The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-04-17

s0e EVENING SIAV8SMAN
lar, and then to take the Scottish Rite
degrees, up to and including the thirty
second. He will thus be shown ali 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 noteworthy fact that
the majority of presidents Of the Unit
ed States, from Washington to Roose
welt, nave been members Of the Mason
&c fraternity. In the later years the
best known of these are Garfield, Har-
rison and Mckinley, with Roosevelt.
| Garfield was a Knight Templar and
held his membership in all the York
rites bodies in this city. He was a
charter member of Washington blue
lodge and remained on it's rolls until
his death. Mckinley was also a
knight Templar, but his membership
was in Ohio.
Only one president was avowedly
| anti-Masonic. John Quincy Adams
| came into the presidency during the
Morgan excitement and he talked ana
| wrote against the order with all his
| might for many years. His dis
tinguished father, John Adams, how
ever, was an enthusiastic Mason and
was buried with Masonic honors. An
drew Jackson was at one time grand
master of the grand lodge of Tennes-
see.
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 probably
the strongest Masonic city in the
world. The District of Columbia has
population of 27s,0OO, and after de-
Quoting $4,000 negroes, there are left
$4,000 people from whom to draw
upon for Masonic purposes. The
register of the grand lodge of this city
shows there are upward of 5000 afhliat-
ed Masons here, belonging to twenty
seven blue lodges. There are fourteen
Royal Arcn chapters, and five COM
addition to this, Washington is the
headquarters of the Scottish Rite of
the southern jurisdiction, to which
Minnesota and other northwestern
states belong, and on that account the
Scottish Rite bodies here are also
strong.
Earnest efforts have been made by
local lodges to have the president visit
them, but without avail. He feels he
could not accept one invitation WITH
out accepting others, and to accept all
would be announcement. He has been
made an honorary member of two Of
the local blue lodges.
Vice President Fairbanks has already
visited several of the local lodges, and
these visits probably will be continued
during the remainder of his term as
vice president. Although Mr.. Fair
banks would not make visits of this
sort to further his candidacy for the
presidency. it is obvious that, by fire.
ouently being seen in Washington Ma
sonic bodies, he would bring himself
to the attention of influential voters
from nearly all the states. Thousands
of men living in Washington, en-
pIoyed in the various departments, go
nome to vote once in two years. Most
of these men are members of wash
| ington lodges.
But there is no politics in Masonry,
and men whom the vice rpseident
might meet in this fraternal way might
| oppose MIN for the presidency. rms
he understands and accepts as proper.
81 reckon Bill must have been cut
cut for one O. these geniuses that
writes for the magazines" said the
old Georgia farmer, because he can't
make cash enough to have his hair cut,
and would ruther watch star than dig
u WE'LL"