THE SECRETORDERS, Opinions on a Subject That "Was Made Prominent Dur ing the "Week Past TWO EELIGIOUS YLEWS. Cardinal Gibbons Says They Have Uo Excuse for Existence. ALGER LEATES IT TO CONSCIENCE. Henry Clews Includes the Canetu In a Eweeping Condemnation. WANAHAKER BELIES OX CHUKCH HELP During the past -vrcet the subject of se crct societies was asitated to an unusual ex tent by the State Reform Association of the TJnited Presbyterian Church, which held its session in this city. The association is, of course, opposed to secret societies of all kinds and spent a great deal of time in elab orating its opposition. It passed a resolu tion, the sense of which is that a committee should secure from Mr. Gladstone his opinion. Notwithstanding the opposition of sev eral church organizations, a great many people are members of secret societies, and believe in them. Their arguments were strongly put in a symposium from leading statesmen and thinkers published in these columns last Sunday. In the following symposium the opposition to secret societies has a majority. The opinions were secured for The Dispatch by a young man, who, being desirous of joining a secret society, sent letters to the men whose opinions are published asking for advice. The letters are of especial interest just at this time. A Banker's Elaborate statement. Mr. Henry Clews, the millionaire banker of if ew York, who for more than 25 years past has been prominently identified with tiublic events in this conntrv. pnnti-ihnt.. the following masterly letter on this sub ject: "You have submitted to me the following questions: First, Do yon approve of secret orders on general principles. Sec ond, Do yon deem them inimical to the spirit of our institutions and the stability and permanence of our Government? And if so, why? Third, Which of the existing orders do you deem the most desirable for a young man to join? Fourth, Do you think it an advantage or a disadvantage to a man in business, social and political life to be a member of such an organization? "Sow, before discussing these questions it may be well to define what kind of secret orders are presumably implied in them. According to the generally received accep tation of the term, secret orders or societies may be divided into three classes, on the piineiple of the objects which they propose to accomplish, namely, political, agrarian and provident Of the first class, examples are furniKhrt v ih Tli..M: i til:i-ji pnians ana Carbonari, which plaved a very important part in the historv of "Europe, in the revolutionary period, and during the time of the first Sapoleon and afterwards. In later times the Socialists, Xlhilists, IF YOU HAVE A HOME TO FURNISH ' . YOU SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY WITHOUT GIVING USA CALL OUR FURNITURE FLOORS ARE CROWDED WITH THE NEW, THE ELEGANT AND THE ARTISTIC IN FURNITURE. More in QUANTITY than any TWO installment houses in the city combined An assortment of PARLOR and BEDROOM FURNITURE from which selection is easy both as regards style and price. ARE YOU GOING TO HOUSEKEEPING? OR DO YOU NEED EXTRA PIECES OF FURNITURE? Come here and learn how much it is possible to do with a small amount of money. Communists and Anarchists have figured in a. similar role. In this country the Know nothings and the Knights of the Golden Circle bare acted prominent parts. The Bare and the Common Societies. "In the second class, the Agrarian, the history of Europe from the earliest days to the present time affords numerous exam ples, but in this country very few. The most notable one, probably, was in the State of New York in the time of Van Bnren, when the famous Barn Burners out such a prominent figure. "In the third class, the Provident, we have Free Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias. Druids and many more. There are others that don't quite fit into any of these classes and can hardly be properly designated by the epithet of secret as their secrecy it merely nominal. One of these is the College Societies, which are multiply ing rapidly, and are usually designated by the names of two or three letters of the Greek alphabet The first organization ot these was the Phi Beta Kappa, of William and Mary College. Now their number is legion all over the country, and they are considering a plan of consolidation by which they will make themselves a power in literature, social science and the arts. "Secret societies are distinguished from other combinations of human beings by the following characteristics: The adoption of an oath of secrecy and fidelity, an initia tory ceremony and the use of