The Mena weekly star., 1921-03-17
Masonry
 Past, Present and Future

rhat Masonry is the oldest frater-
 in existence there is no one to
 .,bt That it has wielded an influ-
 se over men for ages that has
 ,sed them to become broader mind
 none would gainsay. That it has
 lted hand in hand with progress
 d civilization down thru the ages,
 Reading light and knowledge. all ssree This is her past history; it 1snnot be denied.
 Her present IS plainly visible. Il asonrv is now a real, live and ener- et;c body of men who are doing zh;ros. This is shown by the great
 svances made turnout the world,
 ore especially in the United States 4 America. Men in all walks of life ,e becoming more and more inter ssted as the days come and go. Men zave begun to read of the great s.h;evements of the members of the sacient and honorable institution. *hey find that they have always been <s the front line of the battles of life, uaking it possible for man to become 2, ,,d remain free. The men who Banned the greatest Constitution ever %pmed by human beings were #asons. The signers of the greatest 5ecument ever written by mortal man, |8e Declaration of Independence, were Hasons: since that time most of the Presidents of this country have been Hasons.
 When our cause was darkest and Washington was slowly retreating End trying to hold together his rag 1ed. shivering hosts in their ill-built 6uts at Valley Forge, the French rovernment, largely thru the efforts H Grand Master Benjamin Franklin, ecognized our independence and sent as ships under the command of the rreat French Admiral de Grasse, a Raster Mason, whose cooperation on Ebe sea at the battle of Yorktown |ompelled the surrender of Corvallis. Nith them came Lafayette, the kbiyalrous. less than twenty years M age, who left behind a palatial some, wealth, position and his young life. to join in our fight for freedom. Washington made Lafayette a Eajor General. His influence in France brought us much aid. So per 6stently did he advocate our cause hat his friends at the French court |aid. "It was fortunate that Lafay- ette did not take it into his head to #rip the palace of it's furniture for Iis dear America, for the king would lave been unable to refuse him. dasonry is proud to record Lafayette imong it's most devoted members. He |ame across the sea fifty years later p take part in the Masonic ceremony Ii laying the corner stone of Bunker Fill Monument.
 Ninety-three years later our own General, Bro. John ]. Pershing, car sed back across the same sea a Ereath of American roses perfumed rith love and devotion of a great free people. He knelt at the tomb and )lacing that wreath upon the grave aid, Lafayette, we are here" And en thousand years hence history will ecord that we were actually there.
 Masonry is shown in the birth of 'ur flag. John Paul Jones, the then might of the seas, a Master Mason, the first American flag to he breeze over battleship. Its tars were twelve in circle and one D the center, truly a Masonic em- lem. Another early design of the lag was an oblong square. another iasonic emblem. When we remember hat Betsy Ross husband was a Mas er Mason, and that she we'll knew the art Masonry was playing in the war, ve are not surprised at the Masonic rend of her mind in fashioning the tars. When Cuba was struggling or freedom, Masonry answered the all. and so effective was our help and Q much appreciated that the first 'uban flag was made in style and orm of a Masonic apron.
 Then my brethern, let us make the 'ords of our late brother. Theodore ,oosevelt, our slogan: "One flag, he American flag: one language, the of the Declaration of Inde- one loyalty, loyalty to the Imerican people" As Masonry was he chosen vessel to preserve the treat Lights thru the dark ages, it eems that the day is fast approach lg when it will again be called upon D preserve not only the Great Lights, ut to perpetuate the Constitution of hese United States and it's free in- titutions.
 The worlds war has brought us ace to face with this proposition. The uture alone can tell how well we ave preserved the charge entrusted 0 our keeping.
 There are some who would link or ind us to the spreaders of the propa- anda of unrest. the arch enemy of lasonry, with no thought of what the lorrow may bring forth. This would