The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-07-08

cause every Mason is. and must De,
free born Masonry stands for Tree
dom, but freedom as distinguished
from license. the freedom 20 eN-
ercise ones own will. Judgment and
conscience without any cOmpulsion
but regulated by the wholesome re-
straint OF law. IL was this tenet
Of our order which attracted So
many OF our early revolutionary and
colonial heroes and brought into Oul
ranks and made defenders of our
principles. just as they were d.
Tenders OF our liberties. such illustri
Gus men as Washington, Franklin,
I Lafayette. Henry Clay. Jefferson
Hamilton. Patrick Henry. Madison
Monroe and most Of the signers Oi
the Declaration of Independence and
/ officers OF the Revolutionary war
Education also stands for IN, edOm
fir edom of thought. freedom of will
jefferson. that great apOstl" OF
freedom. and also one OF the wise ST
educators this country has ever
produced. said. IF a nation expects
10 be- ignorant and free. in "A state
Of civilization, il expects what v
er was and never will be No surcl
foundation can be divised for the
preservation of freedom and happi-
ness Preach a crusade against ig-
norance. educate and inform the
whole mass OF the p aOple
There is no greater bondage than
that OF ignorance Its snackles
hold mankind bound in narrow lin
iiatiOns. No galley slave. chain
ed TO his oars. was ever closer held
TO his slayish task than the ignor-
ant man, by his lack OF knOwl dge.
This building then, when completed.
viii stand for Intellectual freedom.
aud IL is Appropriate that a flag. the
emblem of liberty should float over
II. and hope that there may be
TWO provided one the flag OF Nir-
ginia and the other that OF our COM
mon country.
To the teacher is entrusted the
noble work OF shaping and fashion
ing human temples out of our boys
and our girls. making them the fit
dwelling places for the immortal
spirit of man. just as SOlomOn's TEN
pie was made costly and beautiful
10 be the fit dwelling place of the
Shekina.
Forgetting this. and ignoring the
TACT that the material with which
the teacher works is the precious.
plastic material of childhood. We too
OFTEN are willing to entrust our
children at the tender ages when
impressions are most easily and last
lngly produced and habits formed
TO teachers will little preparation.
no experience and destitute Of
training.
We employ only trained lawyers
10 plead our cause in court or to
defend our criminals, because JUS
lice. being blind, might permit her
scales 10 be unevenly balanced, and
We nigh, he deprived of some ma
terra, benefit. or have some liberty
curtailed; We demand trained ply
sicians 10 administer to our physical
llls,because without their knowledge
and skill pain and suffering may
be Increased and human life be less
secure; we refuse license to the min
lister until he has taken a prescrib-
ed theological training, because
otherwise his teaching may not be
orthodox. The druggist who pre-
pares the medicine We take. the
dentist who. extracts our teeth. the
veterinarian who doctors our horses
and cattle, even the undertaken who
Duries our bodies, must be men with
special training, skilled in the art
and learned in their respective call
lngs before they can be permitted to
follow them. or we will give them
our patronage
And yet, we. who insist on these
requirements in the vocations men
toned. more by common consent
ranking above that of teachers, are
willing to accept for the important
and responsible work of fashiOning,
in large measure, the lives of our
boys and girls. and determining their
future characters, some young, in
experienced, unframed, irresponsible
and Outlines frivolous girl of IS,
or a crude young man of awkward
manner and limited knowledge and
experience, who has a future in
some other profession the
ology. medicine or politics-before
his ambitious minds eye. and de-
sires to be helped along toward his
desired goal, advancing at their ex-
pense
took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day,
And as my fingers pressed it still.
1t moved and yielded to my will.
I came again when days were past;
The bit of clay was hard at last,
The form ! gave il still it bore,
But could change that form no
more.
took piece of living clay,
And gently formed il, day by day,
And nodded it with power and art;
A young childs soft, and yielding
heart
came again when years were gone;
lie was man ! looked upon:
lie still that early impress wore.
And ] could change him nevermore.
How important then, that the one
whose duty ii is to fashion this
human clay shall be learned in her
profession and trained and skilled in
her art,
l congratulate this community AM
the State upon the establishment
here of this institution of learning
which In the future will perform a
large and Invaluable service to the
Commonwealth. Its value cannot lie
estimated In money. II will mani
fest itself in the increased efficiency
OF our citizenship.
The trained men in every line of
work is In demand today. II is the
man or woman who can do some
thing better than someone else who
is sought after.
In these remarks l mean no re-
Election on the teachers. j. is not
their fault II is because we are
unwilling to pay the price which will
Justify them to train themselves for
their work and which will enable