The record-union., 1899-06-20
MAsONS AND CATHOLICS.
LAYING CORNER STONE FOR
MoNTANA's CAPITOL.
Father Day Objected TO the Ma
sons Performing the
Ceremony.


Mont:
A sensation was caused here yester-
day when the Rev. Father Day, acting
presumably in behalf Of Bishop Bron-
del Of the Montana Diocese of the Ro-
man Catholic Church, called upon Cow
ernor Smith to present an urgent re-
quest that he recall his invitation to
the Grand Lodge of Masons to take
charge of the ceremonies at the laying
of the cornerstone of the State Capt.
tol building in this city on July 4th
next. The matter is further compli-
Gated by the fact that Grand Master
Pomeroy had already accepted the in
vitation and appointed committees to
assist in the various details Of an elab-
crate program. It is regarded as high
ly probable that Governor Smith will
refuse to recall his invitation, despite
the fact that Father Day declares the
10000 Catholics in the State must fore
go any connection with the affair un-
less he does SO.
The letter presented to Governor
Smith is in part as follows:
The public press informs us that the
State Capitol Commission has invited
the Grand Lodge of Masons Of Mon
tana to officiate at the laying Of the
cornerstone of the State Capitol July
4th- As a citizen of the State, 1 protest
against this action, and claim and
maintain that, in extending this invi-
tation you have violated the common
laws Of justice, fairness and equity,
and have acted against the letter and
the spirit Of our Constitution, and,
therefore, l request that the invitation
be revoked.
1T would be easy to show that the
Masonic Order is not entitled to this
honor on these grounds: Neither on
account of services rendered, for as an
order the MasOnS rendered none, no
matter how many prominent citizens
may belong to it, and no matter how
much they, as individuals, have con-
tributed to the growth and prosperity
Of the State; neither are they qualified
to act on this occasion in consideration
of the number Of their members, for,
though numerous, they constitute only
an insignificant minority Of the popula-
ton Of the State; neither on account
of the impressiveness of their ritual,
since there are other and more numer-
Gus societies in the State that have
equally impressive services in this spe-
cial line.
1T would be easy to prove more at
length the above assertion, and thence
conclude in all fairness, justice and
equity that the Masonic Order should
not be invited to officiate in prefer
ence to other societies.
That the State Capitol Commission
Is a legally constituted commission, cre-
ated by law and acting in the name
Of the law, no one will, or can, deny;
that the said Capitol Commission has
invited the Grand Lodge Of Montana
is a public fact; that, in so doing, it
has, always acting in the name of law,
given preference to said Masonic So
cdety over other societies in the State
is manifest and undeniable. The only
point, then, that remains to be proven
is that the Masonic Order, as an order,
has, is and constitutes a mode Of
worship This Is the case, for the
Masonic Order holds religious princi-
pies and services; its authentic ritual
Is regular concatenation of religious
observances, ceremonies and prayers
addressed to the Supreme Architect OF
the Universe Among the observances
and prayers some are especially adapt
ed to the laying Of corner stones. Very
recently I had the privilege of reading
these prayers, and was informed that
ON the Fourth of July said prayers
were to be recited by the officiating
clergyman, the Grand Chaplain who
was to dedicate the building to the
service of the Supreme Architect of
the Universe This being the case, if
the Masonic Order is not to be con-
sidered as a mode of worship
exclaim with the poet Of old: We have
lost the true meaning of words
Upon the showing made to Governor
Smith by Grand Secretary Hedges that
Masons have participated in every
Capitol dedication in this country, be-
ginning with Grand Master George
Washington, the Governor has declined
to rescind his action.
The affair has created CONSERVATION
and commotion throughout the State
and is engendering no small amount of
bad feeling on both sides.