Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-04-15
(By Associated Press \

NAofilNI Jun, ID. u, April IA
To the many memorable events which
cluster about the making of the ma
t'on'S capitol one other must be add
CT, the laying of the corner stone of
the office building for the House OF
Representatives. with solemn Mason.
tc ceremonies this afternoon.
- The occasion was made notable nv
1he presence of tile President of the
United States and many of his cab.
met; by the Supreme Court; by the
representatives OF foreign govern.
ments and by the Senate and the
Rouse and large proportion CT
Waslingtons population.
The day was ideal for such an i'm.
portant ceremony and without so
much as trifling delay the immense
stone which occupies the northeast
corner of the building was placed IN
position with the ancient ceremonial
rites OF the Masonic faith
\. j. rssldent Arrives. III,
President Roosevelt atcompanIed
by number of his cabinet and es.
corted by the office building commits.
sion--Speaker Cannon, Representa-.
tive w. p. Hepburn of Iowa. and cx-
Representative James D. Richardson,
or Tennessee. arrived comparatively
early. When the President came into
view OF tn" immense audience, a roar
OF kindly welcome greeted him. I'm.
lnedlateiy after the arrival of the
PRESIDENT the Senate of The United
States. with Eice-Presidcnt Fairbanks
at their head. entered the stnd re-
served for them. followed by a large
proonrtion of the membership of the
House of Representatives.
On the arrival Of the grand lodge
cf Masons of the District of Colum.
bia. with Walter a. Brown. grand
master. at their head. theceremony 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 people
and their present CHIEF executive.
Corn. Wine and Oil Used.
Dramatically sealed copper box.
containing and inside copper box
with glass top was then placed In 20.
sition SO that the stone would COIL
pletely envelop It. AS the stone was
lowered on It's foundation the Marine
band played the Intermezzo from Cav.
alleria Rusticana The corn. wine
and oil were then In turn poured
upon the stone by the grand master.
according to ancient custom.
Following these rites the grand
master, Walter A. Brown, delivered
an address.
An instrumental selection follow.
ed and then the President and the
speaker of the House of Representa-.
tives entered the Presidents box
Speaker Cannon introduced the Presi.
dent briefly.
Cheers Greet the President.
1t seemed minute or more before
the President was permitted to speak.
tle was in splendid voice and through
out the address hearty and long con.
tinued applause punctuated the tell
Ing periods.
The President said
Over a century ago Washington laid
the corner stone of the Capitol in
what was then little more than tract
of wooded wilderness here besides the
Potomac. We now find 1t necessary
to provide by great additional build
ment. This growth in the need for
the housing of the Government is but
a proof and example of the way IN
which the nation has grown and the
sphere of action of the National Gov.
eminent has grown.
We now administer the affairs of
nation in which the extraordinary
growth of population has been out
stripped by tho growth of wealth and
the growth in complex interests. The
material problems that face us today
are not SO much as they we're In Wash
ington's. time, but the underlying
facts of human nature are the same
now as'they were then. Under altered
external form we war with the same
tendencies toward evil that we're EVIL
dent In Washinston's time, and arc