CHAPTER VI.

Pythagoras.
Many Masonic writers consider Pythagoras as "the grand-father" of Masonry. In many lodges he is intro- duced as the teacher to the candidate and many signs and symbols are taken from his school. He was the son of a lapidary, and the pupil of Pherecydes, and flour- ished about five liundred years before Christ. Posterity has been very liberal to him in bestowing upon him all such inventions as others had neglected to claim, par- ticuhirly in music and mathematics; and there is hardly any part of science with which his followers did not en- dow him. Jamblichus asserts that he traveled exten- sively tliroiigli Egypt, India and Europe, and came in contact witli the sages of those countries. Returning t-) his home, Samos, he wished to communicate the bene- fit of his researches to his fellow-citizens, and with this view he established a school for their instruction in the elements of science: proposing to adopt the Egyptian mode of teaching, and to communicate his doctrine under a symbolical form. But the Samians were eitlier too stupid or too indolent to profit by his instructions. Altliough he was obliged to relinquish his design, he did not altogether abandon it. In order to engage the at- tention of his countrymen by some other means, he re- paired to Delos: and, after presenting an offering of
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cakes to Apollo, he there received, or pretended to re- ceive, moral dogmas from the priestess, which he after- wards delivered to his disciples under the character of divine precepts. About the beginning of the fifty-ninth Olympiad he left Greece and established himself at Cro- tona in Italy. In order to obtain credit with the popu- lace he pretended to have the power of performing miracles and practised many arts of imposture. Clothed in a long white robe, with a flowing beard, and, as some say, with a golden crown upon his head, he preserved among the people, and in the presence of his disciples, a commanding gravity, and majesty of aspect. He had such a command over himself that he was never seen to express in his countenance, grief, joy or anger. The in- fluence of his teaching, to which he gave the name of philosophy, extended from Crotona to many other places and obtained for him from his followers a degree of respect little short of adoration. By his artificial de- meanor Pythagoras appeared among the vulgar as a being of an order superior to the common condition of humanity, and persuaded them that he had received his doctrine from heaven, and that Apollo, Minerva and the Muses had often appeared to him. and instructed him. He founded a secret society and had in a short time six hundred members. Previous to the admission of any person into this fraternity, Pythagoras examined his features and external appearance, inquired how he had been accustomed to behave towards his parents and friends; marked his manner of laughing, conversing and keeping silence ; and observed what passion he was most inclined to indulge; with w^hat kind of company he chose to associate; how he passed his leisure moments; and
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what incidents appeared to excite in him the strongest emotions of joy or sorrow. To teach his disciples hu- mility and industry, he exposed them for three years to a continued course of contradictions, ridicule and con- tempt, among their fellows. That they might acquire a habit of entire docility, he enjoined upon them, from their first admission, a long term of silence, sometimes for five years. Pythagoras taught after the Egyptian manner, by images and symbols, obscure and almost unintelligible to those who were not initiated into the mysteries of the school ; and those who were admitted to this privjlege were under the strictest obligation of silence with regard to the recondite doctrines of their master. That the wisdom of Pythagoras might not pass into the cars of the vulgar, it was committed chiefly to memory ; and when they found it necessary to maive use of writing, they took care not to suffer their minutes to pass beyond the limits of the school. One of his princi- ples was that not everything is to be told to everybody, and that his followers ought not to speak but when re- quired to do so, expressing tliereby that secrecy is the rarest virtue. Jamblicus relates, as evidence of the brotherly love of the disciples of Pythagoras and their means of mutual recognition, the following incident : A Pythagorean, traveling in a distant country, fell sick and died at a public inn. Previously to his death, how- ever, being unable to compensate the landlord for his kindness and attention with which he had been treated, he directed a tablet, on which he had traced some enig- matical characters, to be exposed on the public road Some time after another disciple of Pythagoras passed that way, perceived the tablet, and learning from the
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inscription that a brother had been there sick and in dis- tress, and that he had been treated with kindness, hq stopped and reimbursed the innkeeper for his trouble and expense. Mathematics, and especially geometry, were the principal studies he enjoined upon his follow- ers, as the first step towards wisdom. The sum of all the principles of Pythagoras is this : The Monad is the principle of all things. From the Monad came the in- determinate Duad, as matter subjected to the cause of the Monad ; from, the Monad and the indeterminate Duad. numbers, points; from points lines; from lines super- ficies; from superficies solids; from these solid bodies whose elements are four — Fire, Water, Air, and Earth — of all which transmuted, and totally changed, the World consists.
