5-14 



SOCIETIES. 



themselves to the remedy, and, by giving emphasis ' supply of 

 to the idea of human brotherhood, secure such con- features. 

 cessions to the world's toilers as shall bring greater 

 possibilities of happiness to all. 



, burial fund being ono of their leading 



l.itrraturt: Vf. H. Fremantle, The World at the Subjett 



There is, however, a definite line of <li\ 

 between mediaeval and modem times in res] 

 the principles of labor association. The rise of dm 



Iturt tutti f , 11 . i ft. * i ^ Hi. m no, j nn rr t't i u IM *ff a,jw/n _ - . . . 



of ftedemption (Lnn.ion. ISsS) ; Henry George, Progre* factory system, and the employment of great sums 

 ai-1 J'.icfrtu (New York, 1*8 >); 11 '!'. Ely. TA AaAor V""- of money in single manufacturing raterprueft, gave 

 linn (New York, 1S*I) : A, J. Starkweather and & Robert the death-blow to the pnilds. They viinisl . 

 Wilson. S, e Mi,m (New York 1884). A brief list is al-o ap- ^ ul organisations, and ha-. led bv tl e 



pendeJof periodicals devoted to the diKsommatinn of <oc:aliAt- , .1-1,1 , 



L- ,,l a, J':.<th, monthly. Sn Krancisco, Burnctte U. Has- trnde unions, in which the principle of ,. \eliisi<,n of 



outside labor still exists, but only as a minor object, 

 the major object being that of preventing t! 

 croachments of capital. The contest is now for nn 

 equitable division between hibor and capilnl of the 

 profits arising from manufacturing enterprise, this 



kdl, editor; The Jsibor Enquirer, weekly, Denver, J. R 

 Buchanan, -ditor ; A'rn;ninrr, weekly, Hartford; ,S'o<i'i'';iV. 

 monthly. Knr>XTille. Tenn. : ^Vew- Yorker Votk* Zelluiig. 

 da:ly. New York; Arbeiler Zritung, daily, Chicago; Taijt- 

 bi'iti, daily, Philadelphia ; f'rriheii. weekly. New York; 

 Vorbntt, wrekly, Chicago ; Itie Farkel. weekly, Chicago ; 

 The frrr Noilrr. monthly. New York ; Journal of 

 Labor, Philadelphia; The I' r. N. H ; Man, 



wwkly. New York ; The Trtith Ntfkrr, weekly. New York ; 

 The Radical Revieic, Chicago; Lwifer, wccklv. Vallry 

 Falls, Kan ; The .Yon-i'm^HM. daily. Hav-rnill. M.is..'; mutual aid, or "fncndly societies as they me called 

 MiH, daily, Stockton, CaL ; /xi&or UeraM. Hittsburg ; /."- in England, which have no connection with the 

 6r Standard, Paterson, N. J. ; Labor Free Pi-ru. Haiti- question, but limit their purposes totli. single one 

 mure; A<ii>erta<-r. Trenton N J ; IrM ,-U New York; of pecuniary assistance in the case of accident, si< k- 



being one of tlio most difficult questions to 

 that lias arisen in modern history. 



I'.v the side of these trade unions have arisen n-anv 



Si. Louis ; Vuletlf, Salem, Oregon. All the last 

 named are weekly papers. (T. A. K. o. ) 



pecuniary i 



ness, or death. In these societies the luen.lirs 

 make weekly or monthly contributions to a common 

 fund, accumulating a sum which is paid out again 

 in definite weekly amounts in case of sickness or 

 accident to any member, and to aid in the burial of 

 members in case of death. In other cases ti: 



SOCIETIES, MUTUAL AID. Man is a gregari- 

 ous animal in a far more comprehensive sense than 

 any of the lower animals. Each community not 

 only combines as a whole for mutual aid and assist- 

 ance, but within every civilized community are i no payment except a given sum for burial, \\liile 

 numerous minor aggregations, wheels within wheels, some mechanics' societies have a fund to jay for loss 

 combined for more specialized purposes of mutual of tools by accident or otherwise. 



