WHEREAS, It has pleased the Grand Master of the Universe to suddenly remove from this Lodge, to the Grand Lodge above, our worthy brother, James Bennie, who was a Mason during the last eighteen years of his life, and a member of this Lodge at the time of his death; therefore,

Resolved, That he was a worthy, just and upright man and Mason, and we tender to the family and relatives of our late Brother, our heartfelt sympathy in this their great bereavement, and that we mingle with theirs our sorrow at the loss of our friend.

Resolved, That a copy of the foregoing record and resolution be sent to the widow of our deceased Brother, and also that the same be published in THE MICHIGAN FREEMASON, and in the Coldwater newspapers.

WILLIAM ANDERSON, for Committee.

EDITORIAL GOSSIP.

OUT OF NUMBERS.-We purposely reserved our issue for July till the latter part of the month to see whether or not we should add to our edition. After mature consideration, we concluded to go on with our former number, having it in our minds to prune our list extensively. Well, we commenced the use of the pruning knife, but new names came in so fast that we found the edition exhausted before our subscribers were served, to say nothing about our exchange list. The evil will soon be remedied, for we are reprinting the first and a part of the second number, and will have enough, we trust, to supply all demands. We hope to make another advance in January. Thanks to the Brothers who have given us such efficient coöperation. FROM THE GRand Master.-We have a good word from our M. W. Grand Master. We are glad to know that he is pleased with our course in publishing our journal. We expect soon to have something from him for the benefit of the Craft in Michigan. He is not enjoying very good health, and the duties of his office, aside from that of his extensive law business would be quite a heavy burden even when blessed with perfect health. As yet we have published none of the judicial decisions of Bro. Champlin, but we expect to give some of them in future numbers. We are informed by those who have the means of judging, that they are able, and very satisfactory to the Craft in general throughout the jurisdiction.

WE have been blessed with the most bountiful harvest ever known, and the price of wheat is good, so that money is plenty.

Now is the time to pay up arrearages. We hope to have our books square by January, 1872, and enough means to purchase a power press, on which to print THE MICHIGAN FREEMASON. This can be done if our Brothers will give in their coöperation.

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.-We are informed that Dr. Mackey and Albert Pike, than whom we have no brighter stars in the Masonic galaxy, recently made a call at Detroit, and visited some of the city Lodges. They were received with the honors due their high rank in the Craft, and their addresses are highly eulogized by the Detroit brethren.

TRAVELING AGENT.-Bro. S. S. Rasco is our authorized traveling agent. He has already done much for us, and now proposes to devote himself entirely to the work of canvassing. We bespeak for him the kindly coöperation of our Brotherhood wherever he may sojourn.

TWENTY-ONE of the Grand Lodges of the United States have recognized the Grand Lodge of Quebec. The Grand Lodge of Ontario would grant her recognition, we are informed, if Quebec would ask for it; but the haughty daughter refuses to ask consent to open housekeeping on her own hook.

THERE are now upwards of seven thousand Lodges actively in operation in the United States, and the Evergreen says, "with a total membership of six hundred thousand, and an annual increase of about fifty thousand."

WE see by the London Freemason that the Sir Knight crusaders are receiving the warmest reception everywhere in England. They are feasted in the most sumptuous manner, while poets and orators sing and speak their praise.

LOCAL AGENTS.-We hope to have a good, working local agent in every Lodge in Michigan. Where we have no such agent we hope some Brother will volunteer to act in our behalf, and send for our list and terms of agency. We pay Masonic wages.

A LODGE in California recently initiated a candidate who was so illtterate that he could not read, which act was sharply rebuked by the Grand Master.

THE Grand Lodge of Massachusetts has ordered that an admission fee of twenty-five cents be exacted of non-affiliates residing in her jurisdiction each time any one of them visits any Lodge.

THE Masonic Orphan's Home of Kentucky is now open for the admission of beneficiaries.

THE MICHIGAN FREEMASON.

VOL. III.-SEPTEMBER, A. L. 5871.-NO. III.

THE BLACK BALL.

How or when the custom, or law as we may now term it, originated, requiring a ballot for the initiation of a candidate into the secrets of Masonry, or membership of a Lodge, we are not informed, but it was probably of early origin, dating far back to the period of transition from operative to speculative Masonry. That those al ready initiated should be chary of the distribution of the benefits of Masonry, and choice in their selection of associates, was not only natural but correct.

The world is full of material, excellent for many purposes, and all having their appropriate places in working out the designs of the Great Master of the universe, but not all of proper fitness for positions in the spiritual temple. The selection of this material has therefore from time immemorial been entrusted to the workmen themselves and the ballot determines its acceptance or rejection.