The region of the air was supposed by Pythagoras to be full of spirits, demons or heroes, who cause sickness or health to man or beast, and .communicate by means of dreams and other instruments of divination, at their pleasure, the knowledge of future events. He professed to cure diseases by incantations, and taught the trans- migration of souls. It is related of him that on one occasion he interceded in behalf of a dog that was beaten because he recognized in its cries the voice of a friend. After his death, Pythagoras was held in great esteem by his followers and especially during the third century of our era was held up by the Alexandrian school as the equal of Christ.
The esoteric or secret instructions of Pythagoras Avere explained with the aid of symbols, as the readiest and most eflicient method of impressing upon the mind of the candidate for the mvs-
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teries the sublime truths and moral lessons for which tlio school of that justly cclcl)rated philosopher was distin- guished. A few of the most important symbols are here explained. The Equilateral Triangle, a perfect figure, was adopted among the ancient nations as a symbol of Deity^ the principal and author of all sublunary things \ the essence of Light and Truth, who was, and is, and
TUANOLK
TKTBACTV*
shall bo. The Square comprehends the union of the celestial and terrestrial elements of power; and was the emblem of morality and justice. The Tetractys was a sacred em])lem, which was expressed by ten jods disposed in the form of a triangle, each side containing tour. This was the most expressive symbol of Pythagoras. On it the obligation to the aspirant was propounded; and it was denominated the Trigonon mysticum, because it was the conservator of many awful and important truths which are explained as follows : The ou'i ])oint repre- jfented the Monad, or active principle; thetwo points the Duad, or passive principle; the three points :!'C- Triad,
rol»T WITHIN A CIRCLE.
DODKCAHKDIIOM.
TIIPLK raiAKGL*.
or the world proceeding from their union; the four, the Quarternary, or the liberal sciences. Thti Cuhe was the symbol of the mind of man, after a well spent life in acts
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of piety and devotion, and thus prepared by virtue for translation into the society of the celestial gods. The Point within a Circle* was the symbol of the universe. The use of this emblem is coeval with the first created man — the creation v\^ as the circle and himself the center.* The Dodecahedron, or figure of twelve sides, was also a symbol of the universe. The Triple Triangle — a unity of perfectness — was a symbol of health, and was called Hygeia. The Forty-seventh proposition of Euclid was invented and explained by Pythagoras, and is so exten- sively useful that it has been adopted in all Lodges as a significant symbol of Freemasonry. The letter Y was a symbolical representation of the course of human life. Youth, arriving at manhood, sees two roads before him, and deliberates which he shall pursue. If he meet with a guide that directs him to pursue philosophy, and he procures initiation, his life shall be honorable and his death happy. But if he omits to do this, and takes the left hand path, which appears broader and better, it will lead to sloth and luxury : will waste his estate, impair his health, and brin.os on an old ao-e of infamv and miserv.
*In the ages of idolatry and the worship of Phallus and Linga the point within a circle bore a more immediate relation to the gen- erative principle of nature, symbolized by the union of the sexes. Does it stand for any other symbol in the lodge rooms of to-day?
CHAPTEll VII.
LIFE INS[ MANCK IN SKCKET ORDERS.
The innate duplicitv of secret societies may be well exemplified by the very direction which, Weishaupt, the great German mystagogue gave to his followers, the II- liiminati : "Conceal the very fact of our existence from the profane. If they discover us, conceal our real object by profession of benovelencc. If our real object is per- ceived pretend to disband and relinquish the whole thing, but assume another name and put forward new agents."
