members. In the "charge" delivered to a Master Mason at his
initiation, he is enjoined to exercise benevolence toward "every true
and worthy brother of the Order." In Boylston's address which we have
already quoted from several times, "the well-earned glory of
Odd-fellows" is declared to consist in this: that "no _worthy
Odd-fellow_ has ever sought aid and been refused." (Proceedings of
Grand Lodge, 1859, App., p. 9.) It is provided in the Constitution of
Odd-fellows, Good-fellows, etc., that aid shall be given to members
under certain circumstances; but it will be in vain to search in them
for any regulation providing for relief to any but members and their
families. The provision found in the constitution or by-laws of almost
every secret association that members "in arrears for dues" shall not
be entitled to "benefits," plainly shows that their vaunted "charity"
is restricted to their own members. This would not be so bad were it
not for the fact that they carefully exclude from membership all who
need aid or are likely to need aid. The Masons, according to their
Constitutions, must not receive as a member any man who is not
"physically perfect." The constitutions of other secret orders exclude
all who are diseased or infirm in body, or who have no means of
support. They exclude the blind, the lame, the maimed, the diseased,
the destitute, the widow and the orphan, and all who are wretchedly
poor or can not support themselves, and they cut off all such persons,
together with their own members who "are in arrears," from the
"benefits." Yet they talk about the universal brotherhood of men, and
claim for themselves the possession of universal benevolence!

4. Still further: The relief afforded to members is not to be regarded
as a charity. The amount granted in all cases is the same. The
constitutions of most secret associations that give aid to members
provide that three dollars a week shall be given in case of sickness,