Indeed, so careful were the fathers of Masonry to avoid the possible admission of unsuitable material, that they wisely provided that the vote of approval should be unanimous, and that a single ball or negative ballot should suffice to close the doors of Masonry to the applicant, however many his virtues, exalted his position, or blameless his character. The law is unyielding-from its stern decision there is no appeal. Though the affirmative be an hundred to one, the single black ballot speaks, as with the voice of Omnipotence, "Thus far shalt thou come, but no farther!" This is the safeguard of Masonry-the head-gate which turns aside the turbulent flood, whose admission might destroy the noble structure.

VOL. III.-NO. III.-7.

But, while such are its conservative uses-such the beneficial purposes for which it was designed, who has not seen the power of the single ballot perverted to selfish ends, and used for the destruction, rather than the promotion of the prosperity of Masonry? We have seen the entire operations of a Lodge suspended by the perversity of this black ball, hurled indiscriminately against the best, and the most worthless material. We have seen the progress of a Lodge arrested, through one man's spite, or malice, or ignorance, as the case might be,-the members embittered towards each other, and the Lodge entirely disrupted, while the brother who wielded the black ball, gratified himself at the expense of an institution he professed to love, and barred its doors, it may be, against the entrance of those more worthy than himself.

To meet cases of this kind, the Grand Lodge of Indiana, in 1849, adopted the following rule:

"Should any member of a Lodge, from trifling, captious or unworthy motives, attempt to arrest the legitimate work of a Lodge, he will thereby render himself amenable to Masonic discipline."

To all Lodges thus situated, we recommend the application of this remedy. We recognize to the fullest extent the power of the negative ballot, as one of the laws of Masonry to be scrupulously acknowledged and obeyed; but we hold the brother who wields this power, responsible for his motives. If he seeks the welfare of the Lodge, and the best good of Masonry, we submit to the decree without question. But if the motive be one of spite, of malice or revenge, we say to him, that when he crosses the threshhold of the Lodge, they are no where recognized among the Masonic virtues. "If thou hast aught against thy brother, go and be reconciled."

Let this rule be enforced wherever necessary, and a better day will dawn upon us. Let it be held everywhere, that the brother who attempts to arrest the legitimate work of a Lodge, through unworthy motives, is a proper subject for Masonic discipline, and there will be few such subjects to deal with. Let the brethren who have been thus afflicted, try the experiment. E. W. H. E.

EXCELLENT ADVICE.

THE following excellent advice was given by M. W. Brother Reuben H. Walworth, when Grand Master of Masons in New York, in 1854. We find it in the columns of the Kentucky Freemason, whose editor says "it cannot be too often reproduced," with which

we fully agree. The true Mason reveres the name of God, and regards the Holy Scriptures as His best gift to mankind:

"Let me also impress upon every officer and member of this Grand Lodge, and upon every Mason who loves our institution, the duty of being circumspect in all his words and actions, and of discountenancing immoralities in others, as well as of keeping his own white apron untarnished by a single stain. It was written by the pen of inspiration, under the dictation of the unerring wisdom of the Most High, that virtue exalteth a nation. And it is equally true that vice or immorality, unrestrained, is not only a reproach to any community or any institution where it is allowed to exist, but it will sooner or later entirely destroy the peace and happiness of that community or institution. Let us, therefore, endeavor so to conduct ourselves, not only in our intercourse with each other as brethren, but also in all our dealings with others, who do not belong to the Fraternity, as not to bring discredit upon ourselves, or upon the institutions of Masonry to which we belong.

"Recollect, my brethren, the parting declaration of that illustrious brother, who was the first in war, first in peace, and who should always be first in the recollection of every true Mason—that ' religion and morality are indispensable supports of all those dispositions and habits which lead to prosperity.'

"One of the most distinguished Grand Masters who ever occupied this Oriental chair, who has long since taken his departure for the Grand Lodge above, has also said that the insufficiency of human laws for their intended objects were palpable from the daily operations of society, and the accumulated experience of ages; that the efficacy of the law of public opinion was also limited, and had all the imperfections attached to humanity; but that the sanction of Divine law supplied all these deficiencies, covered the whole area of human action, reached every case, punished every sin, and recompensed every virtue. Its rewards and its punishments are also graduated with perfect justice; and its appeals to the hopes and fears of men are of the most potent character and transcendent influence.

"In view of these important facts, permit me, my brethren, to remind you that this Divine law is only found in the Bible, that great light of Masonry, which we are all taught to study and revere. And let me recommend to you what the learned and pure-minded Sir Matthew Hale recommended to his children-to read seriously and reverently every day a portion of the sacred Scriptures, and make yourself acquainted with the history and the doctrines thereof.