ADDRESS OF GRAND MASTER



tion" in the Masonic government as in any other form of government.
But the practical question before us is, not whether any Lodge subject to
Grand lodge taxation shall be represented upon this floor, but whether such
Lodge shall be represented at the expense of the Grand Lodge, after every
dollar of her assessed taxes has been generously refunded to her by the
Grand Lodge. I think not. "Fiat juslitia ruat cerium."
            IlCREASE Of FEES AND DUES OF SUBORDINATE LODGES.
  In connection with this subject, and with this trite motto before us, let us
make a clean breast of the whole matter, and, if possible, thorough work
of the reform in band. It is a fact worthy of special consideration, that in
all our smaller towns and throughout the rural districts of the State our
subordinate Lodges have very generally adopted the minimum price of de-
grees, which this Grand Lodge has established by constitutional provision,
and hence we find, as a prevailing custom, that the degrees of Symnbolic
Masonry cost the candidate only twenty dollars, while the annual dues of
the mnembers are only about two dollars ! It will be seen at once that such
financial arrangenfent is well calculated to impoverish any Lodge, and that
unless her membership is unusually large, and the calls of charity unusu-
ally "few and far between," her treasury would be generally bankrupt.
Such figures are greatly out of joint with the present times, however well
they may have suited the exigencies of the case when adopted by the Grand
Lodge. It is very certain that, with such inadequate fees and dues, many
of our Lodges need scarcely hope ever to be represented in this Grand Body
without the aid of the Grand Treasury. If, then, you would secure an
equal Tepresentation to them all, and at the same time relieve your treasury
of the annual tax now imposed for this purpose, you must advance the min-
imum price of degrees, or, which in my judgment would be more desirable,
abolish the minimum altogether, and establish a higher price for the de-
grees, and a higher rate of dues, and make them uniform throughout the
entire jurisdiction, and require all the subordinate Lodges to amend their
by-laws in harmony with such a regulation. This, brethren, I consider an
important change, and one which is imperiously demanded by the present
condition of the Craft in KentuckN.

                     IMPOLICY OF CHZAIENIXG MIASONRY.
  It is a lamentable fact that a too rapid multiplication of Lodges has tended
only to cheapen Masonry, and this cheapening policy, in its turn, has tend-
ed only to lessen its dignity, to depreciate its comparative value and import-
ance in the estimation of the world, and to render the privileges of the Fra-
ternity a, matter of too easy attainment, and therefore, instead of the door
of our Mystic Temple being closly tyled to all save the worthy and well
qualified, it is virtually thrown wide open, and thus invites an indiscriminate



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