Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the writers , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

MASONIC IMPOSTOES .

DEAR SIB AND BBOTHBB , —Allow me to supplement my previous letter . The " modus operandi" of the Masonie slink is not as well known as it ought to be . He visits as a distressed Mason in urgent need , towns such as Liverpool or Manchester , in which there are many Lodges . It is easy to ascertain when these meet . He has no character to lose , hence he can risk everything ; being a sharper by profession this meant a great deal . In the day-time he waylays young Masons on information generally obtained at a

Lodge the night before , and visits a different Lodge nearly every evening . From both these sources he may make say £ 1 a day as long as it lasts , and I came to the serious conclusion two years ago that you cannot prevent him ; that is in the same sense as you recognise that if a determined thief means to break into your house neither law nor its guardians can stop him . This man is a social as well as a Masonic pest , and if he were not a villain ( for he is well aware every shilling he gets is absolutely a reflection and loss to the

deserving ) he would prefer any other class to prey upon rather than his Brother Masons . I know him . Shame him 11 When a man sinks so low we have to leave hirn to time and circumstances . But he has by no means his own way , and it requires a man of such exceptional smartness , as well as utter moral degradation , that there can never be many Past Masters in " that" Art . The nuisance arises from so many having joined Freemasonry of late years intending to live out of it , and these try that method because it

is easier than any other method . None of these succeed long , and the earnings of the cleverest are both uncertain and limited , while the fact that it is a " season ' s " business all through renders continuous week by week earnings too costly for him in various ways . When we find one of these parasites has been earning £ 3 or £ 5 per week there has been more than one screw loose where he has been . He is made too muc " h of , and I regret to say he is nearly always helped ; as most of these fellows can be read at a

glance their chief art consists in singling out those philanthropists who , added to those who pay to be rid of importunity , are the groat obstructions to the putting down of the nuisance . One foolish , thoughtless payment is working capital for a week or two in a town ; in fact until success leads him to try and extend the business by lying he has no check ; generally it is Bro . P . M . — ( a

well-known local man ) who " gave him 10 s ., " or the said Bro . " gave him all the change he bad about him ( 4 s . ) , and told him to call to-morrow " ; he has at last called on the wrong man , who sends for Bro . P . M . — or telephones . The man is detained for five or fifteen minutes , and if very smart on detection , of his lie he merely brazens it out and disappears a few weeks ; and this goes on with impunity .

The evil will never cease to be with us so long as Barmen and Bailway Porters are accepted as candidates for Freemasonry . I have nothing to say against either of these classes , indeed , I am well aware that most of them are sensible enough to know that they cannot ( to speak plainly ) afford to be Freemasons . Nay , I go farther , and say that I have personally known one or two instances in which on proper representation to intending candidates of this description they were so respectable , besides being so sensible , as to give up the idea altogether .

There seems to be a sort of idea that the Brethren who have written in the Masonic papers from time to time have a monopoly of knowledge on the subject . This arises from the assumed credit of some of the writers for " Sherlock Holmes " ability . But I know several ( including myself ) who find no credit at all in having to satisfy their consciences in a slight degree in undertaking even correspondence on the subject . We have only to know Manchester , Liverpool , or any of the largely populated towns , and especially

London , to find that scores of Past Masters in each are thoroughly versed in it . If the Craft has to be disgraced let it come at least through its own . When Bonnie had mastered his first difficulties I understand why it would be easier for him to carry on so long than it would have been for a Mason — but how is it he was started ? I refuse to own him , and I protest against advertising him . I still more strongly object , however , to Inquisitions , and I

am certain that most Lodges will consider if they make a mistake now and then and pay for it without grumbling , neither a Provincial Committee nor any outsider will mend the matter . But define the Masonic Impostor before asking anybody to legislate for him . Yours , & c , CAEITA . 15 th September 1899 .

To the Editor of the FBEEMASON ' S CHEONICLE . DEAE SIR AND BROTHER , —Your this week's contributions to the above subject are not very flattering to " the most powerful Society in existence , " but I would rather anytime set about mending than moaning . The instruments available to the Cadger are much the same whether he be a Mason or not , and if the sensible method adopted by " A believer in Masonio equality , " were more general , he would soon find his occupation gone for

want of them . There is far too much unnecessary officialism about Charity matters as it is , and the poor Prov . G . Secretary in cases like this is at once a victim , as if he had more time on his hands than was good for him . As to the " Code of Instructions " I shall say very little at present , because I look upon it as a mere suggestion that will never pass the judgment of those who have more than local knowledge of the disease . It is a good attempt , but we shall need to proceed very differently , or in twenty years the Masonic

Brotherhood will have degenerated iialo an authorised Benefit Society , towards which permit me to remind reformers there has long been a strong tendency , only kept down by the influence of Masons who see the danger of " improving principles which long usage has proved to be right . " So if necessary I shall protest with all my power against the manifest wrongheadedness of making

a Mason ' s Certificate a vehicle of Chanty in any form . Yet this is the active bolus of the remedy proposed ; it reminds me ol the young doctor who having seen a child ( his first patient ) through the measles safely , thanks to nursing more than physic , was quite confident he could then tackle a man I The complaint bristles with difficulties , and it is no use rushing at it without thought , and prescribing remedies worse than the disease ; moreover , those

