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  • March 1, 1855
  • Page 3
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, March 1, 1855: Page 3

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and not by a subscription which all who please may evade . It is , of course , an open question , whether a subscription-list is the means best adapted for the purpose to be obtained . On the one hand , all would be included under a tax , while on the other it would deprive persons of

an opportunity of showing their sympathy for the sufferers by the war , making that compulsory which would otherwise have been cheerfully given of " free will and accord . " But the question is not whether a tax or a subscription-list is the best , — -that has been settled long ago . The question is , shall we , so far as we are concerned , allow the widows and orphans of our brave soldiers to starve , or go into the workhouse ? There can be but one answer from every true Mason .

The last class of objectors with which we propose to deal , are those who think that Masonic money ought not to be given to any but Masonic purposes . We are perfectly agreed upon this point , The whole question is , what are " Masonic ' ¦ ' purposes ? Are they purposes in which none but Masons are concerned ? We answer , most decidedly no . Masonry is an institution for maintaining certain

principles ot truth , morality , and charity , among men m general . It is universal , not local , — -we do not only speak the truth among Masons , and falsehoods among the rest of the world , but we uphold truth universally , and so with morality and charity . It is no doubt true that we are bound to support purely Masonic charities in the first instance , and could it be maintained that Masonic charities would

suffer by our carrying out our principles in a wider field , we should at once concede the point , but the very reverse is the case ; the Masonic charities are amply provided for , and in so far as we localize and narrow the limits of Masonic action , in place of extending it , and making it universal , so do we descend from our high position , and take our standing bv the side of local benefit clubs , such as Odd

Fellows , or Druids , or the Manchester , or any other "Unity . ' It may be also well to bear in mind , that so entirely is this the recognised principle of Freemasonry , that there is no Provincial , and scarcely any private Lodge , whose funds do not assist in the maintenance of schools , hospitals , and other works of general utility and benevolence- Upon what principle then is it that an exception

should be made in favour of Grand Lodge ? If the money of Masons may be spent for the benefit of those who are not Masons in the country , why not in London ? It cannot be Masonic in one place and un-Masonic in another . For these reasons we sincerely trust that the vote in March may be as unanimous as was the feeling in

December . We hope this for the sake of consistency , for the sake of the reputation of the Masonic body , and last , but not least , for the sake of those , whose fathers and husbands have fallen in the performance of their duty on the plains of Alma , or under the walls oi Sevastopol .

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1855-03-01, Page 3” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 25 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_01031855/page/3/.
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Title Category Page
CONTINENTAL FBEEMASONRY. Article 4
A DISSERTATION ON THE K AND F DEGREE. Article 10
THE LAST RELIC. Article 13
SOMETHING CONCERNING THE TRADESCANTS. Article 15
THE REPORTED ABDUCTION AND DEATH OF MORGAN, IN THE UNITED STATES. Article 21
MASONIC CURIOSITIES. Article 19
SOME REASONS FOR OUR BEING A SECRET ORDER. Article 23
A CANADIAN GRAND LODGE. Article 24
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FKEEMASONS' MONTHLY MAGAZINE. Article 33
MASONIC CHARITIES. Article 34
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE Article 34
FREEMASONRY. Article 25
THE PATBIOTIC FUND. Article 1
HOPE. Article 30
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 31
THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE. Article 35
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MONTHLY MAGAZINE. Article 32
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MONTHLY MAGAZINE. Article 32
PATRIOTIC FUND. Article 35
METROPOLITAN. Article 36
PROVINCIAL Article 42
INDIA. Article 49
ROYAL ARCH. Article 47
SCOTLAND. Article 48
AMERICA. Article 49
COLONIAL. Article 52
KNIGHT TEMPLARISM. Article 55
METROPOLITAN LODGE MEETINGS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH. Article 56
LODGES OF INSTRUCTION. Article 58
CHAPTERS OF INSTRUCTION Article 59
Obituary Article 60
NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 62
ERRATUM. Article 64
Untitled Ad Ad 9
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Untitled Article

and not by a subscription which all who please may evade . It is , of course , an open question , whether a subscription-list is the means best adapted for the purpose to be obtained . On the one hand , all would be included under a tax , while on the other it would deprive persons of

an opportunity of showing their sympathy for the sufferers by the war , making that compulsory which would otherwise have been cheerfully given of " free will and accord . " But the question is not whether a tax or a subscription-list is the best , — -that has been settled long ago . The question is , shall we , so far as we are concerned , allow the widows and orphans of our brave soldiers to starve , or go into the workhouse ? There can be but one answer from every true Mason .

The last class of objectors with which we propose to deal , are those who think that Masonic money ought not to be given to any but Masonic purposes . We are perfectly agreed upon this point , The whole question is , what are " Masonic ' ¦ ' purposes ? Are they purposes in which none but Masons are concerned ? We answer , most decidedly no . Masonry is an institution for maintaining certain

principles ot truth , morality , and charity , among men m general . It is universal , not local , — -we do not only speak the truth among Masons , and falsehoods among the rest of the world , but we uphold truth universally , and so with morality and charity . It is no doubt true that we are bound to support purely Masonic charities in the first instance , and could it be maintained that Masonic charities would

suffer by our carrying out our principles in a wider field , we should at once concede the point , but the very reverse is the case ; the Masonic charities are amply provided for , and in so far as we localize and narrow the limits of Masonic action , in place of extending it , and making it universal , so do we descend from our high position , and take our standing bv the side of local benefit clubs , such as Odd

Fellows , or Druids , or the Manchester , or any other "Unity . ' It may be also well to bear in mind , that so entirely is this the recognised principle of Freemasonry , that there is no Provincial , and scarcely any private Lodge , whose funds do not assist in the maintenance of schools , hospitals , and other works of general utility and benevolence- Upon what principle then is it that an exception

should be made in favour of Grand Lodge ? If the money of Masons may be spent for the benefit of those who are not Masons in the country , why not in London ? It cannot be Masonic in one place and un-Masonic in another . For these reasons we sincerely trust that the vote in March may be as unanimous as was the feeling in

December . We hope this for the sake of consistency , for the sake of the reputation of the Masonic body , and last , but not least , for the sake of those , whose fathers and husbands have fallen in the performance of their duty on the plains of Alma , or under the walls oi Sevastopol .

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