Life insurance in any secret society is not the prime and first or most important motive of its existence. Every intc^lligent member of higher degree in any lodge will admit, if candid, that there is an ulterior purpose, deep and far-reaching, and in no connection and to no purpose in any merely benevolent association. Social advantages, political schemes and hopes, pecuniary spec- ulations form part of the programme, but I have lieard it time and again from tlic li])s of ])r()mim'nt nuunbers that all these are not a tenth of their aims and objects. To be s."iiiina.ries for the ^NFasonic Order and auxiliaries to the |)riiu'iple of Masoniy in doing away with Christ and if is (*luirch is the main reason for the (wistence of .secret societies.
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The insurance feature enables some of the officers to get an easy living. Thus we read in these days of con- ventions that the Grand High Bombaston draws a salary of $10,000; the Supreme Chief Ranger $8,000; the Su- preme Mystic Euler and Supreme Dictator each $4,000 ; Supreme Commander $5,000, and so on.
What the Past Grand Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias has to say in the letter copied below has been said by nearly all other leaders in the different secret societies.
"Elk River, Jan. 7, 1895. Editor Advocate :
I have been silent much longer than I intended, though doubtless what is my loss is your gain. I thought long ere this to write you from the far West where I in- tend to make my future home : but fate seems to be tem- porarily, at least, against me, and so I submit to the inexorable decree with as good grace as possible, con- sidering my former determination never to pass another winter in this hyperborean region. As a Pythian state, Minnesota is a grand success, and this is all the conces- sion I am prepared to make ; and I have been forced to believe that Pythianism demand;^ just about such winters as Minnesota furnishes for its most vigorous develop- ment. In other words they have to hustle to keep warm. But whether this idea is correct or not, I am proud of Minnesota for her Pythian record, her determination to lead; and this brings me to the point I wish to make, the object of this communication. In doing this I am moved by no other consideration than the highest good of the Order, an Order that has constantly grown in my estimation as a remedial force in societv ever sinc*e
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I took my instruction therein ; and if its principles, its objects and aims are rightly taught and understood and then practiced accordingly, Pythianism would furnish different results from that obtained to-day in very many localities. Thousands enter this Order for no other reason than what they can get out of it in dollars and cents. Take away the promised benefits, or hope of ma- terial advantage, and the work of suspension would be more rapid than that of gain. Now in soliciting niarerial for our lodges, the idea of pecuniary aid should never be hinted at. It is perfectly absurd to tell a man, in «;low- ing rhetoric, how much will accrue to him nnancially if he will onlyconnecthimself with the lodge. If you can't reach a man except through his stomach or by an appeal to his avarice, give him the go-by ; for we have too much of tliis timber already. It is this class that carries into the lodge the tactics of the ward politician, and on the eve of an election you will find him as busy as a bee getting in his work among the members; and unless he wins, he finds it inconvenient for him to attend lodge thereafter. During our civil war, it was alleged that fat salaries made many truly loyal, and almost without an exception their loyalty increased in proportion to in- crease of salary. The same holds true with scores in our lodges to-day. There are members who will supplant a brother by means that a political trickster would scarcely use, and think it snuirt. Xow Mr. Editor, these fellows are ignorant of the first elements of Pythianism. That "Grecian Scene," the most remarkable exempli- fication of unselfish devotion in the history of the world, has less significance to him than a horse-race. While I am as eager as any one to augment our numerical
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strength, I eannot resist the annoying impression that we have rushed our superstructure too rapidl}^ hy the intro- duction of timl)er than an eye to symmetr}^, heauty and durability would have rejected. Our basis, our founda-- tion is the grandest of human conception; our super- structure thus far reared has radical defects, and it de- volves upon the true Pythian by means at his command to mold this heterogeneous mass into forms of beauty and loveliness fit to adorn the temple of Pythian manhood. I say by means at his command, for the true loyal Knight appreciates the grandeur and nobiilty of the chase and thus armed he is inspired thereby in every word and ges- ture to elevate all with whom he comes in contact, to his plane of Pythian existenccr We are buidling, not foL- the present alone, but for the vast future. Our Order is to live co-extensive with the mightiest achievement of human intelligence; and after I shall have ceased to plead for the cause so dear, upon the shaft of marble or granite that may arise at the call of affection to indicate the repose of my humble dust, no grander eulogium could be pronounced than that I was a true Knight of Pythias.
