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 MASONBY

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MASONBY

cation of the revolutionary principles to the social con- ditions of mankind is the main task of Masonry. The universal social republic, in which, after the over- throw of every kind of spiritual and political tyr- anny", of "theocratical" and dynasticai powers and class privileges, reigns the greatest possible individual liberty and social and economical equality conform- ably to French Masonic ideals, is the real ultimate aim of this social work.

The following are deemed the principal means: (1) To destroy radically by open persecution of the Church or by a hypocritical fraudulent system of separation between State and Church, all social influence of the Church and of religion, insidiously called ''clerical- ism", and, as far as possible, to destroy the Church and all true, i. e., superhuman religion, which is more than a vague cult of fatherland and of hmnanity; (2) To laicize, or secularize, by a likewise hypocritical fraudulent system of *' unsectarianism", all public and private life and, above all, popular instruction and education. "Unsectarianism" as understood by the Grand Orient party is anti-CathoUc and even anti- Christian, atheistic, positivistic, or agnostic secta- rianism in the garb of imsectarianism. Freedom of thought and conscience of the children has to be de- veloped systematically in the child at school and pro- tected, as far as possible, against all disturbing influ- ences, not only of the Church and priests, but also of the children's own parents, if necessary, even by means of moral and physical compulsion. The Grand Orient party considers it indispensable and an infalli- bly sure way to the final establishment of the universal social republic and of the pretended world peace, as they fancy them, and of the glorious era of human solidarity and of unsurpassable human happiness in the reign of liberty and justice (see " Chaine d Union," 1889, 134, 212 sqg., 248 sqq., 291 sqa.; the official comptes rendus ot the International Masonic Con-

ress of Paris, 16-17 July, 1889, and 31 August, 1 and September, 1900, published by the Grand Orient of France, and the regular official *' Comptes rendus des travaux" of this Grand Orient, 1896-1910, and the " Ri vista massonica", 1880-1910).

The efforts to bring about a closer union with Anglo- American and German Freemasonry were made prin- cipally by the Symbolical Grand Lodge of France and the "International Masonic Agency" at NeucliAtel (directed by the Swiss Past Grand Master Ouartier- La Tente), attached to the little Grand Ix)dge **A1-

E" of Switzerland. These two Grand Ix)ages, as ised agents of the Grand Orient of France, act as itors between this and the Masonic bodies of English-speaking and German countries. With Eng- lish and American Grand Lodges their efforts tfll now have had but little success (see Intemat. Bul- letm, 1908, 119, 127, 133, 149, 156; 1909, 186). Only the Grand Lodge of Iowa seems to have recog- nizeid the Grand Lodge of France (Chr. 1905. II, 58, 108, 235). The English Grand Lodge not only de- clined the offers, but, on 23 September, 1907, through its registrar even declared: " A'e feel, that we in En-

fland are better apart from such people. Indeed, 'reemasonry is in such bad odour on the Continent of Europe, by reason of its })eing exploited bv So- cialists and Anarchists, that we may have to Break off relations with more of the Grand Bodies who have forsaken our Landmarks" (from a letter of the Regis- trator J. Strahan, in London, to the Grand Lodee of Massachusetts: see "The New Age", New York, 1909, 1, 177). The American Grand Ix)dee8 (Massa- chusetts, Missouri, etc.), in general, seem to be resolved ♦o follow the example of the English Grand Lodges.

The German Grand Lodges, on the contrar\% at least most of them, j'ielded to the pressure exercised on them by a great many German brothers. Captivated bj the Grand Orient party on 3 June, 1906, the Federa- tion of the eight German Grand Lodges, by 6 votes to

2, decreed to establish official friendly relations with the Grand Lodge, and on 27 May, 190!9, by 5 votes to

3, to restore the same relations with the Grand Orient of France. This latter decree excited the greatest manifestations of joy, triumph and jubilation in the Grand Orient party, which considered it as an event of great historic import. But in the meantime a pub- lic press discussion was brought about by some incisive articles of the "Germania" (Beriin, 10 Biay, 1908; 9 June, 12 November, 1909; 5, 19 February, 1910) with the result, that the three old Prussian Grand Lodges, comprising 37,198 brothers controlled by the pro- tectorate, abandoned their ambiguous attitude and energetically condemned the decree of 27 May, 1909, and the attitude of the 5 other so-called "humanita- rian" German Grand Lodges, which comprise but 16,- 448 brothers. It was hoped, that the British and American Grand Lodges, enticed by the example of the German Grand Lodges, would, in the face of the common secular enemy in the Vatican, join the Grand Orient party before the great universal Masonic con- gress, to be held in Rome in 1911. But instead of this closer union of universal Freemasonry dreamt of by the Grand Orient party, the only result was a split between the German Urana Lodges by which their fed- eration itself was momentarily shaken to its foundation.

But in spite of the failure of the official transactions, there are a great manv German and not a few Amer- ican Masons, who evidently favour at least the chief anti-clerical aims of the Grand Orient party. Start- ling evidence thereof was the recent violent world- wide agitation, which, on occasion of the execution of the anarchist, Bro. .*. Ferrer, 31 .*. , an active member of the Grand Orient of France (Barcelona, 13 October, 1909), was set at work by the Grand Orient of France (Circular of 14 October, 1909; "Franc-Ma?, d^m.", 1906, 230 sqq.; 1907, 42, 176; 1909, 310, 337 sqq.; 1910, an "International Masonic Bulletin", Berne, 1909, 204 sq.), and of Italy (Rivista massonica, 1909, 337 sqq., 423), in order to provoke the organization of an international KuUurk^mpf after the French pattern. In nearly ail the countries of Europe the separation be- tween State and Church and the laicization or neu- tralization of the popular instruction and education, were and are still demanded by all parties of the Left with redoubled impetuosity.

The fact that there are also American Masons, who evidently advocate the KuUurkampf in America and stir up the international KuUurkampf^ is attested by the example of Bros. .* .J. D. Buck, 33 and A. Pike, 33/. . Buck published a book, " The Genius of Freemasonry", in which he advocates most energetically a KuUur- kampf for the United States. TWs book, which in 1907, was in its 3rd edition, is recommended ardently to all American Masons by Masonic journals. A. Pike, as the Grand Commander of the Mother Su-

f)renie Council of the World (Charleston, South Caro- ina) lost no opportunity in his letters to excite the anti-clerical spirit of his colleagues. In a long letter of 28 December, 1886, for instance, he conjures the Italian Grand Commander, Timoteo Riboli, 33.*. the intimate friend of Garil)aldi, to do all in his power, in order to unite Italian Masonry against the Vatican. He writes: "The Papacy . . . has been for a thousand years the torturer and curse of Humanity, the most shameless imposture, in its pretence to spiritual power of all ages. With its robes wet and reeking with the blood of half a million of human beings, with the grateful odour of roasted human flesh always in its nostrils, it is exulting over the prospect of renewed dominion. It has sent all over the world its anath- emas against CoiLstitutional government and the right of men to freedom of thought and conscience". Again, "In presence of this spiritual '('obra di ca- pello', this deadly, treacherous, murderous enemy, the most formidalile power in the world, the unity of Italian Masonry is of absolute and supreme ntceBBity;