As the trade unions are all new societies, none of 

 I them being continuations of the jjnilds, RO the samo 

 may be said of the mutual aid societies, with one ex- 

 ception, that of the Free Masons, which ah 

 I come down to us from mediaeval times. (See articles 

 on FKEE MASONHY in the Ks< YI ixnvrniA ]',IUTASM< A 

 and in this work.) The Free Masons is thestrong- 



onr present purpose, which is confined to the con- j est and most "influential of modern secret P. 

 federation of societies organized to aid their mem- ; and possesses a very intricate organization, the main 

 bors in gaining the means of livelihood, and in most j body being supplemented by higher "de- 

 of which pecuniary help in case of sickness or death some of which are almost distinct societies in tlu-iu- 



benefit, and designed to cover almost all the needs 

 and wishes of man which can be helped by associa- 

 tion. There are numerous societies for political, 

 literary, scientific, social, and recreative purposes, 

 whose object is to aid each other in amusement, the 

 .ic-iiuisition of knowledge, the gaining of public 

 rights, etc., but none of these are included within 



is a leading feature. 



Societies of this character have existed from a re- 

 mote period. In ancient times they can bo traced 

 in Greece and were numerous in the Roman Empire, 

 their methods and aims being not unlike those of 



selves. 



Next in importance comes the Independent Order 

 of Odd Fellows, a society of English origin but 

 which, like the Masons, has become very Mrong 

 within the United States. The exact dale of its on- 



modern societies. In the medieval period the prin- pin is not known, the (irst trace of its existence being 

 ciple of mutual benefit association was active. The in 174">, when it stems to have constituted a 

 trade guilds, the most important of the associations society for convivial pui poses, with a small fund for 



of that era, were numerous and powerful, and in cer- 

 tain localities went so far beyond their original 

 function as to exercise a controlling influence 

 government. These associations differed radically 



from the trade unions of to-day. They were organ- 

 ized not against capital but against labor coni|>e- 



the relief of poor and lnnial of deceased n.rmlicis. 

 About, the same time another important English so- 

 ciety, the Ancient Order o! i < exist- 

 ence. This is to-day of consideiahle strength in 



England, and has established ilself to fome . 



in the United Slates. The Onler of Druids is an- 



tition. Labor in those days was its own employe;-, other English society of son, e Mrenglh, while > 

 the masters hod begun life as mechanics, and the others ini;'ht be named of minor importance. In 

 interest of one was the interest of all. The guilds the last century these societies had not the definite 

 established rigid rules to prevent an overflow of organi/aMoii and purposes of more recent times, 

 labor from without into their organizations, and their beneficial feature being of secondary impor- 

 with such effect as to divide the lower rank of soci- tance. It was in 181'J that, the Odd Fellows s 

 ety into two classes : one of masters, mechanics, and reorganized itself for the purpose of mutual iissist- 

 nppreuticex in the trade guilds; one of laborers, jance in prescribed sums in case of sickness ai d in 

 tiamps, and beggars who were refused admittance j the defraying of funeral expenses. In imitation of 

 to these guilds. It was an artificial state of society, the Free Masons, it devised pass-words mid signs for 



bill it long hi-ld its own in opposition to the force 

 of the natural law of industry. The guilds were im- 

 portant institutions in that era, and accumulated 

 property, much of which still exist*, though the so- 

 cieties themselves have been reduced to mere shad- 

 ows, and exist simply to take care of this property. 

 Pecuniary aid in case of distress was a feature of 

 the guilds and was a leading characteristic of cer- 

 tain charitable and social societies which existed at 

 the same time, and which approached our modern 

 beneficial societies in character and purposes, the 



the mutual recognition of members mid to prevent 

 imposture, established new re.lcs of older um! i 

 dciinc-d conditions of management, and assiu: 



: name of "The Independent Order of Odd 

 Fellows." This new departure was a distinct ad- 



on the informal workings of the preceding 

 benevolent and charitable institutions, and gave lh 

 cue to the oiyaiil/iition of the more recent societies. 

 The Fr> M.i tnu alone retain the generalized condi- 

 tions of pecuniary aid of the earlier period. ,,tlier so- 

 cieties binding themselves to the payment of fixed 