symbols, pass words, grips, etc Now, regarding the soci eties in general, possessed of these charac teristics, and aiming at the purposes described, with the probable exception of a limited number of the provident class, his-' tory has a sad story to telL No matter how pure their original intentions have been, they have eventually degenerated far be neath their beneficent purposes. In many instances they have become so powerful that society, by an instinct of self-preservation, has hurled them from the tyrannical eminence that they had usurped in the name of liberty. I do not, therefore, ap prove of secret orders as thus defined, be cause I believe they are wrong in principle. Opposed to the Canctis. "In any country possessing manhood suf frage, secret orders in politics can hardly prow otherwise than detrimental to the best interests of society and liberty. For ample proof of this read history, either an cient or modern, beginning with to-day's newspaper or Herodotus, the father of h'is tory. Each is pregnant with proofs of the point at issue, from the very dawn of his tory to the latest fiasco in South America. The tendency of all secret societies is to lead to the sovereignty of the mob auj 'that leads,' says Macaulay, (no mean authority) to the sovereignty of the sword.' The leaders of these societies generally appeal to the emotional instead ot the rational in man's nature and fill his mind with visions of Utonias imDOSsible of nhipvpmcnt Know-Nothingisra,stili exbting under vari ous names, though opposed to the Constitu tion and the best interests of the nation, is the worst form of secret society in our poli tics. "King Caucus is perhaps the worst It is the most insidious and pretends to simply and harmlessly dispatch business, but really deprives the citizen of everything making it worth while to be a citizen. It robs him of the privilege of taking part in selecting a candidate for any office, and obliges him to register the ukase of a sejf ish clique, or more likely that of one man owning and controlling that clique. Switz erland, best and oldest Bepublio the world has ever seen best because its practice ac cords most closely with its governmental theory, which in the main is a counterpart of ours has no caucus. The Swiss Bepub lio has seen its sixth centennial, while with all our greatness we have celebrated only our first The question where we will be COO years later appals the imagination. It there is to be no retrogression we must eliminate the caucus, and every other form of secret society opposed to the spirit of the Constitution. For these and many other reasons I deem secret societies inimical to the spirit of our institutions and the stabil ity and permanence or our Government "Some of our secret societies are sow THE seeking to regulate Immigration. Xet us see that under that pretence political lib erty is not nullified. A 31 years' probation for citizenship, at tome of our secret so cieties now propose, would be a practical denial .of that citizenship to a large majority of immigrants who are our most profitable producers. A Mfsteiy of Human Nature. "Thousands of volumes tell the rise and fall of the world's secret societies. They have had a wonderful fascination for the human mind in all ages, and some such so cieties are powerful to-day. In their out breaks they constitute periodical phe nomena in history, and tbey have afforded the mental philosopher a fruitful theme in the attempt to discover the hidden mystery in human nature by which they are propa gated and perpetuated. "Tbe origin of such societies can be fre quently traced to tne semsnness 01 numan nature and tbe intense desire to be 'boss.' If not of this character in their origin they soon degenerate into it The Tammany society, tor instance, was one of the provi dent class in its origin, and one of the most exemplary of that class, with tbe broadest possible charity. Tammany is still provi dent, and is possessed of enormous means, but the objects of its bounty are now chiefly confined to the Executive Committee and its dearest .friends who have s 'pull', and they are all subservient to the will of tbe 'boss,' so that friction is reduced to a minimum in this political machine and har mony reigns supreme. This is now one of the strongest, perhaps the strongest, and most efficient models in its peculiar prov ince, of a secret organization, but its germs of dissolution are qnietly fermenting and the end will be worse than anarchy. I am now speaking on general principles and without any special animus against Tam many Hall, but as it is the most prominent modern illustration