended a brother much esteemed in Ohio ; but , as I was left to infer , fully in harmony with the prescriptive spirit of the majority . Having no connection or relation with either of the Scottish Rite factions , whoso contention has
disturbed the peace and harmony of our Order in Ohio , and knowing that Tennessee Masons should be represented by a brother conspicuous for his loyalty to Ancient Craft Masonry , rather than to any Scottish Rite , I requested him to name some other brother , of high character and good standing , not tainted with ' treason or
rebellion , ' but opposed to the policy of the dominant majority of that State . I also suggested the name of a worthy brother , a Past Grand Officer , and a member of the Scottish Rite body orthodox in that State , but liberal
and tolerant in his views , and asked if he would be accepted as our Representative . The suggestion was not favourably received , because , as the Grand Master wrote , the brother named was then the Representative of the Grand Lodge of New York . This mistake of the Grand Master he
afterwards corrected , by saying the brother ' s term had expired , and another brother had been appointed in lieu , as Representative from New York . But no change of view appeared from the discovery of the mistake ; and I inferred
that the reason for declining to accept my suggestion was , the very liberality of views and opposition to Masonic intolerance which had caused me to suggest his name . With a courteous and considerate reference to Ohio loyalty
and Tennessee rebellion , the Grand Master assured me , in plain terms , that no Representative would be received from
About Our American Scotch Rite Cranks, Once More.
us unless he was not only an orthodox Scotch Rite Mason , but also an active and prominent supporter of the locally dominant faction in its policy of using the great power of tho Grand Lodge to support an order of the Scottish Rite .
"Such a Mason , however high and respected at home , I could not knowingly appoint as © unrepresentative . Such an one could not correctly represent the Grand Lodge of Tennessee . Whatever may be the views and opinions of
the Tennessee Masons upon the merits of the Scottish imbroglio , or whether wo sympathize with either of tho threo or four factions claiming legitimacy and contending for supremacy in that Order . One thing wo can andjdo agree about .
" Ancient Craft Masonry—comprising the three symbolic degrees of Entered Apprentice , Fellow Craft , and Master Mason , univeral and uniform throughout the world—is absolutely free and independent of all orders , and should not be , and cannot lawfully be allied with , or dominated by , any order of Scottish Rite Masons . Nor can we , as
Freemasons , bo called upon , through our Grand Lodges , to hear and decide any controversy between the various claimants to legitimacy in that Rite . If they pretend—any of them —to confer our decrees , then thev are clandestine Lodges .
and their votaries are to us as heathens and publicans . We know them not , and can hold no sort of Masonio communication with them . If they do not lay claim to symbolic degrees , then they are not of us . We have no knowledge
or standard by which we can test their claim , try their cause , or decide their rights . As well might we interfere with Odd Fellows , United Workmen , Knights of Honour , Knights of Pythias , or Knights of Labour . If they claim
the right to base their Order upon our Triune Temple , we cannot forbid them ; and one , two , ten or twenty different and even belligerent bodies may indulge in this pastime ; we can endure them all without harm or fear—on the
ontside . . , But outside is their place and their sphere ; outside , they are impotent to injure Freemasonry ; outside , they cannot destroy our peace and harmony ; and outside they must remain , and not profane our sacred precincts .
" Standing to and abiding by the Ancient Charge , ' that it is not in the power of any man or body of men to make innovations in the body of Masonry , ' I earnestly protest against the introduction of this foreign
element into our perfect and symmetrical body . . . believing that Lodge membership makes a brother a member of tho whole Masonic family ... I protest
against tho external conditions imposed by the Grand Master of Ohio , upon worthy brethren of his own Jurisdiction , to receive an honourable commission from tho Grand Lodge of Tennessee . Nay , moro , believing thafc a
Freemason is a free man , I deny the right of any Lodge
subordinate or Grand , to dictate to him whether ho shall , or shall not , become a member of any other Society . . . whose purposes and practices are not immoral , and saving only clandestine symbolic Lodges , it is not tho function—nay , ifc is nofc within the scope of tho powers of
any Lodge , Subordinate or Grand , to hold an inquisition over , and pronounce upon legitimacy , regularity , orthodoxy or loyalty of any such order , society , or fraternity . " These I believe to be the cardinal doctrines , and vital principles of Ancient Craffc Masonry ... In this spirit I addressed the Grand Master of Ohio a brief reply to his
note , requesting me to appoint a representative near that Grand Lodge , and asked him to nominate some worthy brother , in good standing , who agreed with these views , who was an orthodox Craft Mason , and esteemed our Order above any Scoth Rite . He declined an exchange of Grand Representatives , until he could have the assurance that the spirit of Tennessee Masonry , as expressed by its Grand
Master , was not in favour of rebellion . " This means , my brethren , that Ohio not only intends to accept and establish a foreign dynasty in her own
limits , but to compel her sister States to recognise it , and to approve of its dominion , at the peril of a loss of fraternal relations . " After expressing regret for the necessity of giving the
above explanations , Bro . Ingersoll goes on to say : — " The Ohio Grand Lodge prescribes by edict what Order of the Scottish Rite [ or , rather , which of the Scotch factions ] Freemasons may unite with , and not only expels them , but forfeits Lodge Charters , if they join any other Order of Scotch Rite . This , of course , we cannot prevent ,
but we are not bound to approve of such pernicious policy , directly or indirectly . Such resolutions and conduct aro unwise , as our Committee of Correspondence has more
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
About Our American Scotch Rite Cranks, Once More.
