The October Election Of The Boys' School.

who have lost both of their parents . Their father was a member of the Shakespeare Lodge , No . 1018 , for sixteen years , and served the office of Worshipfnl Master therein .

No doubt his son will soon be cared for under the root of the Masonic Boys' School . No . 41 , Norman McCaskie , is one of five children left to the care of their widowed

mother . The father had risen to the rank of Junior Warden of his Lodge—the Huddersfield , No . 290 , ancl was a subscriber to the Institution from which his son is now seekino- assistance .

Cambridgeshire is represented on the list by No . 52 , Percy Neville , who is one of four children dependent on their widowed mother . His father was initiated in the

Three Grand Princip les Lodge , No . 441 ; afterwards joined the Scientific , No . 88 , rose to the office of Senior Warden and attained to Provincial honours as Provincial Grand

Registrar . Devonshire sends up No . 36 , William Ballard Stevens , one of two dependent children left to the care of their mother by a brother who was initiated in the Sincerity Lodcre .

No . 1 ^ 9 , afterwards becoming a joining member of the Minerva Lodge , No . 250 . We shall be very much surprised if the ably organised Province of Devon does not carrv this case at . the next election .

The same may he said in regard to the Hertfordshire ease , No . 55 , William Archer Stocken , who is an only child dependent on his mother , who was left a widow in

July 1881 , by the death of a member of the Cecil Lodge , No . 449 . If the Province takes his case in hand , as we have no doubt they will do , he may be looked for amon g the foremost at the close of the poll .

No . 46 , Percy Haslem Matthews , the lad from the Western Division of Lancashire , has a sister in the Girls ' School , and so may be said to possess proof of this Province ' s goodwill towards his deceased father ' s family . He ancl

three other children are now dependent on their mother , whose husband was an initiate of the Furness Lodge , No . 995 , and a founder of the Arthur John Brogden Lodge , No . 1715 . This is indeed a case where speedy assistance may be safely predicted .

Lincolnshire ' s lad , No . 2 , Benjamin Meeds Hildred , now appears for the sixth time , ancl brings forward a total of 772 votes , which have already been polled on bis behalf . He has a sister in the Girls' School , and is one of eip-bt

children yet dependent on their mother . His father was initiated in the Harmony Lodge , No . 272 , and rose to the honour of Past Master and Provincial Grand Deacon . We

hope friends Avill come forward at the next election in such numbers as to secure this lad ' s return at that contest . Monmouthshire contributes No . 31 , Colin Randolph Campbell , who is one of three fatherless children

dependent on their mother . The father was initiated in the Silurian Lodge , No . 471 , and served the office of Worshipful Master therein . He was likewise a P . Z . and a Past Grand Officer of his Province . We hope what he did in his lifetime may prove of service to his family in their hour of need .

No . 19 , Frank Fowler , comes from Oxfordshire , the father having been a member of the Cherwell Lodge , No . 599 , for close on twenty-three years , during which time he secured the honours of Provincial office . Five of his

children are how dependent on their mother , but we hope the efforts being made to relieve her of responsibilit y in regard to one of them may prove successful at an early date .

The Western Division of South Wales is represented b y No . 28 , Robert Henry Rees , one of three children dependent on their father , who is yet living . The father was initiated in the Prince of Wales' Lodge , No . 671 , in 1876 .

Staffordshire brings our review to an end , so far as the home cases are concerned . This Province is accredited with No . 16 , Francis Walford Higgison , who was a candidate in April last , and then polled 426 votes . The father

was an initiate of the St . Peter ' s Lodge , No . 419 , and served the office of Worshipful Master therein . He died in October 1884 , ancl at the present time there are three of his children dependent on his widow .