of the subjeet in hand, it would be bad judgment on tne part ot any writer treating your questions regarding secret societies to overlook it "I trut that in response to your interrog atories I have now made it plain to yon that I do not consider it an advantage on the highest moral and social grounds for a man to be a member of a secret organiza tion." Bellgloiu Zieaders In Opposition. Cardinal Gibbons, the first American to wear the red hat of a Cardinal, is flat-foot-edly opposed to secret societies of every kind, as will be seen from his appended letter: "I do not approve of secret orders on general principles. Tdeem them most un questionably inimical to the Spirit of free institutions! Tbey have been proven so bv the experience of all nations. With consti tutional methods always available, as they are in this country, there can be no possi ble excuse for the existence of secret orders of any kind. I do not think it can be any advantage to a man in social, business or political life to be a member ot such an or ganization." Bight Bev. Henry W. Warren, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, seems no more of a friend to secret societies than is our Catholic Cardinal. He expresses his views as follows: "You can best judge of my opinion of secret orders by my own course in life. I have belonged to several such organizations, including the Free Masons. I do not be long to any of them now and shall never be long to any secret society again save one, which has only two members, namely, my self and my wife." Hon. Charles F. Manderson.TJnited States Senator from Nebraska, and one of the brainiest men in Congress, sends the follow ing letter: ."As regards secret societies, I think the pros and cons about equally divided. As to whether secret orders are right on general principles if a single individual has the right to keep his own secrets, why may not a number of individuals keep a secret or se crets among themselves collectively ? Orders, secret or otherwise, formed for social and beneficial purposes, certainly need not be inimical to the stability and permanence of our Government Emergen cies might easily ocour in life in which When Furniture is thought of the mind instantly reverts to KEECH. Our grand display of Housefurnishings, our prices and our liberal terms have popularized our store with thousands. For the season 0F92 we have outdone and eclipsed all previous efforts, and as a result are reaping a larger patronage than ever. ONLY FOUR DAYS LEFT to take advantage of our MATCHLESS MARCH TERMS. Home, Home, Sweet, Sweet, Home; There Is No Place Like KEECH'S To Furnish- Your Home. PITTSBURG 'DISPATCH, membership in a wealthy and influential order might be of advantage." The Smart Man Out or a Job. Hon. John J. Ingalls, ex-Senator from Kansas, who now facetiously desonbes him self as "a statesman out of a job," expresses himself in no uncertain terms as follows: "In reply to yours I would say that I am unalterably opposed to secret political or ganizations for any purpose, believing sneh action to be wrong in principle, un-American and dangerous to civil liberty and con stitutional Government" Hon." Rutherford B. Hayes. ex-President of the TJnited States, "drops into history" on this question, muen as Mr. anas wee M was accustomed to "drop into poetry' for the edification of his patron, Mr. Noddy Boffin, in "Our Mutual Friend." Mr. Hayes says: "I do not regard the questions you put to me regarding secret suuicwes as yiuii ones. Nor do I consider it a specially important question for a young man whether or not he snail join some secret society. He may pursue either course and be a good citizen and a successful man. The great George Washington took one side of this question and John Quincy Adams the other," Postmaster General Wanamaker says: "Personally I am not a member of any seoret order. With regard to the advisabil ity of a young man ioining'such an organi zation I would say that I have always found the greatest satisfaction in connection with the societies that belong to the church, which, I believe, are more helpful than any societies formed outside of tbe church." Ex-Governor Bussell A. Alger, of Michi gan, is attracting a large share of public at tention just now by reason of his Presidents! aspirations. His letter is, therefore, specially interesting at this time. It reads: "Your questions regarding secret societies can best be decided in accordance with the dictates of one's own conscience. A young man's conscience should be his best guide in religion, polities and secret societies. In all these matters let him always