The Unmasking of a Mason
A tense, public confrontation in a local Seattle establishment reveals the social friction surrounding the secret society's reputation in the 1870s.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A traveler, claiming to be a Mason, was denounced for being a fraud in a public house in Seattle. The following conversation ensued. 'Yes, sir, I am a Mason,' the man said. 'You are a liar,' the other replied. 'How dare you call me a liar in the presence of ladies?' the man asked. 'Because you are a liar to the core,' the other retorted. 'If you are not a Mason, you are a liar when you say that you are. If you are a Mason, then you are a liar when you go about the country telling what you promised on your honor as a man never to reveal, and never to tell a person you did not know to be a Mason. You are a liar in either case. If you are not a Mason, you are a thief; you obtain money from Masons when you promise to reveal to them the secrets of Masonry. If you are a man trusted with secrets, under voluntary obligations on your part, uttered in the presence of witnesses, pledged by your belief in God, then you are a liar and a thief in that of these, and the people.' The accused man stood rooted to the floor, powerless to retort, as the challenger concluded, 'You are not a Mason, for a Mason never gives away or sells his secret. You may deceive those who are not Masons who wish to be gulled, but the truth will prevail. A liar will stand detested of his neighbors and never pollute the place with your dirty, lying presence. I beg pardon for such vulgarity, but it is the only kind I have for liars, thieves and swindlers, like the coward and rotten wretch who will, by the power he kicked into the street if he does not go there on his own coward.'
“If you are not a Mason, you are a liar when you say that you are. If you are a Mason, then you are a liar when you go about the country telling what you promised on your honor as a man never to reveal.”
In 1876, the reputation of secret fraternal orders was a flashpoint for social status and business trust. Today, the performative authenticity of social groups or influencers in Seattle often triggers similar public call-outs, proving that the demand for 'truth' over 'clout' remains a timeless civic friction.
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