The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-06


classes represented in Masonry in every
district, but ii is possible for each Of us TO
go out into the world trying 10 apply In his
dealings with his fellows the lessons of
Masonry as they are taught in the lodge
and as they are applied in the brother
hood. And so We can practically learn
from Washington how to deal with the
problems of to-day.
GREAT MEN.
1T was not Washington's genius alone
that made him a great man of all times.
You, worshipful grandmother, here to-day
spoke of the great colossal world figures;
of Alexander, of the career of Hannibal,
the mightiest warrior of the ages; Of Gaze
sar and of Napoleon, each of whom COM
bined In a wonderful degree the capacities
of emperor, ruler and law-giver. Great
men, but twice fortunate the nations that
number no one of them among it's men.
Great men who loom ever larger through
the ages, but well ii is for us that we see
their figures through the mists across the
seas. Great men, but a greater far was
Washington; a greater far was that man
who should have been a Mason-Abraham
Lincoln. Great men, but less great than our
heroes because our heroes really did have
1t in them to prefer their felowmen TO
themselves; to prefer the state to their am
bition, to thir own fancies or real WELL
being because our heroes were heroes for
US primarily and not for themselves.
of US, to do any work that remotely APP
proaches the work done by them But each
of us has his work and accordingly. as in
the aggregate, all of US do or do not do
our several tasks in the spirit in which
Washington and Lincoln did theirs, will
we be judged. Accordingly this Is done
or not done will this Nation succeed or fail
In the century which has opened before us.
Washington and Lincoln-Was hington,
who when he came into lodge of Free and
Accepted Masons came i'm on an exact
wxrffh
chanic or any one else who is in that lodge
Washington, the Virginia country gentle
man, the gentleman of good standing, a
man brought up for work. OF course no
man can be good citizen or do for our
government If ne has not been brought up
for work, but he was brought UP TO work
under broader. easier and softer conditions
than the majority of his fellows. WASH
ington on one side and Lincoln on the other.
Lincoln, the uncouth farmers boy, was
reared in the grinding toll and poverty
who worked with his hands; the man who
never knew what 1t was to walk in the
soft places of the earth and who made his
way up until in our Pantheon his figure
stands beside the dead hero of Mount Ver-
non. Washington and Lincoln; we look
at them in this country alike, We are in
capable of basenesS-that is, If we are good
citizens; incapable of looking down on Lin
coin because of his birth and bringing up.
| We are incapable If we are good citizens
of the almost greater baseness of affecting
w
was well brought up. There are two things
| to be remembered. There is just that much
of temptation before our people. a
temptation that is just as important to be
| overcome and thrust to one side, the temp
| tation to defy improperly the lack of ma
terial being; the lack of success.
SIMPLE LIFE"
"As there is temptation to bow down
| overmuch to success, there is also the
| lack of appreciation. There is little book
that has been recently printed, translated
| from the French, written by an Alsatian
| by the name of Frank Wagner, who, if he
| is not Mason, ought to be. 1t is called
| the Simple Life and 1 wish it could be
| circulated as tract in numerous quar-
| tiers of our country. The writer dwells
especially upon two sides-to the baseness
| of paying overmuch heed to material con-
| siderations. showing what we all of us
recognize in theory or practice, that ii is
| just exactly as undesirable to adopt an
| attitude of hatred toward those who have
succeeded as 1T is to adopt an attitude of
| arrogance toward those who have failed,
| and the fault is the same in each case
| the inability to rise superior to the non
essential or mans career. To fiatter
| and to cringe to the powerful are now
| vices in contradistinction to one another;
| they are the same kind of vice in different
manifestations; the demagogue and the
| courtier. The demagogue who for his own
|
| and the courtier who for his own selfish
! purposes fatters a single individual, are
after all two people who stand on the
| same mean level Of baseness, each accord
| ing TO his light striving to flatter power as
| he fanctes he sees 1T without regard to
| whether he will do good even to those he
| matters. To Halter mob Is to fail to
| realize that each man with whom we must
| deal cannot ever be made a good citizen
by being cursed. but can by being trained
| and elevated. These are the lessons to
| learn from Washington's own career
Washington who fought to make a state
| out of fishers and choppers and plowmen
Washington, who fought for independence
| and put down disorder; who realized that
| 1T could only be prevented from recurring
| by Fighting wrongs that had caused it,
| Washington did his work not only because
| II was given him, but because he possessed
| to a marked degree the qualities that
| every one of us has in him if he chooses
to develop them; because his name was a
| synonym for honesty, courage, common
sense-the three qualities for the lack OF
which no brilliancy, genius can atone
whether in man or in nation.
brethren, perhaps l ought to ask your
pardon for having spoken to you in words
Which suppose partly amount TO SER
mon and partly to a plea for help. My
excuse is that l feel. as 1 am sure every
| of governmental and social conditions
| feels, that we can work out Alright the
| problems that confront us only when men
like you here realize your duties
Our system of government is the best
in the world for a people able to carry il
on. Only the highest type of people car
carry II on. We believe that we can-we
| know that we can, but we can do it only IL
each of us in his dealings with the outside
world carries into them the spirit that
| makes man a good Mason among his
| brother Masons. If each of us strives tc
have the citizenship of our country car
ried on in accordance with the basic prin-
| ciple of Masonry and if each of us shows
| according to his power and influence, The
homage TO Washington's career and life
that, If paid by the man with whom it is
the spirit of the heart, that must bear
| fruit indeed"
Stewart L. Woodford, former minister tc
| Spain, delivered the concluding address.
IN WHITE HOUSE AGAIN.