pursue the course which his own conscience acknowl edges to be right" XOBGEYITY IS IHHEBITED. Insurance Men Often Prefer Puny to Bobnst Bisks for That Beaton. An Inherited tendency to longevity is the primal qualification for reaching old age, and this is something very different from good health or even a sound constitution. It is simply a tendency to live long, and such a person often has more of a tenacity on life, though he is sick and puny from childhood, than another person who is strong and robust Health and vigor may give more pleasure and enjoyment to a person in life, but it does not always signify longevity. So strong is .this tendency to longevity among certain families that many of the beneficial orders and life insurance com panies attach more importance to the life of parents and grandparents than they do to the simple examination of the applicants. A risk is less ot a risk when the policy is issued to a weak, puny individual who comes from a long-lived family than when given tola strong, robust person, with no visible disease or complaint, but with a tendency to a short life. Some families are made to'last, and for generations the ma jority will live to 70, 80, 90, and 100 years of age. They will be attacked by numerous diseases, but their tenacity on life will ena ble them to live through all of them. It is only when all of the organs are finally worn out" that they die at a ripe old age. There is no explaining this physiological phenom enon, but striking examples are daily quoted in the death columns of papers every day. Salvation Oil, the great American remedy, has left its competitors with for eign scent in the lurch. No wonder, it's only 25 cents. Household goods packed for shipment Haugh & Keesas, 33 Water st wau . DINING ROOM FURNITURE. ., CHAIRS, TABLES, SIDEBOARDS. Beyond a doubt the largest and finest assortment in the city at prices you can't match. Numberless new and artistic designs. STODAY MARCH 27, WJtITTEN TOB THE DISPATCH BY MARK TWAIN, Author of "Innocents Abroad," "Tom Sawyer," "Huckleberry Finn," Etc., Etc SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. Lord Berkeley, ostensibly Karl of Bossmore, has a son who has studied the claims of on Simon Leathers of America to Cbalmondelay Castle and tbe vast estate, and becoming convinced tbat be and his rather are usurpers, starts to America to make his own fortune. He is imbued with democratic ideas.' His father declares the son is stark mad, but be starts to America nevertheless. In Washington he narrowly escapes death at a hotel Are, and having been reported burned in tbe newspapers, adopts Howard Tracy as his name. At tho fire he accidentally gets tbe clothes of One-Armed Pete, a cowbov, who is also re- Sorted burned. Tn the pockets Is a sum of money whlch'Tracey pots in bank. He falls to nd work and drifts to a cheap "boardlnjr house. The habits of the boon is tbe worst trial he has had to bear. Finally he becomes a hero by thrashing tbe bully of the house. Tbe latter leaves taking Tracy's money with him. The landlord insults Tracy for not paying his board. Discouraged, hp telegraphs his adopted name to bis father, expecting help. The annonncement that he expects a cablegram from his father, who is an English Earl, con vinces the boarding house folks tbat bis failure to Ret work has set him crazy. At lass Tracy gets a cablegram. It reads simply, "Thanks." Despondent to tbe last degree, Tracy finally takes up with an old yallor and a German who paint abominable pictures. Hebe gins to make money for the first time since he came to America. Simons Leathers and his biother set killed at a log rolling out West, and Cplonel Mulberry Sellers, the central char acter of the story, becomes the American claimant to Chalmondelay Castle. He and his old wile, with a sprightly daughter, live in a tumDiea-down house in Washington, which now becomes Kossmore Towers. He mourns the young Lord as dead, and came near send ing the old Lord a basket of ashes from the hotel fire as his son's remains. He is always fall of chimerical schemes, among them a Pigs-in-Clover puzzle.whloh at tbe instance ot his Wild Western friend, Washington Hawkins, he sells to a Yankee at 5 cents for eaolipuzzle sold; One-Armed Pete is wanted for a crime and a reward Is offered. Sellers and Hawkins de termine to tret the reward. After the hotel fire they get a glimpse of Tracy in tbe cowboy costume and prepare to capture him. Sellers thinks he has tbe power of materializing the dead. One day Tracy, wandering about Washington, sees tbe emblems of his house on Sellers' residence. The latter takes him for