CONCERNING Candidoltes. PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF
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CONCERNING CANDIDolTES. in procf ssion through the streets; or you may have it as large, as we have said before, as a battalion of infantry, but you cannot fulfil the two requirements Now that our lod ges arc again assembling—in many cases indeed have in the case of one and the same lodge. Hence it is that Masons of high alread y assembled—after the summer holidays, new candidates for the character like Bro. SPEED arc never weary of lamenting the fact that—to mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry will be coming forward , and it use our worthy brother's figurative language as regards our lodges—¦" stones behoves us to take heed of the warnings which, at favourable opportunities unfitted for the builders' use are to be found in its walls." If then , in a have been uttered by consecrating officers and brethren of distinction country like the United States, where mere numbers count for so much in against the indiscriminate acceptance of those who offer themselves for Masonry as in all things else, we find in one of the States the Grand Master admission into our ranks. It is a matter of comparatively small importance of about the smallest branch of our system of modern Freemasonry ex- that our lodges should bo strong in respect of numbers, but it is of vital claiming vehemently against the indiscriminate acceptance of all who otter importance that the members of those lodges should be men of standing themselves as candidates for I'reemasonry, may we not , taking a leaf and character in the sphere of life they belong to. They must be good men out of his book , renew those salutary warnings which have been so and true, who will lose no opportunity and spare no effort to maintain and wisely uttered by our leading members on all suitable occasions promote the dignity and fame of the Order. This has been so often and against the adoption of a similar policy ? It is true that in this country so strenuously urged by the present and former Grand Secretaries, by we set ourselves, as a rule, strongly against having large lodges. With Provincial Grand Masters , and indeed by all those on whom the duty now us a lodge may be said to average, from 40 to 50 members, and when that and again has devolved of constituting new lodges or encouraging those number has been reached , the assistance of the authorities is invoked , with already formed , which have fared less successfully than they had hoped or a view to establishing another lodge ; or thc initiation and joining fees are had reason to expect, to seek to attain a higher standard of merit than had doubled. At all events, the desire is generally to keep lodges at such a previously contented them, that we feel as if we ought to apologise to our moderate strength that a high standard of qualification may be maintained. readers for reverting to a subject which , if the iteration and reiteration of In spite, however, of these and similar efforts in the same direction , the warnings we have referred to are to be taken account of , ought long sundry of our lodges go very near being wrecked , even in the early days of since to have been worn threadbare. But the matter has once again been pro- their existence, because candidates who prove very undesirable additions to minently brought to our notice by certain suggestions quoted by thc Mnso nic their numbers are hurriedly admitted , little or no care being taken to ascer- Advocate in its August number from thc last annual address delivered by tain beforehand whether or not they possess those attributes which are Bro. FREDK . S PEED , M.I.G.M. of the Royal and Select Masters of Mississi ppi. likely lo convert them into worthy members of our ancient and honourable Now if there is one country in the world in which numbers count for much. Society. We trust these remarks may have the effect of encoura ging our it is the United States of North America. There no one seems to be happy lodges to be cautious in the acceptance of candidates. unless every thing is on an exceptionally large scale, and Freemasonry has not altogether escaped from having that very common measure of merit attached to it. It is evident , however, that Bro. FREDERICK S PEED is very far from PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WEST YORKSH IRE. accepting this estimate of worth, based , as it is, upon mere numerical strength, as possessing any serious value. Though his remarks had reference INSTALLATION OF BRO. RT. HON. VV. L. J .XCKSON, M.P., merely to the particular branch or section of Freemasonry to which they werc AS PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER. addressed , yet are they applicable equally to all branches or sections , and Wednesday, when Bro. the Ri ht Hon. W. were very possibly intended to be so. At all events, the language he uses The meeting at Leeds on g L. was installed as Prov. Grand Master of VVest Yorkshire in in deprecating the acceptance of mere numbers as a criterion of excellence is Jackson , M.P., succession to Bro. T. VV. Tew, J.P., will justly take rank among the plain enough and to the point. " I question ," he says, " whether Masonry has been benefited as a whole by thc rapid rushing through of a vast memorable Masonic gatherings of the last few years, particularly in the number of candidates from body to body. When our fathers made long provinces where the induction into office of a ncw Grand Master is journeys to and from the lodge they appreciated and valued Masonry at its necessarily rare, and where, wnen such an event does take place, every effort surroundings shall be as brilliant and true worth ; thc number was limited to a few choice sp irits; and it was is made to ensure that the impressive counted a very honourable thing for a man to be known in the community as possible. VVest Yorkshire, indeed , is so large a province, its influence as a Freemason. It is not to be denied lhat we have not gained in propor- in the world of Masonry is so great, that even a less momentous occurrence tion to our increase cf members in the public estimation , nor has our moral than that of Wednesday would have attracted a large muster of the brethren province itself strength grown with our numerical. I recollect as a youth seeing all the not only from the lod ges in the , but likewise from the adjoin- people uncover when the Masonic lodge passed in procession ; it was the ing and more distant provinces, as well as from the Metropolitan district. sterling worth of the men who comprised that moving body which compelled But on this occasion our West Yorkshire friends were determined on first lace how fully they recognised the wisdom the act of homage." This is, indeed , a testimony to the reptitability of showing, in thc p , hness the Grand Master's - selection of Bio. Jackson the Freemasons in the days of which Bro. S PEED speaks , of which they of his Roya l Hig were no doubt exceedingly proud ; but the men must have been of a far as the successor of Bro. Tew, and in the next , how gladly and higher stamp and being fewer in number, it was a less difficult task than it loyally they welcomed thc accession of this distinguished brother who, Mason.'c career, has been one of themselves an is now to first of all establish and alterwards maintain a high standard during the ivhole of his , principal ollicer of one of their own of qualification among intending candidates. But now-a-days it is initiate and subsequently the . lodges as well as the brother whom Bro. Tew himself , at his own installation some next to impossible to look for the same high standard. Many of the blue lodges in the United States are as numerous as battalions eight years ago, had been delighted to honour with the collar of PVov. of infantr\', nor do we imagine there is any material difference in respect S.G.VV . But we need not examine minutel y into the reasons which prompted thus conspicuously its loyalty to the M.W. Grand of numbers between many of their Royal Arch Chapters or Knight West Yoikshire to show Vicegerent. Suffice it that it has proved Templar Conclaves and a regimen t of cavalry or a battery of artillery at Master and his newly-appointed most devoted ol our English provinces , its full war strength. No doubt it would be far better for our Order " if ," itself yet once again one of the generous of hosts towards the brethren who assembled as Bro. SPUED goes on to remark , " Freemasonry were to guard its doors and one of the most of the country to witness what in all likelihood will turn with flaming swords, and admit within its sanctuaries none but those whose from all parts characters had been established." But how is it possible to reconcile this very out to be the most brilliant and most successful Masonic spectacle during just desire to secure the privileges of Freemasonry to worthy men and worthy the present year. province which Bro. Jackson has been called upon to men alone with that love of "bigness " which is so characteristic of all As for the who are concerned to know more about the lodges con- Americans '' It is easy enough for the members of a small and select body administer , those borders and those of the conti guous Province of North lo insist upon a high standard of qualification on thc part of those who arc tained within its possible for us to furnish in the limited space desirous of joining them ; but the moment it is proposed to enlarge the bod y and Fast Yorkshire than it is consult that most valuable comp ilation numerically, it follows of necessity that the standard of merit must at our disposal , will do well to which was published in the year 1885 b be lowered.