Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-04-21
A GRAND CEREMONY
LAYING CORNERSTONE At The
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
President Roosevelt Took Prominent
Part as Well as Leading Citizens Of
the Nation-Presidents Speech Very
Impressive-Masonio Fraternity Act
i've Participants.

assemblage, with the president Of the
United States taking a prominent part,
with the supreme court and the senate,
the house and diplomatic corps as
spectators, and before a large con-
course of people, the cornerstone Of
the Office building for the representa-
tives was laid with impressive cere-
monies Saturday afternoon. The ad-
dress of the day was made by the
president. who spoke on The Man
With the Muck Rake"
Today, with impressive ceremonial,
the cornerstone of the largest Office
building In the world solemnly devoted
to the primary purposes of legislation
and the comfort of its Legislators, was
laid with the Masonic fraternity as the
active participants, assisted by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, who, like Presidents
Washington and Fillmore, is a Mason,
and who. following immemorial Gus
tom, delivered the principal address.
In commemoration of today's event,
the Masonic fraternity of the District
of Columbia had been ordered into
line. and with the grand lodge of Ma
sons, escorted by the several comman-
deries of Knights Templars marched
to the building. In the northeast sec
ton Of the building, according to Ma
sonic usage, the cornerstone was plac-
ed. Work on that section had been
held back pending the ceremonies, but
the construction of the outer part of
the rest of the edifce has progressed
up to the second story. Previous to
the ceremonies a copper box two and
a half feet long and Is inches wide was
placed in the stone in the presence of
the grand treasurer of the grand
lodge The box contains many rare
, and unusual articles, together with
the coins Of the United States and the
series of postage stamps now in use.
Unlike other boxes used for similar
occasions, this box. which was made
by one of the employees of the capitol,
has a series of small compartments ar
ranged. so that envelopes containing
the articles many stand uprisn, in
stead of lying fiat, as has been the
custom heretofore. This box was her
r metically sealed and in position when
e ancient ceremony of placing the cor
q nerstone in position.
The building dedicated will be clas-
y sic in design. 1t suggests in general
z division. the Garde Heuble, on the
Place de la Concorde, in Paris, while
4 the rayi.i0ns are modelled on those of
: the COlOnna de Louvre. Nrch.tectur
:. ally, the front is divided into two
parts. the lower corresponding TO the
first story of the building. constitute
ing "a rusticated" base, on which, ex
tending through the second and third
c stories. is the colonnade surmounted
by its entablature and balustre. Some
!. idea of its size is given by the follow
Il ing frontages.
On b street, 476 feet; on New Jer
g sey avenue, 47O feet; on First street
z 452 feet. and c street, 34S feet, making
a total frontage of 1740 feet, or ap
proximately one-third of mile. The
building will contain 410 rooms fol
l. members, together with multiplicity
n of caucus rooms audience rooms. post
l. office, restaurant and other features Of
= a modern office building in any large
l. city. The long unbroken cornice OF
S the building leading up naturally tC
; the capitol building and thence to the
v great dome, the browning and domin
t ating unit in the group of building:
e now on Capitol plaza, are calculated
S by it's designers to conduce to the de
l. sired effect of the making the capito
building more imposing and effective
Address by President.
l. mo good whatever will come from
l. he warped and mock morality which
r denounces the misdeeds of men o.
y wealth and forgets the misdeeds prac
e ticed at their expense; which de
l. nounces bribery, but blinds itself tC
r blackmail; which foams with rage if &
corporation secures favors by improp
s er methods and merely leers with hid
e eous mirth if the corporation is itsel
wronged
The only public servant who car
be trusted honestly to protect tn,
c rights of the public against the mis-
s deeds of a corporation is that public
1 man who will just as surely protect
h the corporation itself from wrongful
e aggression. II a public man is willing
i 10 yield to popular clamor and dc
l. wrong to the men of wealth or t
e rich corporations, it may be set dowr
e rs certain thai if the opportunlO
n comes he will secretly and furtively dc
wrong to the public in the interest o.
a corporation. But in addition to hon
esty we need sanity. No honesty viii
S make a public man useful if that mar
G is timid or foolish, if he is a hothead
b ed zealot or an impracticable vision
e airy. AS we strive for reform we fine
d that it is not all merely the case Of
J. 4 long uphill pull. On the contrary
there is almost as much Of breechine
work as of collar work; to depend on
" on traces means that there will
n soon be a runaway and an upset.
The men OF wealth who today are
; trying to prevent the regulation ant
A control of their business in the inter
est of the public by proper govern
4 ment authorities will not succeed, il
= my Judgment. in checking the progress
of the movement. But if they did sue
coed they would find that they haC
sown the wind and would surely real
4 the whirlwind for they would ultimate
n ly provoke the violent excuses which
/ accompany a reform coming by con