the dead cowboy's materialized spirit and goes through wild gesticulations to draw him to tbe residence. Tracy comes, attracted by curiosity, not Seller' imaginary power. Sellers and Hawkins set Tracy to retouching chromos while they discuss the rewards offered for the cowboy. Gwendolen and Tracy im mediately fall in love. After a time of donbting Tracy confesses to Sally that he is an Earl's son. She will not believe him and dismisses him until he can get proofs. Tracy hag written his father the situation. The old Earl is glad his son has made his own living and is willing to retire from the field and become an Earl's son once more, but his proposed marriage to the American claimant's daughter so angers him, he starts at once for the United States. Colonel Sellers' Pigs-in-Clover turns out well. He soon has stacks of money in bank, and starts to England to claim his estate, taking his good wife with him. The two Earls pass each other on the ocean. CHAPTER XXY. Sally bad also had a chance to do another thing. That was to make up her mind that life was not worth living upon the present terms. If she must give up her impostor and die doubtless she must submit; but might she not lay her whole case before some disinterested person first and see if there wasn't perhaps some saving way out of the matter? She turned this idea over in her mind a good deal. In her first visit with Hawkins after her parents were gone the talk fell upon Tracy, and she was im pelled to set her case before the statesman and take his counsel. So sbe poured out her heart, and he listened with painful solicitude. She concluded pleadingly with "Don't tell me he is an impostor. I sup pose he is, but doesn't it look to you as if he isn't? You are cool, you know, and out side, and so maybe it can look to you as if he isn't one when .it can't to me. Doesn't it look to you as if he isn't? Couldn't you can't it look to you that way for for my" sake?" The poor man was troubled, but he felt 1 'mm 11 ! ! 189a obliged to keep in the neighborhood of the truth. He fought around the present detail a little while, then gave it up and said he couldn't really see his way to clearing Tracy. "No," he said, "the truth is, he's an im postor." "That is, you you feel a little certain, but not entirely ob, not entirely, Mr. Hawkins." "It's a pity to have to say it I do hate to say it but I don't think anything about it I know he's an impostor." "Oh, now, Mr. Hawkins, yon can't go that far. A body can't really know it, you know. It isn't proved that he's not what he says he is." Should he come out and make a clean breast of the whole wretched business? Yes at least the most of it it ought to be done. So he set his teeth, and went at the matter with determination, but purposing to spare the girl one pain that ot knowing that Tracy was a criminal. "Now I am going to tell you a plain tale; one not pleasant for me to tell or for you to hear, but we've got to stand it I know all about that fellow,and I know he is no earl's son." The girl's eyes flashed and she said: '1 don't care a snap tor that go on." IF rill CUNT ITCH mil Getting the same goods that we sell at our prices. On x bill of $10, $1 down and 50c a -week. On a bill of $25, $5 down and $1 a week. On a bill of $50, $3 down and $2 a week. On a bill of $75, $10 down & $2.50 a week. On a bill of $100, $10 down &$a50 a week. MONDAY AND TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY, The Last Four Days TO SECURE THESE GIFTS: With each lot of goods amount ing to $25 we give a Costumer Hat Tree, worth at- least $4; Oak or Mahogany. With each lot of goods worth 50 we give a handsome Chair in all desirable finishes. With each lot of goods worth $75 we give a pair of Lace Curtains worth $5. With each lot of goods worth 100, a 10 Center Table. M 923, 925 AND 927 DEMM HI Liiii niLi This was so wholly no xpected that it at once obstructed the narrative; Hawkins was not en sure that he had heard aright He said: "I oft'tknow that I quite understand. Do yon mean to say that if he was all right and proper otherwise you'd be indifferent about the Earl part of the business?" "Absolutely." "Xbu'd be entirely satisfied with him, and wouldn't care for bis not being an Earl's son that being an Earl's son wouldn't add any value to him?" "Not the least value that I would care for. Why, Mr. Hawkins, I've gotten oyer all that day-dreaming about earldoms and aristocracies and all such nonsense, and am become just a plain, ordinary nobody and content with It; and it is to him I owe my eure. And as to anything being able to add a value to him, nothing can do that. He