Correspondence.

difficulties are unassailable , so long as the question remains not sufficiently important to be dealt with generally instead of locally as at present . " 1 am not at all satisfied with the bona-fides of Bonnie's confession , but shall leave him and his object as equally worthless , after saying that it must be a feat for such a scamp to pen such a document " without falsehood , " yet there must be some truth in it ; we cannot avoid one clear revelation , viz .

that Masons made his deeds possible 1 Admitting the exceptional success of this man , his hard-up shifts , his occupancy of workhouse and prison , and tho thousand and one gruesome phases of his unsettled life , is this the " living " any man would take to , unless he had a natural bent towards it ? Rennie was trying to get a Masonic Certificate " before" his reverse . of fortune , and if the occupation had not been put into his way , ten to one he would have selected quite a different line of fraud and deception . Yours fraternally , 16 th September 1899 . CAEITA .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . SIR AND BROTHER , —Has the unwillingness to employ Masons anything to do with the above ? I have known of eight cases in ten years of Masons employing so-called tramps . Except that they wero not Masons I only came to know anything about six of theso at different times through Brethren , and circumstances more or less unsatisfactory concerning them which need not be related . The other two were Masons and worthy Masons . Neither would beg , but both tried Masons who were in a position to employ them , but

unsuccessfully , before they came in my way . I advised each to keep his Masonry to himself , and try again , promising to see if I could not help them . In one case work turned up in three days , and in another nearly as many months , the last owing to depression at the time . One , a hardworking Scotchman , only survived his sad hardships in search of work about nine months ; the other is doing well . Now , neither of these Brethren were represented by me as Masons , or my recommendation would have been fruitless . How is this ? Simply on account of the local tricks of fche Masonic Impostor .

Let us suppose another case . My connection with the Craft cannot be concealed , and nobody will give me employment . There is , according to good authority , £ 3 and £ 5 a week for me without much trouble at the expense of my Brother Masons , I have a right to it , and they will never feel it . However , cadging not being my forte , and successful knavery requiring several qualities I am destitute of , besides which I prefer to turn an honest penny any other way , I make up my mind the occupation will not do forme , even if I starve . But is it not reasonable to suppose that half a dozen with the requisite qualifications may hear of the vacancy and jump at it ?

Very well , Masonry teaches me certain duties quite as incumbent upon those I ask for employment as myself . One of them is certainly not to turn my back upon a distressed Brother if worthy , and I can understand such a Brother as I have imagined putting the question to himself— " If an honest Mason is not considered very much worse than any other man , why this unwillingness to employ him until he turns rogue ? And this would be no great exaggeration , for the same individual has nothing to do but make himself distressed , and beg with sufficient humbleness , to be listened to wifch

willing ears , to his profit . It is the same with employment as with the same man ' s want of food . In the one case you can get money you do not want , when you ask for work that you need ; in the other , you have only to be " hail fellow , well met ! " at the nearest public-house , and you can have drink ad libitum , but if you remind your generous Brethren that you are still in wistful expectation of the dinner you missed yesterday , or hint that the same mealless calamity befell you last night and this morning , you commit a mortal offence , and even the tap ceases to flow , and engagements require immediate attention at the office .

To neutralise Masonio imposition we hedge our Charity round with delays and formalities until the little that promptly given might have set a man on his feet has no longer its power , and £ 20 is not worth as much as £ 3 in the hour of need . Then we grant him £ 5 , trusting to deterrent experiences getting rid of him for ever , as I should say will often be the case . There is

no Charity in this , and possibly sometimes there may be temptation enough to create an " Impostor . " Masons make him and Masons should stop making him . If ten Lodges will have numbers it is a shame that . the thousand have to suffer for it : but I do not see how it can be helped at present , for there are plenty of Masonic Impostors besides the tramp .

It may be " clever , " but none the less objectionable , that the young Mason while full of admiration for Masonic teachings should be laughed at by Past Masters for trying to carry them out . It is the way to disgust him before he has had a chance of knowing how far such sentiments may be accepted as really so hypocritical as they seem to him . Altogether we appear to be passing through a critical time , but it may be that I attach too much importance to principles to be able to approve of laxity and the thin end of the wedge . Yours fraternally , P . M .

The weekly meetings of the Wellington Lodge of Instruction , No . 548 , have been resumed at New Cross House , New Cross , S . E . Bro . E . T . Adams is Secretary of the Lodge , and he will be pleased to welcome visitors any meeting night—Mondays , at 8 o ' clock .

The Woodrow Lodge of Instruction will re-assemble on Monday next , 25 th inst ., at "Stone ' s , " 24 Panton Street , Haymarket , S . W ., at 3 o'clock , when we hope a continuation

of the very successful meetings of this Lodge will be started upon . The Secretary Bro . J . W . Simeons will be pleased to welcome visitors at any of the meetings .

The desire for admission to the Royal Arch degree is reported to be increasingly strong in some parts of Scotland . We are afraid the same can hardly be said in regard to

districts this side the border , despite the fact that very many members make no secret of advising their friends to seek admission to the higher degree .