The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-04
CAPITAL LEADS
MASONIC CITIES
Most Presidents Have Been Mem
bers of Fraternity-Fair-
banks Rises Fast.
Bv w. w, Jermane,

Washington, April both Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Vice President Fair
banks went into masonry after they
had been elected to the office of vice
president. Colonel Roosevelt was
elected to that office in November, 1900,
and before the winter was over he had |
become member of Matinecock lodge,
been elected to receive the degrees in
the Royal Arch chapter, but has never
taken them, because of the pressure OF |,
public business. He might take these
degrees during his summer vacations at
Oyster Bay, but this would now attract
SO much attention as to embarrass him
and the chapter at that place, and so
he has decided to wait until after his
term as president has expired and he is
once more private citizen.
Mr.. Fairbanks took the symbolic blue
lodge degrees at Indianapolis, under dis
pensation from the grand master Of In
diana, during the holiday recess last
year, the three degrees being conferred
in one day. He has since taken the
chapter degrees, also under dispensation,
and in one day. 1t is said to be his
the remaining degrees Of the York rite,
ending with that Of Knight Templar,
and then to take the Scottish Rite de-
grees, up to and including the thirty
second. He will thus be shown all the
mysteries of the order far ahead of the
man whose place in the White House
he is so anxious to fill after 1908.
Presidents as Masons.
1t is rather a noteworthy fact that
the majority of presidents Of the
United States, from Washington to
Roosevelt, have been 1Ae5lbers of the
Masonic fraternity: In tie later years
the best known Of these are Garfield,
Harrison and Mckinley, with Roose-
welt. Garfield was Knight Templar
and held his membership in all the
York rite bodies in this city. He was
charter member Of q Washington blue
lodge and remained on its rolls until
his death. Mckinley was also Knight
Templar, but his membership was in
Ohio.
Only one president was avowedly
anti asonic: John Quincy Adams
came into the presidency during the
Morgan excitement and he talked and
wrote against the order with all his
might for many years. His distin-
guished father, John Adams, however,
was an enthusiastic Mason and was
buried with Masonic honors. Andrew
Jackson was at one time grand master
of the grand lodge of Tennessee.
Masons in Congress.
An informal poll was made of the
two houses of congress few years ago
by a Washington Mason, and it was
discovered that more than 81 per cent
of the members of the house were in
the order, and more than 80 per cent
of the members Of the senate.
The city of Washington is 'proba'
bly, the strongest Masonic city, in the
world. The District of Columbia has
a population of 27S,0OO, and after dc.
ducting $4,000 negroes, there are left
$4,000 people from whom to draw upon
grand lodge of this city shows there
are upward of 5000 affiliated Masons
here, belonging to twenty-seven blue
I lodges There are fourteen Royal
Arch chapters, and five commentaries
Of Knights Templars. In, addition tx
this, Washington is the headquarters
of the Scottish Rite Of the southern
Jurisdiction. to which Minnesota ant
other northwestern states belong, ane
on that account the Scottish Ritz
bodies here are also strong.
Earnest efforts have been made b,
local lodges to have the president visi
them, but without avail. He feels h
could not accept one invitation with
out accepting others, and to accept al
| would DC luCOuVeuleuG. LII LIDS Uco1
made an honorary member of two o
the local blue lodges.
Vice President Fairbanks has alread
visited several of the local lodges, an
these visits probably will be continue
during the remainder Of his term a
vice president. Altho Mr.. Fairbank
- would not make visits of this sort t
further his candidacy for the pres
dency, it is obvious that, by Frequent
being seen in Washington Masoni
bodies, he would bring himself to- tn
\ attention of influential voters fro
& nearly all the states. Thousands {
a men living in Washington, employed
d the various departments, go home
vote once in two years. Most of thes
men are members of Washington lodge
e But there is no politics in Masonr
and men whom the vice president migl
meet in this fraternal way might O
pose him for the presidency. This
understands and accepts as proper.