The age-herald., 1898-11-19
TALK OF RENTING
 THE FORGE BILL Down East" Republicans in Favor oI
 the IniquitOuS Measure. S0UTHERNERS OPPOSE IT ElkinS, Wellington, Pritchard and Others
 Do Not Favor the Idea. M'KINLEY A VIRGINIA MASON During the War He Was Initiated Into the Holy Mysteries of the Order
 by the Confederates-Re
 burial of Washington.
MKINLEY A VIRGINIA MASON
BY ARCHIBALD W. BUTT

Washington, November 1S.-(Special.)- There has been some talk among some re- publican politicians ''of the baser sort since the troubles In North and South Caro- lima, of reviving bill, the purpose oi wnlcl to be similar to the force bill It has been stated here that number of republicans are anxious to bring up this bill to pro- tect the rights of the negro voter. l nave not heard any republican Of any standing either in the house or senate, be 1t said to their credit, express any desire to revive the force bill, but there have been some suggestions of some extremists from the down east folk, up there in New England, to this effect
 I was talking to a southern republican senator last night in regard to this. lie said he supposed that some effort would be made to get such a bill before congress but that it would receive the united opposition of the seven republican sena tors in the next congress from the south and border states.
 Would Oppose the Measure
 He quoted as opposed to such a bill Sem ator Flkins and the new republican senator from West Virginia, Senator Yelling ton and Senator-elect McComas from Mary -and, Senator Duboe of Kentucky and the new senator from Delaware and Senator Prltch- ard from North Carolina. These men would oppose such bill he said, because they all knew that 1t would not accomplish what
  bl,a," he said, which created so much trouble in the F'ifty-first congress was the weakest bill ever drawn, and would never have accomplished anything but trouble for those who might have enacted it. Yet 1t was the only bill that stood any show of passing
 He said that those fanatics, as he termed them, who would wish to revive this issue in congress would get no encouragement nor moral support from a single southern unless narpbanpa. if might he Sem ator Deboe and he did not think the Ken- lucky senator would either vote for it or encourage it's revival.
 "A Virginia Mason"
 q am Virginia Mason" the president is quoted as saying to the delegation from Virginia that called on him to invite him to be present at the re-burial obseques of George Washington
 After the surprise which this remark oc- casioned had worn off, the president ex- plained how he happened to become a Vir- ginia Mason. It was in 1865 when his regi- ment was camped in Virginia. He had made many friends, and in due course of the year matters were so arranged that Major Mckinley was admitted to the Ma
 He entered through the chapter at Win chester, the sacred mysteries of the order being revealed to him by confederates and confederates conducting him through the labyrinth or MaSOnlc redSoniuS. Ilc udu di- ways cherished memories of that night in Winchester, as 1t seemed to him. he said, to be the beginning of the union which was to be eliminated later. He might have add ed. which had been eliminated in his own administration.
 He told the delegation. which was headed bv Senator Daniel, that he would promise to be present at the Washington celebra- tion but he would not now promise to make an address. The Virginia Masons are making preparations on most extensive scale for this event. It does not take place until the 14th day of December, 1899.
 Hundred Years Ago
 They propose to conduct the funeral ser vices over Washington, carrying out in de- tail the services which were held over President Washington hundred years ago. The celebration will take place at Mount vernon, and, while it will be national in character. it will be under the management of the Masons of the Old Dominion State. The president was very much interested in the programme as presented to him, and was especially pleased at the idea of re- beating the Masonic burial of the patriot dead.