The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-06-24

were accused OF having disposed OF him IN
their own way. The excitement became in
tense, and spread over all that region. Some
were suspected of being concerned in a conspir-
acy and were arrested, but were discharged
for want of evidence Of wrong-doing. In the
mean time the book was published, which
heightened the excitement. A committee of
citizens spent many months in investigating
the matter, with little success. One prominent
man fled to Europe, which gave courage to the
Anti-Masons The Legislature of the State of
New York authorized the appointment of spec
ial council for investigation.
The excitement spread to the Eastern and
Middle States, Anti-Masonc papers were estab-
Ished, county conventions were holden, and
the Anti-Masons became political party A
national convention was holden at Phiadel-
phia in 1880, and in 1881 national convention
nominated as the Anti-ATasonic candidate for
President of the United States, William Writ
OF Maryland, who had been Attorney General
under President Monroe. He received the
electoral vote Of Vermont, and respectable
minority vote in several other states. In 1882,
John Quincy Adams was nominated as the
| Anti-Masonic candidate for governor of Mas
sachusetts. In Rhode Island bill passed the
Legislature, requiring all Masonic lodges to
make an annual report of the number of their
members and the amount of their funds. The
| Grand lodge of the State considered this an
outrage, and surrendered its charter rather
than comply with its acquisitions.
| The Anti-Masonc excitement reached its
height in about 1884, but the organization of
the party was kept up until 1889. They then
nominated as their candidate for the Presiden-
| cy Gen. William III. Harrison. He was also
nominated for the same office by the Wing
party, and elected. The election turned on
other issues-Masons and Anti-M asons voted
| for him, and political Anti-Masonry was lost
| sight of in that memorable contest, which none
can forget who participated in or witnessed
| In the summer of $780, the writer paid his
| first visit to Boston-durne which, -aeenrrAd
the great Masonic demonstration at the laying
of the corner stone of the old Masonic temple.
| The month is uncertain as I write from memo
| ry alone. AT that time the Anti-Masonic feel
| ing ran hight was the first year of the Or
ganization of that party in New England. The
Free Masons had decided to erect a splendid
| and costly temple for their exclusive use, to
| show that the order was yet strong and vigor-
| Gus. They had also determined to make an
impressive demonstration at the laying of the
cornerstone for the same purpose The Ma
sons throughout the country felt that the sal
| Walton OF the order was at stake. From several
states the entire lodges went to Boston on the
occasion, others sent only their chief men.
For months the note of preparation was heard
Then as now, no city of the States could equal
Boston in civic street procession. Since that
time the means of transportation have been
| improved. Then there were no railroads, but
| steamboats,, sailing vessels, and all kinds of
land vehicles We're pressed into service. to
swell the Masonic gathering in Boston, and
not few of the Anti-Masons in that and the
neighboring states attended to witness what
they termed the "death struggle" of Masonry.
The cellar and basement walls of the building
were completed, and the first floor was in place,
which was to be used as platform for the cere-
| monies. The Masonic headquarters were at
Faneuil Hall. To that ancient edifce, within
and without, gathered the friends and foes of
the institution for whose jubilee it was for that
day resigned. The orderly portion of the Anti
| Masons occupied the sidewalks and sheltered
hooks of the area around the hall. The disor-
derby people Of all persuasions, for that occa-
sion, claimed to represent the Anti-Masons, and
that party was compelled to bear the odium of
the doings of the rowdy crowd, which filled all
the streets Of the vicinity, from the entrance to
the hall, far down North and South Market
streets. The Masons came singly and in
groups, without any distinguishing badges, and
were first marshalled within the building,
which contains an upper and lower hall. I
think the knights Templars used some neigh
boring building for their headquarters-pe
| haps Quincy Hall. Fifty years save one, have
interviewed since that day, and 1 shall not
claim infallibility in my recollections
1t was evident that the marshals and high
officers were appalled, at the rotous demonstra-
ton in the streets. The city police were then
comparatively few-Bosten had been q city on
ly seven years, and contained less than seventy
thousand inhabitants. After protracted delay
the hour arrived when the procession must be
formed, and with much difficulty the magnif-
cent body of knights Templars as escort,
marched defiantly into the crowd, which could
not be kept back, amid many jeers and insults.
Some soft missiles were thrown at them-any
injury to a knight would have caused serious
conflict. Past officers were taken in coaches
aged men of high standing evidently wore their
regalia for the first time for years. Many who
| deserved respect, but who had made some mis-
takes during their lives, were sure to be remind
ed OF it on their appearance, by the noisy crowd.
| After the grand bodies came the rank and file
OF craftsmen, seemingly without end. The on
| ly full street band then belonging in Boston
was the Brigade, but there were others in at
tendance from distant cities, and some after the
| style of the Portland Continental. The mu-
sic had a soothing effect on the surging mass of
humanity. Such procession had never been
seen in New England. All the splendor of
rich regalia craft-iewels, plumes and banners,
were brought into requisition to make the
scene impressive.
On the arrival of the marshals heading the
procession, at the site of the temple-the corner
of fremont Street and Temple Place, they
found the same crowd transferred in body
from Faneuil Hall to fremont street and the
adjoining common. What seemed very long
time was occupied in an effort to persuade the
crowd to fall back sufficiently to admit the Off
Gals to lay the stone. Finally a clear space of
few yards breadth was obtained. The stone
hung suspended from derrick, with the cavi-
ty upwards, and the metallic box in it, and the
ceremony began. The Grand Master COM
menced to hold upcoins, pamphlets and papers,
describing each as he placed them in the box
had obtained a standing place in front of St.
Pauls church adjoining, where 1 could see and
hear all that passed ON the platform. While
the articles were being deposited in the box, a
man in the street found red silk handkerchief
under foot and with his cane threw it on to the
platform, saying, "There is Morgan's liver;
put that in the box" That raised a shout
from the rabble, brought smile to the anxious
faces of many Masons, and caused better feel
ing in the belligerent parties. The box was
soldered up, the stone placed, and the Masons
proceeded quietly to their banquet.
The temple was two years in building. There
was a controversy in the Legislature, caused
by petition from the Grand Lodge to extend
the limits of the amount of real estate which
their charter allowed them to hold, but it was
finally granted, and the building was finished.
1t is now used as United States court house.
fha Of hot d;