Indiana Magazine of History Republican As President from 1953

Indiana Magazine of History Republican As President from 1953

328 Indiana Magazine of History Republican as President from 1953-1961, he labored for extension of re- ciprocal trade agreements, the St. Lawrence Seaway project, public housing, and foreign aid. Most of these measures he had previously opposed, as the right wing of the Indiana party hotly reminded him. It is not intended to suggest that Representative Halleck has been a hidden liberal. It is probably nearer the truth to say that his role has been more that of a professional politician than of a conservative ideologue. Judging from his defense of the profession of politics, he might not regard that judg- ment as a harsh one. University of South Dakota Cedric Cummins Goodly Heritage: One Hundred Fifty Years of Craft Freemasonry in Indiana. By Dwight L. Smith. ([Indianapolis] : Grand Lodge of F. & A.M. of Indiana, 1968. Pp. 535. Illustrations, appendices, source materials, index. $10.00.) Goodly Heritage offers an informative, interesting, and significant history of Masonry in Indiana. It is a worthy and permanent contribution to the sesquicentennial of the founding of the Grand Lodge of Indiana at Madison early in 1818, the observance of which has continued during 1968. Although the major attention is devoted to the beginning or lower orders of Masonry for men-commonly called Craft Masonry, consideration is also given to other orders for men as well as special orders for women and youth. Com- prehensive in scope, the book includes information concerning early local lodges, establishment of the Grand Lodge, ups and downs of membership, and the anti-Masonic movement as well as such topics as Masonic charity, ethics, ritual, philosophy, and membership requirements. So far as chronology is concerned, the main focus is on the beginnings and then the development of Masonry during the initial half of the nineteenth century. This volume contributes useful information and interesting perspectives about the anti-Masonic crusade which reached its peak during the late 1820’s and the 1830’s. It definitely supports a commonly held view that the political impact of anti-Masonry was modest among Hoosiers, but it plows some new ground in its vivid account of the near demise of the Grand Lodge of Indiana during the early 1830’s. Dr. David G. Mitchell, of Corydon, apparently the major anti-Masonic leader in the state, is frankly described as an ex-Mason who had been expelled for drunkenness and other causes. Despite the anti-Masonic crusade, five of Indiana’s first eight governors were Masons: Jonathan Jennings, James B. Ray, Noah Noble, David Wallace, and James Whitcomb. Moreover, these executives served for approximately twenty-seven of the thirty-two years from 1816 to 1848. Smith is to be commended for his substantial research and thoughtful evaluations. He has made much use of Indiana Masonic records, especially those of the Grand Lodge and local lodges. But Smith has also used an Book Reviews 329 impressive array of books, articles, and miscellaneous sources concerning Indiana history at large. Confidence in the general reliability of this volume is augmented by the author’s obvious effort to “tell it as it was’l-even when the truth leaves blots or blemishes on Masons or Masonry. Thus, no sanctimonious quibbling is made about the fact that the very first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Indiana crossed over into Illinois and engaged in a duel while serving as Grand Master; that official investigations by the Grand Lodge resulted in charges of irregularities in the accounts of two Grand Treasurers ; and the significant, and most embarrassing, involve- ment of Masonry in the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920’s. On the other hand, the role played by Masons in the development of state government in pioneer days and their substantial contributions to the defense of the United States are convincingly demonstrated. In addition, Smith conveys the inner spirit of Masonry in a thoughtful and persuasive manner. Although presumably written principally for the edification of Masonic brethren, Goodly Heritage is an extremely informative volume for non-Masons as well. At least, this reviewer, himself not a Mason, found it so. Indiana Uniuersity Donald F. Carmony The Decline of the Progressive Movement in Wisconsin, 1890-1920. By Herbert F. Margulies. (Madison : The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1968. Pp. ix, 310. Notes, select bibliography, index. $5.95.) Here is an excellent addition to the still regrettably small amount of literature on the progressive movement at the state level. It takes its place with George Mowry’s The California Progressiues and H. Landon Warner’s Progressivism in Ohio as model studies. Margulies has been thorough in his research and succinct in describing the results, never content to take what the reformers had to say about themselves at face value. The book is con- sequently more authoritative than the previous study with which it invites comparison, Robert S. Maxwell’s LaFollette and the Rise of the Progressiues in Wisconsin. Margulies’ theme is decline, with particular emphasis upon the reasons for it. This erosion in progressive fortunes he dates from the 1906 primaries. Three new ideas emerge in his exposition. First is the debilitating effect on the reformers of constant conflict and political fragmentation within the Wisconsin Republican party. The abrasive, highly incendiary character of Robert M. LaFollette and his followers, who preached principle above per- sonality, but who did not hesitate to attack their opponents personally, made the progressive movement one of turmoil. Programs closest to their philosophy only helped. The direct primary, for example, although it democratized the nomination process, became the means by which their “stalwart” opponents could disunite the progressive forces. This internal rivalry encouraged divided loyalty in the leaders. Men like John 0. Davidson and Francis E. McGovern .

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