The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1904-06-28
OIcKERsoN MASONRY.
Address Delivered on st. Johns Day
by Judge J. e Diekerson.


at ArThore last Friday night, Judge
Dickerson being presented made the
following remarks:
This is delightful gathering and
can give most commendlble reason
for its presence here. a public install
lation of officers in great fraternity.
Institutions and organizations frater.
nal In their nature have como and gone
in nameless thousands. but this insti.
tuition, this Organization, has never
even been retarded in its magnificent
growth, this, the father of all like or.
ganizatious. While | am not well up
on masonry, nor well up in masonry.
yet | do know some of the features
that make masonry great. No man
was ever made a mason by initiation
in masonic lodge All the forms and
obligations that might be taken by
him can not nor will not make him a
mason, If he was not at heart before
mason in the true and highest sense
OF the word Masonry can not, does
not try, nor could not il II did tr
take a narrow minded man with no
conception of his duty to his neigh
bor his friend or his God. and make
of such one mason. Masonry is
In the hearts Of men, and its organi.
zation only helps to gather such
Gods noblemen within her shrines as
nave masonic dispositions and hearts
Putting on a soldiers uniform. at.
tending dress parade, keeping proper
time to step, does not make a soldier.
I ne true soldier is born within. He
who is aable when the time comes to
stand in the front of battle and not
gaver in the sight and sound of fire
and shell, he only is worthy of the
name of soldier Such men can no
be made by drill. Such men Will come
to the front in the tame, Of need, re-
gardless of uniform or their ability
to keep time by step.
For ages masonry has gathered to
gether the best of the sons of men.
and she asks nothing better than that
you observe now they walk; You nev
er heard a mason defend the order
against attack. Why not? Like virtue
she needs no defense. You never
heard a mason, when presented with
a petition for some kindly offering
for some object of charity, ask, is the
party needing the charity a mason
or the wife or daughter Of masOn?'
Why not? Because he has the EN-.
blems within of the broad love OF
humanity that asks but one question
"Is the party wCrthy?" You never
heard masCn who saw his neighbol
sick, poor afflicted. lying bv the way
side. you never heard of such "a one
turning the unfortunate victim over
and hunting for some badge or token
cf the masonic order VIII? Because
he was a mason at heart long before
he ever took an obligation in this
fraternal order. II not so, 1e never
would have found his way hitheI; he
never would have sought the compHny
OF such as these, All, we do not flain
all the good within our ranks. Char
| ity. hcpe, love abounds within The hu
man heart. Love of men, fova Of Go,
| Is the characteristic of the hNarts o
linen What | mean to express IS thai
II is not the initiation into masCnrl
that makes strong men, but 1t is the
accumulation of this most blessed
class of men that makes strong fra
ternities. Joining the church dcee no
make a Christian, but the accumula
tion of large bodies of men who tov'
to worship the lowly Nazarene make
a strong Christian church. You mus
be a Christian, you must be soldier
you must be a mason, and that with
out regard to any obligation, pledg
or initiation,
And now a suggestion aS to frater
nal objects. how beautiful the though
Whatever else you may do by proxy
or wherever else you may feel lik
sending a substitute, never, never, ne'
er send substitute to perform you
acts OF charity or of mercy | kno'
how hard 1t is some time to sacrific
personal ease and pleasure and shar
with those more unfortunate, thei
sorrow and misfortune, But | kno'
what we gain by doing so. Pardon
personal illustration, for | am sur
il will find a counterpart in the e'
pcrience OF every mason here | n
member one day having trayele
nearly forty miles ever a rough roa'
facing chilly South win md ha'
ing arrived at home just IL time fo