Live Oak daily Democrat. (Live Oak, Fla.) 190?-190?, 1907-07-05
a SPEECH THAT BEAT pot,r,cs


ana ne made notable and alto.
gether admirable speech Whose
,ensln' We regret, preludes its pub.
ncatiOn in our columns. There va,
a great audience Of the re ,resentatiTe
men ana women Of this section IN
hear him. an audience to make ;
pOhueian's eyes glisten and his
mouth water If he had only been per.
mitted to get at them to exploit his
pONeies and urge his claims for Of
nee But Mr. Adams had nobIer
theme and he led his hearers into
'ne beautiful and solemn mysteries
Oh Masonry so far as the uninitiatad
may be permitted to go. In an ape
OF supreme self-seeking and sordid
selhshness he fixed their attention nm
On the divine, eternal PRINCIPLES Of
an order which is so quietly and
unostentatiOusIy working for the bet
'erment OF mankind in nearly every
community in the land that We al.
most forget its presence and fail to
4
reailze how great and good a force
II Is Such speech on such a theme
was most timely, a lay sermon TO
whose doctrines all good men could
subscribe, 1t drew no party or de-
nominational lines, aroused no pre-
JUDGES, invoked no foul bigot spirit
and appealed only to that fountain of
pure good which We love to believe
is In every human heart, choked and
repressed as it may be in many evil
and sordid natures, but awaiting
only the right touch in even the
worst to send its crystal current of
good thoughts and deeds flowing
through all the avenues of life.
Not all of US are Masons, but what
man is there among US who can't
feel the uplifting influence of these
eloquent words with which Mr..
Adams concluded his address and
subscribe to them with all his heart
both in their letter and their spirit?:
"a Mason's mission in life is that
OF mercy, Is that Of peace. is that OF
reconciliation, and is that of restora-
ton. He, who, by the strong grip
Of the lions paw of the tribe of
judah raises an erring brother from
the slough of sin and dependency
and places his feet upan the firm
foundation Of hope is a Master Ma
son though his password be forgot
ten. That brother, who bends his
energies toward the reconciliation of
estranged MasOns and their families,
and makes friends out Of foes, will
wear a masters jewel in his heart,
whether that heart beats beneath a
tattered shirt or is covered by a royal
robe. That brother, who, by words
Of consolation and deeds of kindness
and compassion, without reward or
the hope thereof. renders smoother
life's rugged way for the struggling
widow and fatherless and penniless
orphan, builds for himself a simple,
true Masonic character that will
stand the test-Whether that test
comes amid the crash of continents,
the wreck of time OF before the
Grand Master of the Universe on the
final day. There are three great
duties which, as a Mason, you are
solemnly bound to inculcate-to God,
your neighbor and yourself. To God
in never mentioning His name but
with that reVerential awe which Is
due from the creature to his creator;
to esteem Him as the chief good ana
to implore His aid in all your laud.
able undertakings. To your neigh
Dor, in acting with him upon the
square, and doing unto him as you
would have him do unto you; and
to yourself by avoiding all irregular
tiles and excuses which would inn
pair your faculties or debase the
high dignity of your profession"