Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-12-21

ask the favor of the audience not TO
tell it, And II l should happen TO say
anything to please overlook it. All. ii
Is easy to speak OF Masonry because
one canot overlook Il. One does not
have 10 clip his wings In flight. He
can soar and soar aloft I'll power is
gone and air no more To bear him IN.
and yet It's still the truth The sim.
pie truth to tell Is The Mason's great.
est eulogy. The greatest order? Yes.
in many ways. and that's enough
What more can man or angel want
than greatness beyond the great? BY
what authority? BY the greatest OF
all authorities-common consent One
that the order accepts the Bible, that
great book in its fullness and with a
fidelity which Is surpassed only by the
Christian church itself The detailed
unfolding of the scriptures may be
seen in its symbals Its greatness
may also be seen in its age which
many trace back to King solomon. a
thousand years before Christ. 1t has
great point OF greatness is the fact
two stages in its great history. The
first stage is that which is called op-
erative Masonry. when the Masons
were actual laborers in the stone
quarry and on the walls Secret or
ganlzations of skilled operative Mas
ons were formed In the middle ages
with their signs and passwords for
self-protection. The skilled crafts.
men moved from place to place and
assisted in the building OF the great
cathedrals and ahbies OF the ages
which remain to this day the wonders
OF the world in architecture and which
like Masonry itself, have never been
surpassed or even approached. There
was such society of actual Masons
and builders in England In the seven
teenth century They We're labor
union of the highest order. Modern
Masonry is what is called speculative.
not operative, II is found in the quar-.
ry and upon the wall only in the fig
nrative sense. working toward that
temple not made with hands eternal
IN the heavens. Modern Masonry
marks the second stage and dates
from the year 1Il7 when the four
lodges then existing In London were
formed into a grand lodge Masonry
is still building as of old. but building
in larger and broader sense in al.
most all the walks OF life among
which is the building OF character.
which is one of the greatest buildings
in the list of human wants.
THAT Free Masonry is the wisest
order in the world can be very cas-.
lily proven. because 1t traces It's orr
gin back to the wisest man. or Mason
ry has descended from the wiscst man
in the world. King Solomon was the
wisest man. The reason why he was
the wisest man was probably because
he had so many wives To advise him.
But, however that may be. his 700
wives must have had something TO do
with his wisdom or his wisdom some.
hing to do vita his wives do not
think that any Mason since that time
has been able to improve upon Solo
mons record-that is, do not think
that any subsequent Mason has been
rs wise as he. He had 700 wives.
wives | do not know"
MI heeSe salu III part
When speaker attempts to ad.
dress an audience on an occasion like
this. the audience is entitled to his
very best thoughts on the subject he
selects. In my talk this evening II
may be that | will reveal all the sec.
rets of Free Masonry and II any of
you discover those secrets from what
| 90 t,Ia
selves as it would forever disgrace the
craft If the one whom they have select
ed rs Master should betray those val
liable secrets that have been so close
ly guarded through the ages. How
ever. | will tell you where you can
find every secret and doctrine of Free
Masonry. They are all contained In
the Bible. We teach no doctrine and
conceal no secret that Is not found
within that Holy Book.
we, as Free and Accepted Masons
claim 10 trace our origin back. al
least. to the building Of King Solo
mons Temple at Jerusalem. 1t Is,
therefore, fitting on occasions like this
to refer briefly to the principal events
that history informs us transpired
about that time. shall not attempt
TO detail the historical events which
preceded the building of the first TEN
pie and of necessity, for reasons
known TO every Mason, must omit
many of the important events connect
ed with the erection and finishing OF
that building
We read in sacred writ. that when
Hiram. king of Tyre. sent a message
OF congratulation TO Solomon on his
accession to the throne, that King Sol
omon returned a message 10 Hiram in
which he told him of his Intention TO
build a house unto the name of the
Lord. that David had not been able
to build the house during his reign
on account of the many wars during
that period, but that now. when uni
yersal peace reigned, he. Solomon,
contemplated carrying out what had
been the intention and desire of Day.
Id. King Solomon also iold Hiram
in this message that as there were
among the men of Tyre more and bet
ter skilled artisans and workmen than
were among the men under Solomon
ha desired that Hiram aand anna nf