The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-17


memorable events which cluster
tbout the making of the nations
capital, one other must be added, the
laying Of the corner stone of the Of
flee building for the house of repre-
sentatives, with solemn Masonic cere-
monies this afternoon.
The occasion was made memOra BILE
by the presence of the president of
the United States, and many of his
cabinet; by the supreme court; by the
representatives of foreign govern
ments; by senate and house of rep
| resentatives, and a large proportion
OF Washlngton's population. The day
| was ideal for such an important cere-
| mOny, and without so much as even
| trif1ing delay the immense stone
which occupies the northeast corner
OF the building was placed in posi-
| ton with the ancient ceremonial of
!the Masonic faith.
| President Roosevelt, accompanied by
number of his cabinet, and escorted
by the Office building commission,
Speaker Joseph G. Cannon, Represen-
tative> W. P. Hepburn, of Iowa, and
ex-Representative James D. Richard
son, of Tennessee, arrived compara-
! lively early. When the president
came into view of the immense audi,
ence, a roar of kindly welcome greet
ed him. Immediately after the arriv-
! al of the president, the senate of the
| United States, with Vice President
! Fairbanks at their head, entered the
/ CT nv
a large membership of the house of
| representatives.
On the arrival of the grand lodge
| of MaSOnS of the District of Columbia,
with Walter A. Brown, grand master,
at their head, the ceremony Of laying
| the corner stone began, the United
States Marine Band, with a fanfare
Of trumpets, announcing the hour set
for the exercises.
| The grand chaplain of the grand
lodge prayed for the American peo-
pie and it's present chief executive,
A hermetically sealed copper box
containing an inside copper box with
glass top was then placed in position,
so that the stone would completely
envelop it.
AS the stone was lowered on its
| foundation the marine band played
the intcrmezzo from Cavallaria Rus
ticana The corn, Wine and oil were
then in turn poured upon the stone
by the grand master according to an
cient custom.
| Following these rites the grand
master, Walter A. Brown, delivered
an address.
An instrumental selection followed
and the the president and the speaker
of the house of representatives en-
cred the presidents box. Speaker
Cannon introduced the president
briefly.
1t seemed a minute or more before
the president was permitted to speak.
He was in splendid voice and through
out the address hearty and long
continued applause punctuated- the
telling periods.
The president said:
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
| Over a century ago Washington laid
the corner stone of the capitol in what
was then a little more than a tract of
wooded wilderness here beside the
Potomac. We now find it necessary
to provide by great additional build
/ ingS for the business OF the govern
:: ment This growth in the need for the
housing of the government is but proof
and example of the way in which the
nation has grown and the sphere OF
action of the national governmet has
grown. We now administer the affairs
of nation in which the extraordinary
growth of population has been out
stripped by the growth of wealth and
the growth in complex interests. The
material problems that face us today
are not such as they were in Washing
tons time, but the underlying facts OF
human nature are the same now as
they were then. Under altered externa
form we war with the same tendencies
toward evil that were evident in
Washington's time, and are helped by
the same tendencies FOR good It il
about some OF these that / wish II
say a word today.
In Runyan's Pilgrims Progress yot
may recall the description of the MAR
with the Muck-rake,' the man wht
11.,r5 r>ol- ,,e hut ri will