The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-16
ANACONDA NEWS.
WASNOTAMASTER MASON
! That's the Assertion Made About
George Washington
BY CHICAGO PUBLICATION
1t Is an Anti-Masonic Journal That Is
Creating a Sensation by Its
II Story-Centenary Of Wash
ington's Death.
BY CHICAGO PUBLICATION

Members Of the Free and Accepted
Masons throughout Montana, as well
as throughout the entire country, are
+ making preparations to celebrate with
!. appropriate ceremonies December IA.
the centenary of the death of George
6 Washington.
NJ 1t has been generally believed that
Z George Washington was prominent
member of the Masonic fraternity dur
sing his lifetime, and letters written by
him to lodges and his apron and other
insignia have for years been among
the treasures of the order in the United
(, States.
Z In view Of all this an article in the
Forthcoming issue of the Christian
Cynosure, an anti-Masonic Chicago
publication, promises to arouse a storm
bof indignant protest. Sensational in
deed are the assertions of this article,
advance copies of which have been sent
out by William 1. Phillips, who signs
himself general secretary of the Ma
tional Christian association of Chicago.
Briefly the article declares that
Washington was never worshipful
master of any lodge, that the letters
purporting to have been written by
him to lodges are spurious, and that
Washington for the last 80 years Of his
life did not attend lodge, and that it
was distasteful to him to be known as
or addressed as a Mason.
Here are some extracts from the ar
ticle:
Washington was initiated into Mas
onry when a young man, but in his
mature years it was distasteful to him
to be addressed as Mason. and IN
RI q at fla.
clared that he had not been in lodge
of Masons but once or twice in 90
years. He was to all intents and pur-
poses seeding Mason. The late Plus
TX. was also Mason and was expelled
from the Grand Orient after Carr
baldis triumphant entry into Rome. So
were Aaron Burr and Benedict Arnold
good Masons. lived and died as such,
and so also were nearly all the south
ern generals in the war of the rebel
lion, but connecting Washington's
name with Freemasonry now is an in
suit to his memory and every honest
and intelligent Mason knows it.
Governor Ritner, in response to a
communication from the legislature of
Pennsylvania, prepared a vindicat:on
of General Washington from the stig-
ma of adherence to secret societies, in
which he proves from authentic docu-
ments:
1. IIdt 400 washington naQ ceased
regular attendance on the lodge.
w 2. That in 1899. shortly before his
death, his opinions were the same as
30 years before, when 36 years old.
%. That he was never grand mas
ter or master of any particular lodge.
"A. That in 1881. as appears by the
record of King David's lodge. Newport,
r. l., 1t was not agreeable to Wash
ington to be addressed even as a priv
ate Mason.
80. That all letters said to be written
by Washington to lodges are spurious
THE part played by the Masonic fra
ternity at the funeral of Washington
was small and insignificant when COM
pared with the pretensions at the pres
'ent day. They generally make their
greatest and most impressive shows at
the funerals of their fellow Masons:
and If Washington was indeed such a
great Mason as they pretend he was,
why did they not make a great demon
sstration over his remains? 1t is prob
ably because Washington since the
date of laying the corner stone of the
capitol, had come to understand more
clearly the true character of Masonry
and had virtually renowned it,