Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

— : o : — We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot amd ' erialte to return rejected communications . All Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

" CHARITY ; " IS IT " GIVING ?" To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I desire metaphorically to pafcyonr correspondent" DEUX ETOILES " on the back , and I trust he will pardon me the liberty , for his pluck in stepping forward to point ont what threatens to become a nuisance to the Craft . It has more than once occnrred to me that some of our active brethren ( more power to

them ) , who are very energetic on behalf of the Charities , are in danger of forgetting that men have other duties and claims in life besides Masonrv and Masonic Charity . Fur be it from me , as I am sure it is from " DFUX ETOILES . " to say a word to damp the ardour of any Bro ., bnt I certainly do think that to make any qualification , such as has been suggested—of having served a Stewardship or contributed so

much to one of the three Charities—a sine qua non to advancement to Provinc al or any other Masonic honours would be , not only unjust , but ahsolnfclv cruel . Ifc simply would mean the creation of a money qualification . We have quite enough of this kind of qna'ification already in Masonry . It would be quite needless for me to p > : int ont what every working Bro . is well

aware of—that many of the best places in Masonry are filled by brethren who are perfectly innocent of having done either good or evil fur the Craft , and whose sole recommendation is the possession of wealth which has enabled them to contribute a few hundreds to the Charities , a gift to them of far less sarrifice than a donation of ten shil'ings by many a poor Bro . whose name has never been breathed

beyond the circle of his own Lodge . Added to a little toadyism , is it rot a fact that the golden key will unlock almost every Masonic door ? But although this may he the case in fact , we still preserve the theory that we prize hononr and virtue above the external advantages of rank and fortune , and in private Lodges I conceive our pure teachings to be for more worthil y interpreted than in Grand and Provincial

Gr nd Lodges . I do seo . occasionally , poor though worthy men ruling Lodges with satisfaction to themselves and advantage to the brethren who rejoice to sit under their teachings , but on the other hand I have seen placed in the best offices of some Provincial Grand Lodges brethren who havo never once attend'd to the duties of their own Lodges during their years of Mastership , or whose ignorance and

utter incapacity aro matters of notoriety , bnt whose rank or wealth , or both , give them influence , or whose toadyism must he rewarded . If we see any sugges-tion snch as that of Bro . Radcliffe carried out we shall put the stamp of authority npon snch selections . Let me bo permitted , without the accusation of any egotism , to state my own case . I am a man of very limited means , but with a social

position which compels me to keep up a certain appearance . I have a family growing daily more expensive , whilst my means remain stationary . With me Masonry is a hobby , and I have taken it up for some years with zenl in all its branches , and done more work both in ritual and organization as well as official drudgery routine than one Brother in five hundred , judging from observation . I have gone

through most of the chairs in most of the degrees , and , I believe , never made an enemy , though I have largely added to my friends . No one in my Province experiences , I am sure , greater pleasure in subscribing his annual mite to the Masonic Charities than do I , bnt I have never served a Stewardship because T cannot afford it . I am called upon to contribute to at least half a score of local societies , to say nothing

of casual calls for special objects , which everybody knows are continually cropping up . I say nothing of private relief , though any resident in a provincial city who holds any social position well knows the nnmerons appeals which reach him from the neighbouring poor and distressed . My church too has its claims , which must not be put aside , and when I add these things together I find that my income

will not permit me to " qualify " in onr Masonic Chanties . I think you will admit that it would be rather rough on me to declare that because I am not the possessor of another hundred pounds or so per annum that my Masonic labours should go unrewarded . " DEUX ETOILES " is also right in calling attention to the fact that unsuitable candidates are sometimes elected to the Schools because

they happen to have influential friends . The other day I heard of an instance in which the case of a child was taken up by a Northern Province with great energy—bnt , as yet , without success—which I submit is quite unsuitable . The father held an excellent situation , at a salary of considerably over £ l , 000 a year , up to the day of hia death ; his life was insured for , I believe , £ 2 , 000 ; at his death a sum of

nearly £ 2 , 000 was subscribed and invested for the widow , who is not friendless by any means , and I confess to thinking this a case that should never have been brought forward . I am convinced that at the present time numbers come into our ranks under the impression that they are joining a sort of convivial benefit club , which will give them suppers and grogs when they are in health , and a pension when they

break down ; and the tremendous fnss that is publicly made about tho " enormous" charitable results of the Craft lends colour to the supposition . Wonld it be deemed out of place to enquire how many ont of all tho applicants for the Benevolent Fund have ever contributed directly towards its support ?

