[Oct
164
111a~lOn is neeer,sary to preserve the unity and \velfare of our Instr-
tution. There is 110 officer ill the Fraternity so high that he call disrog itrd tl1is eOllunandment, anclll0 melnbor, junior or E,enior, but if, entitled to qhelter hin1~elf fronl any qltestion on the 8ubjeet under the broad prillriple of its in violable secrecy. How can the ballot be secret if there is anyone in the IJoc1ge entitled to kno\1' its character "? If the reasons or nl0tive~ of a brother in casting a black lHtll ran he inquired iuto, then it foIlo\v'3 that the like inquisition can be hall as to the Inotives of tho~c casting "''''bite balls. And if luotiyos can he inquired for, and a llad one is stated, it logically foll<nv'j that the hrother ",rho l~ not actuated by nl0tives satisfacu)ry to otherb is subject to charges and a trial. Every l)r()ther voting on a petition has a l\fasollic right to vote a~ he thitlk~ proper. Ho ought to ,"()te ,vith a conseionce void of offense againRt God or llutU, hut ho is not responsible for the ~"L(}t fA> an)'" hun1all tribunal. 'Vhen a rejection takes place, the balloting &hould haye been so 'inviolably secret' that no one could pos~ibly kncHV ho"r any other voted, or who cast a r~jecting ballot. No one hab any right to kno",~, or even to inquire. On a ballot being Sl)read, tho hrethren arc placed under l\fasonic honor that each "vill 'vote ~ecretly, and that each one ,vill bear hi,; share of theburdetl of the result, he it what it rnay. If a rejection is declared J ea<;h one Yoting ~hould r-,tnnd as one \vho lnight haye cast the rejeetillg ballot, and no one ~hOllltl inquire of another as to his vote, or inquire at all, llluch less go about the I.Jodge Inaking confusiQ!l :and strif~, and angrily &eeking' unlawfully to JtJlOW by Wh()111 the rejecting hnllot ""vas oafJt. ()n the contrary, when a r~jection oecurs, no hrother ought to b:tke offense. FIe who prothe candidate exerei~8(l fit Masonic right no stronger than his who rejeoted the petition. rrhe hrother who recornnlended the candidate ~hould t(\collect that the stranger's admibsion would give ()"enso to 11 In'other, nne! ÂŤon1pa-l bim to eith~r leave the Lodge or fraternally ackn<nvledgo one """'hom he rna.y cOl1fJhler degraded or disllonol-ed, or whom he lnay d~pi~. vVhat if, the applicant to Ufo;, TtlY brethren, th.at we ~h()ulc\ ~~av~ strife on his account '? lie is nothing hut a stranger, \vhil~ we, a~ It''ather Ahraham said to Lott 'be l,rethren;' and I tru~t will ever cultivate "vith eaeh ()th~r 'l)fotherly love-the foundation and cap-stoner the C0Ulen t and glor:r of our ancient Fratâ&#x201A;Źrnity.1 n 4
There ha""iug been SOUle objectiotl by parties to the proper closing of a Lodge Prayer, ,,"ith the wOlldR tc For Nan1e'8 sak~," h~ ans,vcr~d as foIlO'YA : "In answering, I referr~d to the Book of the Prophet EZiekiel (xxxvi., 22), where it is ",,"ritten: 'Thus salth tl1e Lord God I c'h> not this for ~y()t1r sake, 0 house of IsrtL61, but for my holy n~na,e'$