The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-09-01
sisted in the chorus By DR.. Reynolds,
II. L. Dickson ant John Mcdonald.

What words of precious meaning those
words Masonic are.
Come let us contemplate Them, they are
worthy OF or thought;
With the highest and the lowest, and the
rarest they are fraught.
There's q world where all are equal; we
are hurrying to it fast
We shIll meet upon the level there, when
the gates of death arc past:
We shall stand before the Orient, and our
Mas;er will he there,
TO try the blocks We offer by His own un-
erring square.
We shall meet upon the level there; but
never thence depart;
There's a mansion-'tis all ready for each
trusting, faithful heart;
There's a mansion and n welcome, and a
multitude is there
Who have met upon the level, and been tried
upon the squire.
Gth. Address, by Charles II. Reeve,
Esq, of Plymouth.
-Nost Eminent Grand Commander.
Host U~orshipfM Master:
LADIES AMI GENTLEMEN: In con-
scnting to appear before you, | do so
with no small degree Of hesitation and
embarrassment.
/ might well hesitate to take the
place of the distinguished gentleman
selected to address you to-day, recosnlz-
ing, as ] must, that he possesses supe-
rior legal requirements and is one of the
most eloquent men in the state.
1t was em~.nently proper that the
chief judicial officer Of the district
should address you on such an occasion
as this; and when circumstances over
which We have no control make me
his substitute, and compel Inc to select
the words and give utterance to such
thoughts as may arise at thc moment.
without opportunity for reflection. !
may Justly claim your forbearance
SHOULD you feel disposed to criticise.
With no time to even jot down the
notes of what ought to be said on such
an occasion, | dare not trust my mem
DRY and imagination lest they should
lead me away and | would detain you
too long. Therefore. with only a few
moments time allowed me, l have hast
ily written the few words | shall offer
| you, and without even time to read
them until now, and less than an hour
to write them, | will detain you not tc
exceed a quarter of IN hour.
The occasion itself Is an era in the
history Of the municipal organization
known az MARSHALL CoUNTY: and
well may the people who inhabit hcl
four hundred and forty square miles Of
territory feel proud of the day and the
immediate antccedents and surrounding:
leading to and forming part OF the pro
cccdings the day brings us.
We have met to lay the conversion
of this structure, which Will be THEN
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, and within which
must be kept the records OF her whole
history, past and future, and where
must be transacted ali the business re
lating to her people and their property
Her representative business men mus
sit here to hold intercourse with Other
municipalities like herself, with thu
state, and with all individuals having
| public business within her borders
and from the impressions made by then
must go abroad the opinions Of men az
to the capacity Of her people to govern
themselves. The extensive interest
involved in her administration, and The
important duties demanded by mankinC
50 far as they affect her people, centei
here; and from here must emanate-ir
wisdom or fo!ly-that kind Of admins
t%ration Of public affairs which will MAKE
her people prosperous and wise, o.
bring upon them burtheus and iguo
rance, and offer great inducements o.
none at all for capital and intelligence
to make their home with her. TIL,
management of schools and the fund
to maintain them; the valuation o
property the levy of taxes; the collec
ton OF and accounting for the public
money the care Of the poor; the di
r%cctions for public improvements ; tn
provisions for the safe keeping of per
sons charged with crimes; the preser
yation Of the records Of the titles t
property the administration Of lustic
at the hands of the ministers Of tn
law all will have their center here
and from here will go out the rcputa
ten that shall make her iamc-good q
bad. 1t is fitting, then, that the chic
cornerstone OF this temple shall be lai
with ceremonies, amid scenes and il
presence OF witnesses that shall constl
tute the act an Ere in the county
history and it is an occasion when III
guetcc could give u%tterance to thought
in words which would leave impression
on the memory not to be forgotten.
That ANCIENT CRAFT-organlzc
when the glory Of Israols inspired Kin
filled the known worlu with fame in tn
erection of that wondrous temple hei
hands created in all its magniliconc,
and whose order row is found in ever
land beneath the sun-have laid tn
cornerstone Of almost every publ
building in the land, and here, to-day
with their imposing ceremonies la
down for us the corner Of this strut
ture in which shall hereafter center s
many vital interests Of our people
Within that stone now lies a synopsi
of the record of her history to this day
There are names Of men--our some
time public scryants-who have lon
since gone down Tie dusty road on tn
march to the home Of the dead, AN,
their busy minds which once sat her
in judgment for us have ceased to thin
and plan. For each Of them eth
dome of thought, the temple Of til
SOUL" has crumblcd back to dust; bu
their names live here and their work