Masonic Dues.

panaceas have been advanced and advocated , and a question which has two sides to consider . On the one hand stands the Lodge , the local unit of the Grand Lodge , and the representative of the body of

Mnsohry in the community in which it is located . Whether guided by wise councils , or otherwise , the Institution is judged of men by what it appears to be in its corporate capacity , and the brethren , being only men , will

also judge it by its acts , and hold the whole Order responsible for what it does to them as individuals , hence the Lodge must show a clean record of profession and practice if it expects to escape censure in its matters of discipline .

The other factor is the brother himself . The Lodge sets forth the foundation , the Masonic edifice that is expected to be reared , and the rewards of the practice of the tenets—Brotherly Love , Relief and Truth . The

Mason on his part has voluntarily assumed irrevocable vows in the name of God , to perform certain duties so that he may be the partaker in the privileges—among which is the support of the Order , including the payment

of ms dues . In theory the two parts united form a perfect and complete whole , but , alas ! our printed reports show that each year hundreds , nay , thousands , fail to live up to their vows , and are disciplined therefor .

We have a few thoughts to suggest , and will consider them under two denominations , viz , 1 st , the Lodge ; 2 nd , the brother . And in so doing we may be pardoned by taking men and Masons as they are , not what we would

like them to he , and the Lodge as well . An active membership of nearly a quarter of a century will be an excuse for quoting examples from experience , although they must be considered impersonal .

First , the Lodge . Lodges err in many ways , they would be more than human not to do so , but in two ways I believe they contribute towards swelling the number of non-affiliates , ( a ) They do so , often and thoughtlessly ,

by an indiscriminate bestowal of Masonic charity . A member is sick , and upon his recovery Borne brother rises and makes a motion to pay say forty dollars for the nurse hire , the brethren not having been allowed to

take turns watching ; the treasury happens to be well filled , the audienco has been moved to liberality by a glowing speech and the money is voted . The recipient of this

bounty possibly lives in his own house , is comfortably off , and the only inconvenience he suffers financially is the loss of income for one or more months . What sort of

effect will this have upon another equally as worthy a brother , absent or present , who lives like St . Paul in his own hired house , and whose neglect to pay his accruing dues is largely due to a like illness and for which the same

Lodge extended no monied relief ? Possibly there was not sufficient cash in the treasury , or it was at a subsequent period , when it had been spent . The principle is the same in either event .

( b ) Many Lodges allow discussions over the accounts due from members , and sometimes this goes on to the calling of the names of delinquents . This is manifestly wrong . If the brethren meant ( if not named ) are not

present their friends may be , and hard feelings result . I assume the broad ground , and have so ruled for two years , iu the East , that when the Lodge elects its officers it entrusts to them the fiscal as well as esoteric concerns of

Masonry , and that , therefore , unless in event of Masonic trial for non-payment of dues , the relation of the brother who owes the dues is to the East and not to the floor . At

any rate this ruling has worked well wherever I have known it to be tried . An example in evidence will be cited further on .

These two instances are not expected to cover the whole ground of this portion of the subject , but they will serve to suggest the probability that the Lodge may err as well as the individual brother . While not cited as an indictment , it serves to assert that even-handed justice should characterise all dealings with the weaker factor .

Second , the Brother . Theoretically all the stones in the Masonic temple are equally true , equally strong . How is it in actual life ? Our Lodges are made up of three great classes of men : ( a ) Those with fixed incomes , and in this

I would include the wealthy and also the recipients of a comfortable salary , ( b ) The middle classes , as the English would say , the men of business with fluctuating incomes , subject to reverses , and in this category we place the labouring man who is likewise subject to the fluctuations of commerce , circumstances aud trade , ( c ) The poor man ,

Masonic Dues.

made so by reverses over which he had no control , and the man who " never could get along in life . " We have all these in our cosmopolitan ranks , and to deal with them so that the Lodge shall cause no brother to offeud requires

statesmanship of a no meau order . It will be found that the first class mentioned are the most difficult to manage , or to keep from offending in the line of talk about the second and third divisions , above . With a fixed income ,

always assured , they have no patience with or charity for the others . They pay their dues and boast of it , and cannot see why a business man cannot pay to-day the six dollars due the Lodge , although he may have a payment of one thousand dollars to make before three o ' clock at the

bank , and barely enongh in hand to do it with . Neither can they be made to understand many times why it is that the poorer brother does not become as forehanded as they are , and so there is likely to be an irrepressible conflict of opinion and interest on the question of payment of dues ,

in any Lodge , which , if not checked , as the years roll

away , will be sure to lead to , first , trouble , and , ultimately , to a frame of mind in the one or both , which results in non-affiliation . The root of the difficulty , in my opinion , lies at the door

of the preparation room . The Lodge owes to the neophyte something more than an examination into moral character , or a perfunctory rehearsal of the three constitutional questions . Admitted that the candidate is moral and

upright before God and of good report in the world , the duties and obligations involved should be freely and frankly stated . He should be informed of the expense involved in the Masonic relation , and the Committee of

Investigation have no higher duty than to become satisfied on this point : that the proposed brother cheerfully , aye , cheerfully is the word , agrees to undertake the life

responsibilities involved in his petition . But no amount of dereliction of duty is an excuse for a deliberate refusal to support and maintain Masonry , and hence it is rightly judged an offence in many jurisdictions , including Vermont .

The remedy , however , is what we are aiming at , and involves , on the part of the Lodge , the cessation and banishment of all debate in individual cases . This avoids all personal acrimony between the three classes enumerated ,

and the officers do not find themselves trammelled and confronted by the indiscreet remarks of brothers whose zeal is not often according to knowledge , and to whom the Lodge has not entrusted this business .

The duty of the officers of a Lodge are manifold , and should be impartially performed . There are two ways of collecting dues—one is to assume that frequent notices , sent out by mail , absolves the Master and Secretary from

all further responsibility , that the brother ' s obligation is to pay and the Secretary ' s to receive . This is theoretically correct , but how long would the Institution stand if it were universally practised ? Another method is for the

Secretary to carry a list with him and collect the amounts in greater or less sums . Who does not know the latter way to be the safest , provided the Lodge cares to retain its members ?

"Business is business" with Lodges , as well as with other concerns of life . Some years since the writer was engaged to collect the arrearages of a credit list of newspaper subscribers . The proprietor , now deceased , was one

of those prompt men who dunned a subscriber two or three times ; if he paid , well and good , or if he heard nothing from him , after a month or so , the name was erased , and the amount due carried to " profit and loss " account .

On one occasion there had been selected nearly one thousand dollars in such accounts , for summary disposal , as the advance pay system was to be inaugurated . I asked to be allowed to collect these accounts according to my own

notion , and it was of course accorded . I realised nearly all this money , and , better still , retained the names as future patrons . How was it done ? By carrying a list of the accounts with me and asking for small sums until paid , and

in advance one year . A few years afterwards , being elected Secretary of a Lodge , I tried this system with great success , and I know of a Secretary to-day who :-. as been eminently rewarded by a like trial . Incorrigible cases will

occur , but they only prove the rule . This is the method John Doe is five or more years in arrear . He is ub ' e , but has neglected to pay up . If he is influenced by a i'liovance ,

remove it , whether proceeding from the inside cr ou ' side of the Lodge . Ask him for three dollars to help make out the rent ; at another time for something more for another