The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-06
ROOSEVELT SPEAKS TO
 GRAND LODGE MASONS
Principal Guest and Speaker at the Annual Celebration of George Washingtons Apprenticeship Into the MasOns.
 Speaks Highly ofthe Order and Principles

Philadelphia, November 5.-President Roosevelt was the principal guest today at the sesqui-eentennial annual celebra- lion by the grand lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free Masons of Pennsylvania of George Washington's apprenticeship into the Ma sonic fraternity. The President was also the orator of the occasion. He arrived In this city over the Pennsylvania railroad shortly after Il o'clock and was met at the station by Grandmaster E. 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, together with the members of the grand lodge and It's committees. Grandmaster Tennis de- livered the address of welcome, Charles A. Gallagher, M W. grandmaster Of Massachusetts. responding. President Roosevelt was then introduced. He spoke as follows:
 Presidents Speech.
 'eNo man can be insensible of the honor of addresesing a body like this, on an occasion like this. I should think that ev- ery man would be a better man for hay Ing been here today. I thank you, indeed for having given me the chance of being here today I thank you, Indeed for hav- Ing given me the chance of being here today. I thank you again for having given me the chance of being present. l can sneak with a freedom here that 1t is im- rossfble anywhere else and with cer- tainty of not being misunderstoou. IL seems to me that that which this country needs more than everything else IS not only to preach, but to practice the Vlr- tues we try to realize through Masonry fnd to show to the memory of the great tst Mason that ever lived, Washington The homage of deeds, not merely words' One of the things that attracted me so greatly to Masonry, that l hailed the chance of becoming a Mason, was that 1t really did live up to what we' as government, are pledged to-of treating each man on his merits and as man. When Brother George went into lodge of fraternity, he went into the one place In the United States, where he stood pe- low or above his fellows according to the official position in the lodge. He went into the one place m the Unlteo States where the idea of our government was realized as far as could be possible for mankind to realize lofty ideal. Ana I know that you will not only under stand me, but sympathize with me- when I 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 that I am now ad- dressing, I think my pleasure would DO even greater in going into some little lodge where I meet the plain, hard working men-men who work with their hands, and meet them on a footing of genuine equality, not false equality, but depending on each man to be decent man, and fair-dealing Mason.
 Each Doing His Share.
 "Each one of us naturally, is inter- ested especially in life as he sees it from his own standpoint. Each one of us that 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 twen- tieth century. And so does any man in public life, whatever his position be. If he Is interested at heart he has the de- sire to do some kind of substantial ser vice for his country. Masonry should make and must make each man who con- scientiously and understandingly takes up his obligations the best type of Amer lean citizenship because Masonry teaches his obligations to his fellows in prac- tical fashion. It is good thing to read the Declaration of Independence every Fourth of July. It 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. Lessons 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 brotherhool that is the lesson that has got to be taught and got to be learned and applied to us as a people if we are to solve the greater industrial and social problems oI the day. If we could get wage-workers and employees in any given occupation or in any given district in a lodge to- gether, I guarantee the result. I guar antee what will happen. Is not that true? Do you not think so7 C''Cries of Yes, yes.") Exactly, and I will guar antee It.
 All Should Be Brothers.
 If that thing could happen we would come always into the lodge, each repre- senting his brother and 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 keep CT. Masonry not only bids us and teaches us in this direction, but makes us care for the brethren that stumble and fall, and for the wives and little ones of those who are beaten down in the harsh battle of life. Of all things. it does not teach us to make believe that there are not any obstacles; 1t does not teach us to make believe that life can somehow be made soft and easy for every one; they cannot be. For many of us. life is noth- Ing but very hard Each one of us, who does anything, is going to have hard stretches in 1t; otherwise men would do anything If a man does not meet with dificulties if he does not put himself in a way where he has to overcome them, he would not do anything that is worthy of being done.
 Masonry teaches and fosters more than the qualities of self-respect and self-he1p; the qualities that make a man fit to stand by himself. and yet 1t must forestall every one who appreciates as it should be appreciated the beautiful and solemn ritual it must foster in him a genuine feeling for the rights of others Nend for the feelings of others Masons heIp one another In a way that Is free from that curse of self condemnation Help given in a spirit of arrogance does not benefit any one. Help must be given rationally with a feeling of cordial good will Now in our life of today-in our great complex industrial centers, what do we need most? We need most to un- derstand each others point of view. To understand that the other man at the bottom is like himself. Each of us should understand that and try to approach the subject at issue or any problem that