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Article THE MASONIC MIRROR. ← Page 10 of 14 →
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The Masonic Mirror.
greatest mistake in the world to confound quantity with quality . Let us never suppose that extent of dominion is any real test of power . Extent of dominion is no test of real prosperity , unless accompanied by a living spirit , breathing from the inmost centre to the utmost extremity . ( Loud cheers . ) The great secret of government is , that the main body shall only attempt those duties which it is competent to perform . For instance , no man in this room is more deeply
impressed than I am with the necessity of maintaining the due dependence and allegiance of the Canadian Lodges to the Grand Lodge of England . I wish to see the Grand Lodge the fountain of appeal—the sole arbiter ; and I wish to see all the allegiance due to the Grand Lodge preserved ; but I would utterly surrender to the Prov . Grand Lodge all the minutiae of local business . ( Hear , hear . ) You will have to look long for a body of men who will unite those qualities which will enable them to take a broad view of questions of policy necessary here at
home , and to control the thousand and one details of local administration . ( Hear , hear . ) What I mean to say is , maintain their allegiance , and leave the local business under their own control . Make them your friends , and do not seek to alienate them ; attempt not to depose them into the condition of slaves . ( Loud cheers . ) There are two principles of government—compulsion and persuasion . Compulsion is idle for us to talk of , and it is irritating to them . Persuasion is a
legitimate weapon ; it will not break in your grasp , because it is a well-tempered blade , on which is engraven the talismanic characters of " Brotherly love , Belief , and Truth . " ( Loud cheers . ) There is a third course which stares one like a phantom in the face . I protest against your standing with folded arms while the stately fabric fall to pieces . ( Hear , hear . ) Better have an indifferent policy than none * at all . ( Loud cheers . ) Better have any principles than be like the mastless vessel before the storm : —
" Come it slow or come it fast , This is the fate must come at last /' Make up your minds to it . Do not deceive yourselves . Be not satisfied with closing your eyes ; look at the breakers which appear ahead , and seek not to escape your impending destiny by ignoring this difficulty , for you can never shelve it . ( Loud cheers . ) The sands of your hour-glass are running low ; the time for deliberation has almost r > assed away , and the time for action
has fully come . There stand the forms of the good and of the evil genius of this great Order , as it were , upon our very threshhold , with the emblems of ascending prosperity , and of hopeless irremediable decay . Both are offered to you . Which will you accept 1 It can only be done by free speaking and free discussion . Let us do away for ever with that mistaken policy which would prevent us from discussing here those great and important topics which
are nearest to our hearts , and which we so freely canvass elsewhere . ( Loud applause . ) I would say , it is unjust to us and to our Canadian Brethren that there should be a reserve between us and our authorities ; it is ruinous to the best interests of the Craft , and , if persisted in , will he fatal to the good understanding between those who sit upon the dais and those who are in the body of the Hall . ( Hear , hear . ) Therefore I move , Bight Worshipful Sir , that the communication of the M . W . Grand Master be referred to the Colonial Board , to
consider , and report upon at our quarterly meeting in December . I move , also , that the report be printed and distributed amongst the Brethren at their entrance to the Grand Lodge , and that the Grand Lodge considers that no scheme will be satisfactory which fails to approve of the Colonial Brethren having a voice in the appointment of the Prov . Grand Master . ( The noble Lord resumed his seat amidst loud applause . )
Bro . H . G . Warren , P . M ., No . 202 , seconded the motion and said , that he thought they would not be acting in justice towards the committee which they had just appointed , if they did not refer this matter to them ; if they refused to pass tho present or some similar resolution , they would stultify all their previous proceedings , and it was , therefore , with the greatest pleasure that he seconded the motion . ( Loud cries of " Divide , divide ! " ) The Chairman then put the motion , which was carried unanimously .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Mirror.
greatest mistake in the world to confound quantity with quality . Let us never suppose that extent of dominion is any real test of power . Extent of dominion is no test of real prosperity , unless accompanied by a living spirit , breathing from the inmost centre to the utmost extremity . ( Loud cheers . ) The great secret of government is , that the main body shall only attempt those duties which it is competent to perform . For instance , no man in this room is more deeply
impressed than I am with the necessity of maintaining the due dependence and allegiance of the Canadian Lodges to the Grand Lodge of England . I wish to see the Grand Lodge the fountain of appeal—the sole arbiter ; and I wish to see all the allegiance due to the Grand Lodge preserved ; but I would utterly surrender to the Prov . Grand Lodge all the minutiae of local business . ( Hear , hear . ) You will have to look long for a body of men who will unite those qualities which will enable them to take a broad view of questions of policy necessary here at
home , and to control the thousand and one details of local administration . ( Hear , hear . ) What I mean to say is , maintain their allegiance , and leave the local business under their own control . Make them your friends , and do not seek to alienate them ; attempt not to depose them into the condition of slaves . ( Loud cheers . ) There are two principles of government—compulsion and persuasion . Compulsion is idle for us to talk of , and it is irritating to them . Persuasion is a
legitimate weapon ; it will not break in your grasp , because it is a well-tempered blade , on which is engraven the talismanic characters of " Brotherly love , Belief , and Truth . " ( Loud cheers . ) There is a third course which stares one like a phantom in the face . I protest against your standing with folded arms while the stately fabric fall to pieces . ( Hear , hear . ) Better have an indifferent policy than none * at all . ( Loud cheers . ) Better have any principles than be like the mastless vessel before the storm : —
" Come it slow or come it fast , This is the fate must come at last /' Make up your minds to it . Do not deceive yourselves . Be not satisfied with closing your eyes ; look at the breakers which appear ahead , and seek not to escape your impending destiny by ignoring this difficulty , for you can never shelve it . ( Loud cheers . ) The sands of your hour-glass are running low ; the time for deliberation has almost r > assed away , and the time for action
has fully come . There stand the forms of the good and of the evil genius of this great Order , as it were , upon our very threshhold , with the emblems of ascending prosperity , and of hopeless irremediable decay . Both are offered to you . Which will you accept 1 It can only be done by free speaking and free discussion . Let us do away for ever with that mistaken policy which would prevent us from discussing here those great and important topics which
are nearest to our hearts , and which we so freely canvass elsewhere . ( Loud applause . ) I would say , it is unjust to us and to our Canadian Brethren that there should be a reserve between us and our authorities ; it is ruinous to the best interests of the Craft , and , if persisted in , will he fatal to the good understanding between those who sit upon the dais and those who are in the body of the Hall . ( Hear , hear . ) Therefore I move , Bight Worshipful Sir , that the communication of the M . W . Grand Master be referred to the Colonial Board , to
consider , and report upon at our quarterly meeting in December . I move , also , that the report be printed and distributed amongst the Brethren at their entrance to the Grand Lodge , and that the Grand Lodge considers that no scheme will be satisfactory which fails to approve of the Colonial Brethren having a voice in the appointment of the Prov . Grand Master . ( The noble Lord resumed his seat amidst loud applause . )
Bro . H . G . Warren , P . M ., No . 202 , seconded the motion and said , that he thought they would not be acting in justice towards the committee which they had just appointed , if they did not refer this matter to them ; if they refused to pass tho present or some similar resolution , they would stultify all their previous proceedings , and it was , therefore , with the greatest pleasure that he seconded the motion . ( Loud cries of " Divide , divide ! " ) The Chairman then put the motion , which was carried unanimously .