Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-27
A CHRISTMAS TOAST
In Honor of the Grand Master of the
Knights Templar
DRAWS OUT A NEAT RESPONSE
The Aims and Hopes Of Templarism Elo-
quently Presented
$4,000 SENT HUGH M'cURDY GREETING

DETROIT, MICH, Dec 26.-Hugh Nc
Curdy, Grand Master Of the knights Tem-
plar of the United States, has issued the
q toast in his honor, which was Joined in by
members of that order at meetings to be
held all over the country to-day:
CoRRUNA, MIoH.. Dec. 26.
| To All Knights Templar of Our ObedienceI
GREETING-Acknowledg with profound
| gratitude the high honor which you tender
| me by meeting IN your asylums this day at
noon and joining in this Christmas toast:
''To our Grand Master, Hugh McCurdy.
From ocean to ocean and from the gulf to
the lakes 90, 900 TemplarS send merry Christ
mas greetings"
In response to this sentiment can only
offer you the promptings of a heart over
flowing with gratitude and good will to all
malice toward none, mellowed and sancri-
fed by divine inspiration OF this hallowed
season OF the year, heart goes out to heart
and redolent joy of sweetest fragrance nils
every memory.
1 would not presume fitly to respond to
greetings from go 900 Templars from ocean
to ocean from gnlf TO lakes" were It notfor
that little monosyllable one. In this word
what restful music we find. or its charm
all are conscious. There is no word IN the
language moro powerfuI; it is the first ele-
ment of thought, it holds the first place in
human life. 1t is the beginning and the end
of all things. The best words and deeds of
men have been spoken and done in its
spirit. In this spirit, Sir Knights, your greet
ings come, in this spirit are they received.
Nogreeting is more in harmony with all that
Templarism embodies than a Christmas
greeting with its inspiring memories of the
angels song of "Peace on earth, good will
to men," Only so lar as Templarism works
for this end has IL claim to the homage of
men. The world cares very little for eleva-
tion of sentiment in greeting, in sermon, or
In song, unless 1t sees it manifested in some
proof. 1t is not, then, $4,000 Templars send
ing Christmas greetings to which l am in
vited to respond; but the Templar unity
which in the ever blessed spirit of this glad
season, greets all Templars and which all
The spirit of Christmastide is the spirit of
Oneness. The spirit of the Son of Man who
Joined man and his God with sense of
companionshtp Words, names, conditions.
creeds divide men. These all become mean
1ngless in the presence of the greetings of
Christmastide. How the walls of partition
fall at the sound OF this word "One"-the
word of the century-the watchword of our
day; word which men may safely trust
and safely follow, wherever it may lead,
whomsoever it may include. 1t is the
mission OF Templarism as it is the mission
of Christmas to conciliate all antagonisms
all dividing and separating influences to
make more sacred the claims Of the father
hood of God and the brotherhood of man.
Templarism is in this world and we are
Templars to seek and to save that W hich Is
common to all men. Human needs, human
love, human sorrow-in these all men are
one.
Templarism is in the world to-day
"The banner of the cross to bear,
And its strength with human weakness
share"
Here, like,
"The star flower Of the Virgin Child,
Sown by some wandering Frank, to tell to
Men the story OF the Savior's birth"
And, as,
From natures face that simple flower
The lines in sin and sadness swept,
And Magian pile and Paynim bower
In peace like that of Eden slept"
So Templarism grows in all its truer. bet
ter self to ease the burden of the world. Its
true life, like the life of its leader the Star
Flower of Bethlehem, is a perpetual song
whose music is the gladness of the world,