ABOUT OUR AMERICAN SCOTCH RITE CRANKS , ONCE MORE .
BY BBO . JACOI : NORTON . THE late Bro . W . S . Gardner P . G . M . of Massachusetts , though ho waa formerly an admirer of Masonic high
degreedom , finally carao to tho conclusion thafc all tho socalled high degrees wero " mere Masonic excrescences , " and that no Grand Lodge should encourage or interfere
with high degreedom whatever . I havo more than once described the American Scotch Rite factions , and more especially the battles between the Gourgasites and
Cerneauites , since 1813 . Common sense proves conclusively that if one of these factions is a humbug , so is the other . But , nevertheless , the Gourgasites have somehow managed to capture some of our Grand Lodges . Of these the most conspicuous are , 1 st , the Grand Lodge of Ohio ; 2 nd , the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts ; 3 rd , tho Grand Lodge of
Pennsylvania . How many other of our Grand Lodges are tainted with more or less of high degree cranhjism , I know not . In Massachusetts a Cerneauito may le expelled from Masonry . In Ohio , Cerneauites musfc be expelled from Lodges , Commanderies * , & c , & c . ; and I recently noticed thafc my friend Bro . MacCalla , Grand Master of
Pennsylvania , was compelled ( I believe against his will ) warn all the Cearneautite sinners in his jurisdiction that , if they do not discard Cerneauism on a certain day , they must be expelled from all tho rights and privileges of
Masonry . I am , however , glad to perceive that though the high degree mania is spreading in American jurisdictions , there is at least one jurisdiction where common sense still prevails , as the following address of Bro . Ingersoll , Grand
Master of Tennessee , and the approbation it received from tho Committee of Jurisprudence , which was unanimously approved by the Grand Lodge , on 1 st February 1889 , will show . Grand Master H . H . Ingersoll said : —
" Last month the Grand Master of Ohio notified me that ho had withdrawn the Commission of Bro . Wilbur F . Foster as representative of tho Grand Lodge of Ohio near this Grand Lodge ; and our Representative
near the Grand Lodge of Ohio having departed this lifo , and tbe Grand Master of Ohio having refused to receive a Representative , hence , diplomatic relations
between the two Grand Lodges may be said to bo in abeyance . " Tho cause of this I presume to be tho Scottish Rite war in Ohio , and my request to the Grand Master of that State to nominate for our Representative near tho Grand Lodge of Ohio some worthy brother who had not been
conspicuous in bitterness and intolerance in thatwar , —as none such could properly represent the liberal , generous spirit of Tennessee Masonry . To this the Grand Master [ of Ohio ] responded : ' The majority of Masons in Ohio
do not tolerate treason and rebellion , ' and recommended a brother much esteemed in Ohio ; but , as I was left to infer , fully in harmony with the prescriptive spirit of the majority . Having no connection or relation with either of the Scottish Rite factions , whoso contention has
disturbed the peace and harmony of our Order in Ohio , and knowing that Tennessee Masons should be represented by a brother conspicuous for his loyalty to Ancient Craft Masonry , rather than to any Scottish Rite , I requested him to name some other brother , of high character and good standing , not tainted with ' treason or
rebellion , ' but opposed to the policy of the dominant majority of that State . I also suggested the name of a worthy brother , a Past Grand Officer , and a member of the Scottish Rite body orthodox in that State , but liberal
and tolerant in his views , and asked if he would be accepted as our Representative . The suggestion was not favourably received , because , as the Grand Master wrote , the brother named was then the Representative of the Grand Lodge of New York . This mistake of the Grand Master he
afterwards corrected , by saying the brother ' s term had expired , and another brother had been appointed in lieu , as Representative from New York . But no change of view appeared from the discovery of the mistake ; and I inferred
that the reason for declining to accept my suggestion was , the very liberality of views and opposition to Masonic intolerance which had caused me to suggest his name . With a courteous and considerate reference to Ohio loyalty
and Tennessee rebellion , the Grand Master assured me , in plain terms , that no Representative would be received from
About Our American Scotch Rite Cranks, Once More.
us unless he was not only an orthodox Scotch Rite Mason , but also an active and prominent supporter of the locally dominant faction in its policy of using the great power of tho Grand Lodge to support an order of the Scottish Rite .
