The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-06
ROOSEVELT ON MASONRY.
ADDRESSES SESQUT CENTENNIAL
IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Order-All Men .Equal-GeAuine
Equality In the ge-Washington's
Membershtp-Ideao OF the Government
Realize d in the Lofty Ideas>af Order.

Philadelphia, Nov. 5.-President
Roosevelt was the principal guest to-
day at the sesoui-centennial anniver-
sary celebration by the Grand Lodge
of Free and Accepted Masons Of Penn
sylvania of George Washington's en-
trance into the Masonic fraternity. The
president was also the orator OF the
occasion. He arrived in this city over
the Pennsylvania railroad shortly after
Ii o'clock and was met at the station
Fby Grand Master r. A. Tennis and the
reception committee Of the Grand
lodge. Carriages were in waiting, and
the president was escorted to Masonic
Temple, where the exercises began at
noon. -
The celebration was exclusive, being
limited to one representative from each
subordinate lodge in this state, togeth-
err with members of the Grand lodge
and it's committees. Grand Master
Tennis delivered the address of well
come, Charles A, Gallagher, grand mas
ter of Massachusetts,, responding.
President Roosevelt was then introdue-
ed. He spoke as follows:
No man can be insensible of the hon.
or of addressing body like this on an
occasion like this. / should think that
every man would be a better man for
having been here to-day. / thank you,
indeed, for having given me the chance
of being present. / can speak with q
freedom here that is impossible any,
where else, and with a certainty Of not
being misunderstood. 1t seems to me
that that which this country needs
more than everything else-not to
preach only, but to practice the virtues
we try to realize through Masonry and
to show to the memory of the greatest
Mason that ever lived--Washingto
the homage of deeds, not merely words.
One of the things that attracted me
so greatly to Masonry that hailed the
chance of becoming a Mason, was that
it really did live up to what we, as a
government, are pledged to--of treat
ing each man on his merits and as a
man. When Brother George Washing
ton went into a lodge of this fraternity
he went into the one place in the Unit
ed States where he stood below or
above his fellows, according to their
into the one place in the United States
where the idea Of our government was
realized so far as it is humanely pos
sible for mankind to realize a lofty
ideal. And I know that you will not
only understand me, but sympathize
with me, when say that, great though
my pleasure is in meeting you here as
your guest in this beautiful temple and
in meeting such body of. men as this,
I think my pleasure would be even
greater in going into some little lodge
where I meet the plain, Woodworking
men-men who work with their hands
and meet them on a footing of genuine
equality not false equality, depending
ir-dealing Mason.
Each one Of us naturally is interest
ed especially in life as he sees it from
his own standpoint. Each one Of us
who is worth his salt is trying to do
his share in working out the, problems
that are before all of us now at the
beginning of the twentieth century.
And so does any man in public life
whatever his position be, if he is inter-
ested at heart, he has the desire to do
some kind of substantial service for his
country. He must realize that the in
dispensable prerequisite Of success un-
der our institutions is genuineness in
the spirit of brotherhood. Masonry
should make and must make each man
who conscientiously and understand
ingly takes up his obligations the best
type of American citizenship because
Masonry touches him, his obligations
to his fellows in a practical fashion.
It is a good thing to read the, Declara-
tion.of Independence every Fourth of
July; it is good thing to talk of what
Washington and his fellows did for US.
But what counts most is how we live