E. W. B. IlAi^vEY, P. G. C.^'
About the eonditon of the Insurance feature of fra- ternal societies in the state of Illinois the insurance commissioner has this to say on August 14, 1901 :
"The state has by statute required these societies to teport annually their condition and transactions to the department, and has enacted certain regulations for the government of their business. But these laws are inade- quate for such measure of supervision as looks to the ability of the society to fulfill its obligations in the fu-
ture. There is not even a test of present solvency es- tablished. A society encounters no obstacle in delaying the payment of claims and permitting an amount of un- paid losses to accumulate until so large that it is be- yond the ability of the members to respond to assess- anents necessary to meet them. Xo emergency fund is required.
"In many cases rates so low were adopted at organiza- tion as to lead one to conclude that the law of mortality was construed as containing an exemption applicable to fraternal societies. A reluctance to encounter the criti- cisms and vexations lial)le to follow a rise of rates or an increase in assessments causes the managers to put off this necessary action, and in the meantime the amount of unpaid death claims continues to grow. This condition was strikingly illustrated during the year by the failure of one of the largest societies in the state."
Eev. A. J. Decker, Pastor of St. Anton's Church ^lilwaukee, Wis., an autliority in the case, has this to say in the Luxemburgcr Gnzette of July 16th, 1901, concern- ing the iinancial standing of some societies, by showing how long it would take to ]iav what they owe now, and his figures are based on the "Insurance Spectator of IS'ew York" for the year 1901. I quote verbatim and trans- late :
"The lioyal Xeighbors of America require two hun- dred and one-half vears to pav the obligations they owed on January 1st, 1901. The ]\rysric "Workers of the AVorld one hundred and oighty-three vears. The ^lodern AVoodmen of America one hundred and ninety-one years. The Ladies of the ^raccal)ees one hundred and twenty- eight years ; The Knights of the AFaccabees one hundred nnd nine vears; The Loval "Mvstic Le2:ion of America one-
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hundred and forty-four years; The Ladies of the Macca- bees Supreme Hive ninety-eight years; The Royal Ar- canum SupremiC Council eighty-two years; the Catholic Order of Foresters one hundred and thirteen years ; The Catholic Women Foresters one hundred and nine years ; Equitable Fraternal Union of Neenah, Wis., one hun- dred and ninety-seven A^ears; Court of Honor one hun- dred and forty-five years; Laboring-men's Co-opera- tion one hundred and forty-five years; Royal Circle one hundred and thirty-two years; Ancient Order of United Workmen of Des Moines, Iowa, ninety-eight years; Ancient Order of United Workmen of Winnepeg, Man. one hundred and thirty-two years; Ancient Order of United Workmen of St. Paul, ^tinn., one hundred and thirteen years; Royal Arcanum Supreme Council, Bos- ton, Mass., eighty-two years; Union Life Guards, Al- pena, Mich., one hundred and ninety-tAvo years; Sons and Daughters of Justice, Minneapolis, Kans., one hun- dred and eighty-six and three-eighths years; Star of Jupiter, McCook, Xeb., one hundred and eighty-one years; Independent Order of Foresters, Supreme Court seventy-nine years; Select Knights and Ladies of Buf- falo; N. Y., one hundred and ninety-nine and one-half years; Capital Life Association of Springfield, 111., one hundred and three years; Fraternal Army of America of Taylorville, 111., one hundred and seventy-one years; Fraternal Brotherhood of Los Angeles, Cal., one hun- dred and ninety-six years; Xew Era Association of Grand Rapids, Mich., one hundred and ninety-two years; The Pathfinder of Akron, 0., one hundred and forty- nine years; Polish National Alliance, U. S. of America seventy-seven years ; Western Catholic Union, Quincv, 111.,
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.1877, eighty-eight years; Catholic Knights of America 1877, forty-five and five-twelfths years; Catholic Relief Beneficiary Association of Auburn, N. Y., one hundred and eleven years; Catholic Women's Benevolent Legion of New York, 1895, one hundred and twenty-two and one-half years: Catholic Mutual .Benefit Associatio:! Supreme. Council, of Hornellville, N. Y., 1879, eighty- two and seven-elevenths years; Catholic Benevolent Le- gion, Brooklyn, 1881, fifty and two-thirds years.
