The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-13
COL. CUNNINGHAM
TO THE MASONS
Address to the Grand
Lodge Last Night.


The Grand Lodge of Masons of North
Carolina, convened last night in Masonic
Hall at half past seven o'clock. for the
117th annual meeting with the following
officers present.
H. l. Clark Grand Master; w. S. Lid
dell. Deputy Grand Master; F. D. Win
ston, Senior Grand Warden: s. NJ. Gattis,
Junior Grand Warden: Leo d. Heartt,
Assistant Treasurer; F. S. Bishop, Acting
Grand Chaplain; B. w. Hatcher. Grand
Lecturer; r. N. Hockett. Senior Grand
Deacon; E. f. Lamb, Junior Grand Dea-
con; F. NJ. Winchester. Grand Marshall;
! w. ]. Roberts Grand Sword Bearer; ]. G..
Syner: Grand Pursuivant, w. B. Mckay:
Grand Steward; r. II. Bradley, Grand
Tyler
Three hundred and seventy-three lodges
in the State were represented, and fully
four hundred Masons were present
mex several shrd shrd etaoi shrdlu mn
Grand Master Clark's report was very
optimistic, outlining the growth and de-
failing the achievements of Masonry in
North Carolina during the year just
closed He referred to the fact that Ma
sonry had grown more during the past
SSdl tudl III any pf6NlUuS yedfs anu dl-
tributed this in no small degree to the
widespread agitation for a Masonic temple
in Raleigh. This movement, he said, had
appealed strongly to business men through
out the State. He also referred feelingly
and tenderly to the death of the Senior
4 Grand Deacon Reed, of Bitmore. Beau
tiful reference was also made to the fact
that Gen. NJ w. Ransom received the
third degree few months ago, having
received the first two before the war.
The Grand Masters report was fe s1w-
ed by the reports Nof Grand Sec
retary John G. Drewry, Assistant Grand
Treasurer, Leo. ID. Heart and
Grand Auditor w. S. Primrose
all the older Masons united in saying
that the attendance last night was the
biggest they he'd ever known for the first
night of a meeting of the Grand Lodge,
and Grand Tyler Bradley has attended
forty annual meetings.
Col. Jno. S. Cunningham. the orator of
the occasion, delivered the annual ad-
dress. the full text of which follows:
COL. CUNNINGHAM's ADDRESS.
Most worshipful grand master and
brethren of the lodge: l greet you to-
night with thankful heart. One may
we'll be thankful that his lot in life has
been cast beneath our sunny skies. where
the flowers are more fragrant, where
the fruits are more delicious and the
sunshine is more glorious than anywhere
else upon this beautiful planet And.
am especially thankful to have lived.
not in the medieval times but in this
present era of material and industrial
progress, distinguished also for it's great
development of benevolence of sympa~
thetic charity. and of the spirit Of human
brotherhood. The forces and influence
which have brought about this progress
and enlightened Christianity are too num-
erous to be enumerated but it is with
great pride that we can trace the growth
and development of organized benevo-
lence, largely to the influence and ex-
ample of our own noble order of Free and
Accepted Masons.
The church, with its holy army OF
martyrs, instituted by divine command
has in every generation sought to per-
form its functions by elevating and en-
nobling mankind. So, also our ancient
and honorable order, whose foundations
were also laid in the distant and dim
past, has through the intervening cen
turies sought to foster human sympathies
and to promote spirit of brotherhood.
When the light Of modern times began
tC break when the effulgence of this
glorious period of enlightenment began
! first to appear above the horizon of hui
man affairs, Masonry, catching the in.
spiration, enlarged its field of usefulness
and became great factor in dissemn0t-
ing and establishing those eternal prin
ciples OF benevolence that impart to man
kind its noblest attributes. When tho
world was rent asunder by religious dis
sensions. and neighbor was separated
frcm neighbor because of some academic
question of faith, our grand old order.
with its broad platform, ignoring those
differences of creed, admitted them all
as co-laborers in the living work of char
ity and benevolence Princes and royal
personages sought its membership and
were indoetrined in the eternal verify
of universal brotherhood. It's influence
permeated courts, softened the severity
of an imperous aristocracy, touched lie
hearts of laymen and united thousands
Of all classes in noble membership. In
troduced into the American colonies. it
found a fruitful soil waiting only the
terminating seed to produce rich hare
vest. From the North to the South it
Iappealed to the sensiblities of the choicest
spirits among the representative men
of America. Washington, the most emf
nent OF the sons of men, in all these
noble qualities of manhood which lift one
high above the level of ordinary human
! ity-was a Mason; and. who can tell
how the precepts OF our order may have
swayed him and steadled him in his great
career and influenced him in his nohlc
actions? BeneyoIence was his ruling mo-
tive, and he ever manifested a sympathy
for the struggling masses OF his fellow