The Recent Elections.

be so , then we think some kind of intimation should have been made , so as to prevent a waste of votes by persons not acquainted with the fact .

In conclusion , we hope it will be many a long day beforo we find such a list of last application cases being turned away from the benefits of our noble Institutions as that at tho recent election of the Boys ' School .

The following is a list of tho unsuccessful candidate ? , with th © votes polled by each , at the Election of the Eoyal Masonic Institution , for Girls , which took p lace at Freemasons' Tavern , on Thurjday , tho 13 th inst . : —

Name . Forward . Polled . Total . Norris , Maud Mary 111 133 S 1449 Aoe , Florence Sasan — 1363 1363 Gallott , Dora — 1261 1261 Norbury , Mary Adelaide — 1117 1117 Harwood . Nellie Mare-aret B . — 537 537

Lloyd , Edith Mary — 486 486 Tobbs , May Aline 9 61 70 Candwell , Emily — 2 S 28 Roaewarne , Nellie — 21 21 Soward , Fanny — 16 16

Must Be Feared And Avoided.

MUST BE FEARED AND AVOIDED .

IN recent years tho sudden rise of many secret and serai-secret societies , and their existence with a large membership , has sensibly checked tho growth of the Masonic institution and materially affected its prosperity . Tho effect of these upon Masonry has been deleterious in

several ways , but chiefly in two , which the present seems to be a fitting time to present to the consideration of our Fraternity . Tho first—preventing a healthy increase of membership—has , it seems , reached tho culmination , and a retnrn of our prosperity in this regard no longer should

give lis much concern . But tho second still remains , and , indeed , with our utmost care , has but just begun to show its deleterious influence upon the future of our Order ; that

is , the danger of engrafting upon—of infusing into—the principles of true Freemasonry , wrong ideas of the institution . Indeed , we have for some time past seen this , unless checked , fatal tendency .

All these institutions—organisations—are based on the mutual benefit idea , have incorporated in them , every one , this feature . They all have a secret form of organisation , calculated to attract men by an appeal to the natural curiosity of man , as many are more or less attracted by

the Masonic institution , with all the high-sounding titles which the imaginative mind could suggest . But the main inducement held out by these organisations to thc uninitiated is the feature , presented in various forms , that by the payment of certain monthly or quarterly sums , called dues ,

or assessments , a certain fixed sum per week shall be paid each member in case of sickness , or a sum of less or greater amount to the family of tho deceased in case of death . A calculation , even casual , clearly shows that tbe amount promised is far in excess of the premium , called dues , paid

in . Hence many , in the hope of . getting much for little , have been induced to join these various organisations . Tbey became health and life insurance societies at very much less premiums than were offered by life insurance companies , whose premiums were based oncarefully prepared

tables of mortality , protected by careful medical examinations . A careful examination would have shown that as soon as the ordinary rate of death or sickness should begin to happen , say in tho course of five or ten years , there would be no funds to pay out , and ¦ all who , at the end of

such term , remained members , would bo left with an empty bag to hold . Indeed , the head man of one of thc organisations in New Orleans once stated that at least ninety per cent , of thc entire membership would drop out of their own accord , or havo their membership forfeited for

non-payment of dnes , or assessments , and that in this way the other ten per cent , would havo a certainty of having their policies paid in fall . It is this plan of getting from others what you contributed only in part yourself , that

keeps these organisations alive . Ihe idea of contributing a small sum at stated times for a short period , say five or seven years , or less , and then getting a large sum , was the basis of the marriage associations—of short life—of the Iron Hall , now in a state of collapse , and indeed , in some

Must Be Feared And Avoided.

form or other , with variations to catch the fancy , it is the basis of nil theso benefit associations , and which , it is safe to say , will all share the same fate as the two mentioned . And ( his is as it should be . The whole scheme , of each arid all , is kited on false

premises . It en guilders false ideas of life and business . It inculcates wrong principles , and leads men into erroneous habits of life . There is nothing of benevolence , or charity , or brotherly love about it . It is an attempt to get from another by indirection , without a quid pro quo . It is near

akin to gambling . It is not an incentive to good morals or right living . Being all this , all these institutions must sooner or later come to an end , as founded on wrong ideas and incorrect principles of conduct . Hence , thero has been in the minds of clear , calm thinkers , little fear of

their long continuance . But the after effect of these illadvised institutions is what is to bo feared . It is the minds of the community of the coming generating , wrong principles of life , the idea of getting without an equivalent ,

of living by the contributions of others , in forming habits of idleness , which will not disappear when thoso organisations have passed away , of living at au expense beyond the actual earnings . This evil is more or less lasting ; the habit holds sway long after tbe cause has disappeared .

In our Institution the effect is immediate , and unless carefully combatted , will be pernicious , and may be destructive . It will happen this way ; indeed , to some extent , it already exists in our Lodges . To a great extent even now , the rule is that to get the benefits of Masonry

wo must contribute due * regularly and of a fixed amount , and if in old age or poverty , or adversity , there is a failure in tho contributions , tbe obligation of relief is forfeited . This is one side of the scheme of theso benefit associations , already to some extent prevalent among us , introduced by

those who are , or have been , members of these associations . But tbe stated fixed sum in case of sickness or death , promised by them , has not been adopted by us , but tho old

Masonic rule of relief still prevails , of contributing as the necessities may require and the means will permit , though the monthly dues fall far short of the necessities of the poor of our Lodges .

In the associations which we havo had in view , tbe rich and the poor , the pauper and the millionaire , contribute the same monthly dues , ancl are promised tlie same stipend in the end . There is no charity or acfc of brotherly love about it . But as now in part engrafted upon our institution , tho

poor man , who supports his family as a day labourer , ' is called npon for as much as the possesser of millions , and the idea of charity , universal benevolence and brotherly

love is being obliterated . Many of us havo begun to say , when a personal appeal is made , " I have paid my dues to the Lodge for this purpose , go to the Master and get what he may have on hand to give you . "

With those who think and speak thus there is no brotherly love ; there is no universal benevolence * there is no Masonic charity . Our obligations are not simply to contribute a certain amount of dues to tho Lodge Treasury , as the sum of our charity , bnt " to contribute personally

to any one in necessitous circumstances , and more especially to any one who has been obligated as a brother , as far as his necessities may require and our means will permit . " This is the true measure of our obligation as Masons ; there is nothing of Lodge dues in it—the Lodge

fund derived from dues is not a charitabls fund , but is for the current expense of the Lodge ; the Lodge is not an organisation to give systematic relief—Masonic relief is

personal , and the conscience of the giver is the only guide as to his ability or the want of the recipient . In this tho poor contributes of his little , the rich of his abundance , and thus the obligation is fulfilled .

It is true that though the obligation of brotherly love and charity , which includes this relief , still subsists , it is being stifled by the false doctrines brought into the Institution by the recruits from these pseudo charitable associations . The idea of the payment of Lodge dues , as the sum

and substance of the Masonic obligations of charity , has the tendency to cause us to forget the duties we owe to every one initiated into our Order ; to forget our duty to go on a brother ' s errand , to remember him in our prayers , to have his welfare as our own in our hearts , to support

him in our best effort in every emergency , and to give him good counsel and ward off every danger . Any one of these particulars is more than money or food or clothing ¦ these latter we owe not only to him and his family , but to tho profane ; to the Mason we owe all , and this all is our personal