IXSURAXCE.
THE IIAIH) FACT.
'Trom the first of its appearance until now, the assess- ment scheme of life insurance has offered no other claim than that of alleged low cost. But in the nature of the case there are only three possible ways by which the cost of insuring can ever be lowered, comparatively speaking. If one combination of insured men ever surpass any other combination, it must be because they either 1 live longer, as an average, and thus collect more premi- ums and have longer use of those premiums; or because 2, they are able to realize a higlier rate of interest; or o because tliey manage with a lower rate of expense. Tlio alternatives are lower mortality (i. e., higher longevity) or higher interest or lower expenses. Xeither human ingenuity nor any twisting of words nor any rhetorical flowers can change this nature of the case.
Very much has been said of the palatial buildings and the vast accumulations of the large life companies There are blemishes and errors, and there are extrava- o:ances — it is undeniable. But after wild denunciation
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has paused to take breath, the fact is that the expenses of the business bear only the minor part. Why does life insurance "cost so much?" Just because to pay somebody a thousand dollars involves getting a thousand dollars out of somebody — that is the simple yet immov- able reason. The meaning is that the cost of insurance is the constant mortality drain ; that insured persons are dying daily and that for tlje claim of each one the full sum, dollar for dollar, has to be raided — almost always in part, and sometimes almost wholly, from others.
Observe, now, that when men talk about old line, or assessment, or '^Xatural Premium," or of any fine phrase into which they choose to put it, they are really talking about differences in method. A church, for example, has to be pecuniarily supported, if it is to exist. If the members find it more agreeable (as probably the 3'oung and lively ones do) to draw the funds from their pockets by the desires of church fairs at which a five cent dish of something is sold for fifty cents, and the rule is "no change," it is for them to so decide; but they would bo silly to think they alter the fact. So if people choose to imagine that a string of gilt-paper phrases such asSupremesandFraternals and all the rest of it can alter the facts of life and make insurance cost less than dol- lar for dollar, they choose to delude themselves. That they do so choose, we find by observation. Then the dis- covery comes that they have been borrowing of the future by paying only a part of the cost and that the rest has been charged up against them. Then come "liens," proposed and fiercely denounced. Then come bitter regrets and really hard individual situations. The fortunate ones, monetarily speaking, are then those who
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have died. Their claims have been settled. Their ad- vantage has been won. The others are left to deal with the ease as they can.
It comes down to this : life insurance cost is mortality cost. This fact is inexorable. It can not be altered. It can be evaded for a little while, but it will have its day of reckoning.'' — Independent, Xo. 2749.)
A AYARXIXG VOICE.
The State Insurance Commissioner of Iowa, Mr. Max Bcchlcr, is quoted in tlie Dubuque Catholic Trihune of Aug. l.jtli, 1901, as follows:
"There iirc fifty-nine fraternal societies doing busi- ness in Iowa, iive less than last year, and of that num- ber many are exceedingly short-lived, and some would better never have been born. The purpose of a number of companies seems to be to furnish cheaper insurance than the next one, and looking at them from the stand- point of an experienced insurance man, I can not but feel confident that some of them will surely come to grief. A fraternal order can not stand unless it raises its rates sufficientlv high to cover the premiums which are Ijound to re(juire payment at some time in the future. They will also have to be more careful about the physical condition of the members taken in. The fraternal orders have done great good for widows and orphans, but the only hope of the members can be to die ])cfore tlie com- nanv does.'^