"Such a Mason , however high and respected at home , I could not knowingly appoint as © unrepresentative . Such an one could not correctly represent the Grand Lodge of Tennessee . Whatever may be the views and opinions of
the Tennessee Masons upon the merits of the Scottish imbroglio , or whether wo sympathize with either of tho threo or four factions claiming legitimacy and contending for supremacy in that Order . One thing wo can andjdo agree about .
" Ancient Craft Masonry—comprising the three symbolic degrees of Entered Apprentice , Fellow Craft , and Master Mason , univeral and uniform throughout the world—is absolutely free and independent of all orders , and should not be , and cannot lawfully be allied with , or dominated by , any order of Scottish Rite Masons . Nor can we , as
Freemasons , bo called upon , through our Grand Lodges , to hear and decide any controversy between the various claimants to legitimacy in that Rite . If they pretend—any of them —to confer our decrees , then thev are clandestine Lodges .
and their votaries are to us as heathens and publicans . We know them not , and can hold no sort of Masonio communication with them . If they do not lay claim to symbolic degrees , then they are not of us . We have no knowledge
or standard by which we can test their claim , try their cause , or decide their rights . As well might we interfere with Odd Fellows , United Workmen , Knights of Honour , Knights of Pythias , or Knights of Labour . If they claim
the right to base their Order upon our Triune Temple , we cannot forbid them ; and one , two , ten or twenty different and even belligerent bodies may indulge in this pastime ; we can endure them all without harm or fear—on the
ontside . . , But outside is their place and their sphere ; outside , they are impotent to injure Freemasonry ; outside , they cannot destroy our peace and harmony ; and outside they must remain , and not profane our sacred precincts .
" Standing to and abiding by the Ancient Charge , ' that it is not in the power of any man or body of men to make innovations in the body of Masonry , ' I earnestly protest against the introduction of this foreign
element into our perfect and symmetrical body . . . believing that Lodge membership makes a brother a member of tho whole Masonic family ... I protest
against tho external conditions imposed by the Grand Master of Ohio , upon worthy brethren of his own Jurisdiction , to receive an honourable commission from tho Grand Lodge of Tennessee . Nay , moro , believing thafc a
Freemason is a free man , I deny the right of any Lodge
subordinate or Grand , to dictate to him whether ho shall , or shall not , become a member of any other Society . . . whose purposes and practices are not immoral , and saving only clandestine symbolic Lodges , it is not tho function—nay , ifc is nofc within the scope of tho powers of
any Lodge , Subordinate or Grand , to hold an inquisition over , and pronounce upon legitimacy , regularity , orthodoxy or loyalty of any such order , society , or fraternity . " These I believe to be the cardinal doctrines , and vital principles of Ancient Craffc Masonry ... In this spirit I addressed the Grand Master of Ohio a brief reply to his
note , requesting me to appoint a representative near that Grand Lodge , and asked him to nominate some worthy brother , in good standing , who agreed with these views , who was an orthodox Craft Mason , and esteemed our Order above any Scoth Rite . He declined an exchange of Grand Representatives , until he could have the assurance that the spirit of Tennessee Masonry , as expressed by its Grand
Master , was not in favour of rebellion . " This means , my brethren , that Ohio not only intends to accept and establish a foreign dynasty in her own
limits , but to compel her sister States to recognise it , and to approve of its dominion , at the peril of a loss of fraternal relations . " After expressing regret for the necessity of giving the
above explanations , Bro . Ingersoll goes on to say : — " The Ohio Grand Lodge prescribes by edict what Order of the Scottish Rite [ or , rather , which of the Scotch factions ] Freemasons may unite with , and not only expels them , but forfeits Lodge Charters , if they join any other Order of Scotch Rite . This , of course , we cannot prevent ,
but we are not bound to approve of such pernicious policy , directly or indirectly . Such resolutions and conduct aro unwise , as our Committee of Correspondence has more