The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-11-07
ROOSEVELT
ON MASONRY
President Makes a Stirring Address
at Celebration in Phila-
deIphia.
in MEMORY OF WASHINGTON.

Wednesday at sesQui centennial ami
versary celebration by the grand lodge
of the Most Ancient and Honorable
Fraternity of Free and Accepted Ma
sons of Pennsylvania of George WASH
ington's apprenticeship. into the Ma
sonic paternity.
The. president was also the orator
Of the occasion.
The celebration was exclusive, being
limited to one representative from
each subordinate lodge in the state,
together with the members of the
grand lodge and its committees. Grand
Master Tennis delivered the address
of welcome; Charles A. Gallagher, NJ.
W., grand master of Massachusetts.
responding. President Roosevelt was
then introduced. He spoke as fol-
lows:
"Ono of the things that attracted
me so greatly to Masonry that l hail
ed the chance of becoming a Mason,
was that it really did live up to what
we as a government are pledged to do
of treating each man on his merits
and as a man. When Brother George
fraternity he went into the one place
IL; the United States where he stood
below or above his fellows according
to their official position in the lodge.
He went into the one place in the
United States where the idea of our
government was realized as far as it
is humanity possible for mankind to
realize a lofty idea. And / know that
you will not only understand me, but
sympathize with me when ! say that
great though my pleasure is in meet
ing you here as your guest in this
beautiful temple and in meeting such
body of men as this that / am now
addressing, l think my pleasure would
be even greater in going into some
little lodge where l meet the plain
hard working men men who work
with their hands and meet them on
a footing Of genuine equality, not
false equality, depending on each
man to be a decent man.
Each one of US naturally is inter-.
ested, especially in life as he sees IL
of US that is worth his salt is trying
to do his share in working out prob
lens that are before all OF us now ut
the beginning of the twentieth CEN
tury. And so does any man in public
life, whatever his position be if he is
interested at heart, he has the desire
to do some kind of service for his
country He must realize that the in
disrensable prerequisite of success
under our institutions is gcnuineness
in the spirit OF brotherhood Masonry
should make and must make each
man who conscientiously and under
st1ndingly takes up his obligations
the best type of American citizenship
because Masonry teaches him his OBJ
legations to his fellows in a practical
1T is good thing to read the Dec~
laration of Independence every Fourth
OF July; 1t is a good thing to talk OF
what Washington and his fellows did.
for us. But what counts most is how
We live up to the lessons that we read
or that We speak Of. The lesson Of
brotherhood first and foremost is to
learn that lesson with full heart on
the one hand and without a weak
head on the other. The lesson Of
brotherhood - that is the lesson that
has got to be taught and got to be
learned and applied to us as a people
II we are going to solve the great
Industrial and social problems of to-
day. II we could get wage-workers
and employers in any given occupa-
tion or in any given district in a lodge
together. guarantee the result. I
guarantee what win happen. Is not
that true? Do you not think so?
(Cries of yes. yes.) Exactly, and /
will guarantee 1t. II that thing would
happen we would come always into
the lodge each respecting his brother
aud each wanting to do what was good
for his brother: each recognizing
that In our government every man
of us has to be his brothers keeper.
Masonry not only bids up and
teaches us in this direction. but
makes us care for the brethren that
stumble and fall. and for the wives
and the little ones Of those that are
beaten down in the harsh battle of life
OF all things 1t does not teach us to
make believe that there are not any
obstacles, II does not teach us to make
believe that life can somehow be
made soft and easy for everyone; it
cannot be. For many OF us life is go
ing to be very hard. For each of MS
who does anything II is going to have
hard stretches in 1t, otherwise men
would not do anything, II u man
does not meet with difficulties. II he
does not put himself In way where,
he has to overcome hem, he would
not do anything that is worthy of be-
ing done.
Masonry teaches and fosters in the
man the qualities Of self-respect and
self-help; the qualities that make
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