is tbe whole world to me, just as he is; he com prehends all the values there are then how can yon add one?" "She's pretty far gone," he said to him self. He continued, still to himself: "I must change my plan again: I can't seem to strike one that will stand the requirements of this most variegated emergency five XT TiTmnt, minutes on a stretch. Without making this fellow a criminal, I believe I will invent a name and character for him calculated to disenchant her. If it fails to do it, then I'll know that the next Tightest thing to do will be to help her to her fate, poor thing, not hinder her." Then he said aloud: "Well, Gwendolen" "I want to be called Sally." "I'm glad of it Hike It better myself, Well, then, I'll tell you about this man Snodgrass." "SnodgrassI Is that his name?" "Yes Snodgrass. The other's his nom-de-plume." "It's hideous!" "I know it is, but we can't help our names." "And that is truly his real name and not Howard Tracy?" Hawkins answered regretftillyt "Yes, it seems a pity. The girl sampled the name musingly once or twice. "Snodgrass, Snodgrass. No, I could not endure that I could not get used to it No, I should call him by his first name. What is his first name?" "His er his initials are a M." "His initials? I don't care anything about his initials. I can't call him by his initials. What do they stand for?" "Well, you see, his father was a phy sician, and he he well he was an idolater ot his profession, and be well, he was a yery eccentric man, and " "What do they stand fori Weat are you huffling about?' YOU HAVE iGET ITS A PART OP OUR BUSINESS TO HELP YOU DO SO. WE MAKE IT NOT ONLTPOSSIBLE BUTEAST. "'Y'iiPlr 1 yr tfw ''l ITJ" I THE ABOVE CUT Represents but a few square feet of one of our immense Carpet Rooms. MAMMOTH IS THE STOCK. MAGNIFICENT ARE THE STYLES. MIGHTY ECONOMICAL ARETHE PRICES! If you want to see the choicest; latest; richest patterns here they are in greater number than you'll have time to look at Every make of Carpet and Floor Covering that's at all serviceable for use in the out-of-the way attic or the best room in 'the house is here. t A SPLENDID LINE OF THE POPULAR CHINA MATJINGS From lyi c to 45c Per Yard. 15 "They well they stand for Spinal Men ingitis. His father befbg a phy " 7I never heard such an infamous namel Nobody can ever call a person that a per son they love. I wouldn't call anenemv by such a name. It sounds like an epithet After a moment, she added with a kind of consternation, "Why, it would bo mj same! Letters would come with it on." "Yes Mrs. Spinal Meningitis Snod grass." "Don t repeat It don't; I can't hear it, Was the father a lunatic?" "No, that is not charged." "I am glad of that, because that is trans missible. What do you think was the mat ter with him, then I" "Well, I don't really know." "The family used to run a good-deal ta idiots, and so, maybe " I "Oh, there isn't any maybe about It,' This one was an idiot" "Well, yes he could have been. He wm suspected." "Suspeoted!" said Sally with irritation. "Would one suspeot there was going to be dark time if he saw the constellations fall out of tbe sky? But that is enough about" the idiot I don't take any Interest isv GROASXD TRACT. idiots; tell me about the son." "Very well, then, this one was the oldest, but not the favorite. His brother Zylobal samum " "Walt give me a chance to realize that. It is perfectly stupefying. Zylo what did you call it?" "Zylobalsamnm. " "I never heard such a name. It sounds like a disease. Is it a disease?" "No, I don't think it's a diseased It's either scriptural or " v 'Well, it's not scriptural." "Then it's anatomical. I knew it was one or the other. Yes, I remember now, is , is anatomical. It's a ganglion, a nerva center it is what is called the zylobalsa mnm process." "Well, go on, and if you coma to any more of them omit the names; they make one feel so uncomfortable." "Very well, then. As I said, this ono was not a favorite in the family, and so ha was neglected in every way, never sent to school, always allowed to associate with tha worst and coarsest characters, and so of course he has grown up a rude, vulgar, ignorant, dissipated ruffian, and "He7 It's no such thing! You ought to be more generous than to make such a state ment as that about a poor young stranger who who why, he is the very opposite of that He is considerate, courteous, oblig ing, modest, gentle, refined, cultivated oh, for shame, now can you say such things about him?" "I don't blame you, Sally indeed, I haven't a word of blame for yon for being NO HOME ONE AT ONCE. 1 I if r
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