Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Illinois - University Library

52 JOURNAL OF THE ] No-^Te^lSW.
here. I am glad to be present in the beautiful city of this great and
prosperous State, the home of the immortal Lincoln and of Grant, a
Douglas and a Logan, names dear to every patriotic, liberty-loving
heart; and I bring from the first State to adopt a written constitution
and the fourth in its admission to the union of States, to the twentyfirst,
the. Prairie State, but which has so far outstripped her older
sisters as to be the third in population, and to representatives from
all nations, most warm, cordial and loyal greetings.
When I note the tremendous growth, the wonderful strides, the
vast and magnificent resources of this section, I am, as an American,
somewhat resigned to its relinquishment, for, in the original charter
:granted to the colony of Connecticut, the western boundary was made
the Pacific ocean, and I am satisfied that there could have been no
improvement over present conditions or increased prosperity had this
•section continued under the ownership and tutelage of even so good a
State as Connecticut. We are glad we gave you a chance, and that
jou have in so pre-eminent a manner, with the other sections, demonstrated
your ability to "go it alone."
I am proud of my connection with this great Order, which I believe
is held to be the greatest among fraternal orders, as it certainly
is the most progressive. I think this can be truthfully said without
injustice to the other orders. We do not, of course, lay claim to the
antiquity of the grand old Masonic Order; but in all the essentials of
brotherhood and fraternity, we are certainly their equals.
Since the ladies were enlisted in this work, the Order has gained
vastly in influence and importance. All thanks to the Rebekah branch
of the Order. May they live long and prosper. But there are higher
things than membership in a Lodge, broader and farther reaching than
even the obligations we assume; or, perhaps, to state the case more
accurately, broader than we usually interpret them.
What wonderful strides have been made among the fraternal organizations
since the advent of this century, and hw marvelous seems
the progress of our American branch of Odd Fellowship in the seventyeight
years of its history! Along with the marvels and progress which
the material world has made, Odd Fellowship has traveled with an
equal pace, and those who can recall the Order as it was in its early
years, and contrast this with its present development, must be amazed
at the rapidity of its growth.
Brothers, we have entered into a covenant, and we must, yea, it
should be our highest privilege to maintain and carry out its heavendirecting
principles. Shall we permit inactivity and selfishness to destroy
the spirit, intent and purpose of that solemn compact? The
responsibility is great. The world is watching us, but we are no
longer, as of old, denounced as anti-Christian, or disorganizers of society,
or selfish in our acts.