ADDRESS OF GRAND MASTER



                              "Can such things be,
                   And o'ercome us like a summer's cloud,
                   Without our special wonder !'
  We may rest assured that such demoralization or our Lodges will do infi-
nitely more to prejudice and degrade the institution, in the estimation of all
thinking and sensible men, than all the fanatical conventions of political
clergymen which have met or may ever assemble for the purpose of Masonic
misrepresentation and abuse. This demoralization is indeed only the fruit-
ful cause and occasion of such conventions, and without it they would have
no stock in trade.
  1 for one shall rejoice that the battering rams of bigotry have renewed
their assaults npon the institution, it it will only prompt us to fortify, as we
should, this only vulnerable angle of our venerable temple.
  This will perhaps be considered a departure from the prescriptive "metes
and bounds" of an annual report, but brethren I have no apology to offer
for it. It is a digression necessarily made to notice a Par more fatal digres-
sion from the ancient landmarks of Masonry, and if I could only infuse into
the minds of the representatives present and, through them, into their re-
spective Lodges, the serious apprehensions which I myself entertain of the
evil complained of, and could stimulate them to a speedy and thorough
reform in this matter, I would most cheerfully subject my feeble report to
any amount of criticism, deserved or undeserved, which might be indulged
in by the scholar or the cynic. For I would then feel assured that I had
accomplished more in this one instance for the interests of the Fraternity in
this jurisdiction than in all the other service which I inav have rendered
during the whole of my officiasl term.

                        GRAND TREASURER'S REPORT.
  The report of the Grand Treasurer for the past year presents a satisfactory
statement of our financial condition. According to this report, our total
resources amount to 84,347 14, instead of 78,006 92, reported for the year
1868, showing an increase in our favor of 6,340 22, after purchasing nine
more of the first mortgage bonds of Masonic Temple company, and leaving
only eight more of the aforesaid bonds now outstanding. The report of
the Grand Treasurer is well condensed, and yet sufficiently comprehensive,
and although necessarily a matter of figures, it is desirable that all the rep-
resentatives should make a careful examination of its contents, and especi-
ally with reference to the subjects already referred to as affecting the re-
sources of the Grand Lodge.
  The Board of Directors of the Masonic Temple Company have distrib-
uted their report, and ask ifs reference to the Finance Committee, that the
condition of the Company, the necessity for the repairs which they have
made, and its general financial management may receive the supervision of



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