The Foreign Stations , represented by Malta , have one case on the list , —No . 15 , George James Senior , who is one of three children dependent on a widowed mother . His father was an initiate of the Union of Malta Lodge ,

No . 407 , and died in June 1883 . The lad has a total of 188 votes to his credit , polled in April last , when be was a candidate for the first time . The onl y feature iu the list for general notice is , per-

The October Election Of The Boys' School.

haps , the presence of so many lads as candidates who have sisters in the Girls' School . This undoubtedly speaks well for the popularity of the Institutions—the families like the one so much that they want to try the

other—but we question whether it is politic to allow two members of one family to enjoy fche benefits of the Schools to the exclusion of other families equally deserving . We do not begrudge those who are successful

with two of their children . We only pity those who cannot secure tho election of one because of plurality in other cases . We think a rule might be adopted to make only

one child of a family eligible for the Masonic Educational Institutions , at least until such time as the number of vacancies was in excess of the number of candidates .

Freemasonry's Stand To-Day.

FREEMASONRY'S STAND TO-DAY .

An extract from an address fa j Alexander George S % dherla )\ d , Grand Orator , at , the Tenth Anniversary of Weber Lodge , No . 6 , Utah , and the Dedication of its Neiv Hall in Ogden . 1 THINKING of Masonry , we cannot help inquiring to some extent as to its origin , and while we may not be

satisfied as to whether the science originated in the time of that good old sea-captain Noah , at the building of the Tower of Babel or the Temple of Solomon , in ages after or before those stupendous and splendid structures reared

their heads and glittering pinnacles heavenward , or in the stirring times of the Crusaders ; whether ' mid the statel y cedars of Lebanon , or in the orange groves of Palestine , ' mid the cool shades of the Black Forests , or in fche

sunscorched , arid plains of the dark continent ; whether when the sun of peace was brightly shining , or the desolating hand of war was stretched out over the land , scattering blood , slavery , despotism , wrong and oppression from

every finger , it matters not . Of one thing we are assured That Freemasonry , shrouded though its origin may be in the mists of obscurity or darkness of mystery , glimmering star-like in the dark ages , or shining bright as the sun , a

beacon in the advance of civilisation , originated in eternal truth and the unchangable requirements of human nature . Established by wisdom , its principles and tenets formed tbe unwavering pillars of its strength , evolved by and

springing from tbe most just , generous and virtuous impulses of the heart and brain ; without aid from Church or State ; bitterly opposed by tyranny ; antagonised by bigotry and superstition : scoffed at by ignorance ;

traduced by envy , and but seldom fostered , cared for , or nourished by governments or rulers , temporal or spiritual . Inculcating reverence for Deity ; love and duty to country , and charity to all mankind , it has , from the

commencement , steadily marched on , preserving its landmarks ; fulfilling its grand and peaceful mission ; inclining its votaries to love ancl charity , to moral courage and fortitude , and to the conscientious discharge of known

duties . Comforting the afflicted ; drying the tears of widows and orphans ; bringing back the erring ones to paths of rectitude , and making all better , wiser and happier by its teachings , till it has become , as its principle

tenet , " charity , should be , coextensive with the universe . Tracing its origin to the first builders of rude shelters of rock or tree ; following them through the long arduous struggle of ages ; rearing in the far east magnificent

towers and palaces , whose domes touched the skies , arresting the wondering and admiring gaze of the old world ' s heroes and sages ; or in Europe and the north , building the strong fortresses , cathedrals and massive

structures , many of which , standing to-day , are g lorious monuments of the skill , wisdom and strength of our operative Brethren—the Masons of the past . Its aim and purpose were , then ancl now , always one and the same .

Since the Fraternity has ceased to work as Operative Masons , and has worked as we do now , in Speculative Masonry , the Craffc has not ceased to build up strong and beautiful monuments of their work , and the monuments

reared by Speculative Masonry are , and should be , more beautiful ancl enduring than any of the work of Operative Masonry . The tools of the operative have been put by the worker in Speculative Masonry to the noble and glorious

purpose to which alone the spark of Deity in man could have applied them , and the " squnre , " instead of being used upon rough and unhewn stones , has been , and is now , used in Speculative Masonry to square our actions by a