Let ns , as your correspondent says , in the first place be brethren in deed and in truth towards one another , and then let us aid in onr Chai iries as far as we legitimately may , but let us not forget that there aro other orphan and destitute institutions besides our own , and that we are not bound at great sacrifices to oarselves and our families to

Correspondence.

provide unlimited accommodation and permanent refuge , either for brethren who have by their own sin and folly come to poverty or for their children , especially when those children have friends and relations in good circumstances . If by any happy stroke of fortune I shonld ever be in such a

financial position aa to be able to do so , ifc will be my great delight as well as high privilege to serve as a Steward , and make myself a Life Governor of each of the Institutions , hut in the meantime I decidedly object to being left ont in the cold as one nnwortby of Masonic honours . Yours fraternally , A MASONIC ENTHUSIAST , 4 th November 1878 .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — " DEUX ETOIIES , " who writes at length on the above question , though he scrupulously avoids the use of italics , may be said to write in big capitals . The tone is lofty , the conceptions are ou a magnificent scale , and there is snch a halo of superiority about the whole exposition , that I am almost afraid to

think of the consequences to my unhappy self if I address yon ou the same matter . I hope I may venture to affirm that I have " unmuddled brains , " my friends , at least , are complimentary enough to tell me I can argue a point fairly well ; but I almost begin to think they are wrong , for how can any one he otherwise than muddled , who has the audacity to think differently from yonr

correspondent ? I have read all yonr leaders and tbe letters of your various correspondents on the subject of Charity , and , as yet , I have failed to discover that either you or they have sought to prescribe the minimum of another ' s charity . You have said that a guinea all round from the Craft would keep our Institutions in a state of efficiency , and Bro . Dick Eadclyffe has suggested that

people who can and do expend several guineas on banquets , & c , & c , mi g ht be thoughtful enough to contribute a guinea to each Institution , and yet do nothing to the detriment of themselves or their families . Yet , with every respect for the overwhelming opinion of " DFUX ETOILES , " I imagine there is a sensible difference between pointing out that a certain result will follow if people do certain

things which , as a rule , they are quite capable of doing , and laying down the law imperiously that certain things must be done . I should say the average newspaper reader , whether a Mason or not , fully understands that Charity , though it includes almsgiving , is not one and the same thing with it . At the same time people , when they canvass for a charity , must necessarily give greater prominence

to mere almsgiving than as a constituent part of charity in its fullest sense ifc is entitled to . If "DEUX ETOIIES " has room enough in his superlative brain , he must kindly bear in mind that reading homilies , be they never so eloquent , is nofc the readiest way of obtaining contributions . Oar Institutions are committed to a certain heavy expenditure per annum , and the money must be

raised . Those who , like you and your correspondents , are obliged to keep this prominently before yonr readers , or take an interest in doing so , are under the necessity of harping on the subject of donations . You and they would rather not do so—that is my own impression at least—but even Masons , except , perhaps , such loftyminded members as " DEUX ETOILES , " occasionally require a little

nudging just to remind them of their doty . Charity , it must be remembered , is a Masonic duty , as well as a Masonio virtue , and until we are fully satisfied that people are always prepared to do what is right and proper they should do , I fear yoa and others must go on lecturing . For my own part , I would far rather , as a Steward at one of the Festivals , havo brethren come to me and

offer me their guineas than go to them and ask for a subscription ; but where are they who will do this ? and , when found , how many will there be of them ? I am sure it would save a world of trouble if people would give of their surplus cash spontaneously , bufc will the Craft do this to the extent of over £ 30 , 000 a year . Let DEUX ETOILES show that can be done , and he will be justly entitled to , and will doubtless receive , the thanks of the whole Craft .

Yours fraternally , NOT TOO MUCH MUDDLED . London : 6 th November lSVS .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I beg to thank you for the publicity you gave my circular and letter in last week ' s issue , and the kind remarks accompanying it . As I expected , it has been the means of inviting criticism , which I hope will be tho means of calling attention to the ultimate benefit of the Charities . As you

promised to notice my statement , I naturally looked forward to the review you have given this week in yonr very able leader . I am pleased to ' see , from the figures yon give , and yoa have far better statistics to work npon than I , that my estimate is far above requirements . I assert it would be no great hardship for every Freemason to devote three guineas per annum to Charity , and I con .

sider no person shonld join onr Fraternity without he is in a position to do something in the cause of Charity , as there are many cases besides the Institutions requiring onr support . I do not think our subscriptions to the Charity Funds of the Lodge should stop short at the amount required to support the Charities , nor should this be considered the whole of a Mason ' s duty , or that they constitute the

original plan of Freemasonry . I admit , with you , it is desirable each shonld give according to his ability , and that it is dangerous to establish a minimum sum , but at the same time I feel sure every true Mason ( whose charity should know no bounds save those of prudence ) , who is able to give mo'e , would not be biassed by snch worldly precantions as to limit his subscription to the minimum amount