Page 12 - MFM Aug Sept 2019

Why, take again our morning newspaper, two items of that service, they have discharged their obligation and
in it, one of them telling that Montana has become the done their bit. Now I do not feel that way about the little
third State among States in the Union in the production military service I had as a young man. I feel that because
of wheat, and the fourth State in the production of fl ax. of that service, there has been placed on me an additional
Why, when this Worshipful Brother of ours became a obligation. There has been placed on me the obligation of
member of the Masonic Fraternity in Montana, there being true to the things for which I off ered myself at one
was no farm industry here, there was no industry here time, and for which all of those who have given military
except the beginning of the great mining industry, which service in time of war have off ered themselves.
has also place us in the front rank among the States of
the Union. All of the growth and development in a Now in the same way, Masons who have taken upon
material way has taken place in the period of his Masonic themselves the obligations of Masonry, have taken upon
membership, but a that time, this being the 64th meeting themselves additional obligations as citizens of the United
of our Grand Lodge, at the time of the forming of our fi rst Satesm, and when our Grand Master called so eloquently
Grand Lodge, and at the time when this distinguished the attention of this Grand Lodge to the place of Masonry
and honored Brother of ours became a Mason, there in citizenship, he brought distinctly forth the value and
had been established one thing in this commonwealth, the necessity of Masonic education. Masonic education -
a thing of more importantance perhaps than anything why, the other day I was with the Public Lands Committee
which has teken place since, and which was founded by of the House of Representatives up in the Northern Lakes
the Masonic Fraternity, and that was the idea of orderly of Minnesota, doing work that had been assigned to the
government, respect for law, the establishment of that Committee by legislation that had been introduced, and
form of government under American institutions which I got a telegra asking me to come to this Grand Lodge,
guarantees not only orderly procedure of government, stating that it was the desire of the Grand Master of
but also that the individual citizn shall have what Lincoln this Jurisdiction, to discuss the nececesity of Masonic
was pleased to call an equal chance. That was established education, and it came to me as a privilege. I was more
along with the coming of the Masonic Fraternity into this than glad to recieve the opportunity of talking to the
State. So it is always when Masons meet together. It is Grand Lodge on that particular subject, because it is
always an inspiration to us to look back into the past and the subject closet to my heart with regard to Masonry. I
see what the glorious history of our Order has been, and to cannot broach the subject without quoting again, as I have
see how closely it fi ts in with the growth and development quoted many times, this statement from the father of our
of our State. country, a great Mason, when he says: “In proportion as
the structure of government gives force to public opinion,
Then I have another thought this morning, because it it is essential that public opinion be informed.” That gives
has come to me since fi ve years ago I had the privilege us a reason for our educational system in the United
of addressing the Grand Lodge meeting in Billings. Every States. It gives uas as Masons reason for the educational
day, or almost every day, while I am attending to my duties work that we are going among our membership, in order
as a member of Congress, I enter the Capitol Building, that our membership may see more clearly, understand
passing a place that is marked with a bronze tablet it is more perfectly, and thereby be better enabled to put into
the most convenient entrance to the Captitol, but because practice the things which make the American Government
I get an inspiration from it. It is an inspiration because sate so far as its existence is concerned.
it says beneath that bronze tablet, on September 18,
1793, the corner-stone of that Capitol was laid by Brother The educational work, must be continued, because if it
George Washington. How? With Masonic ceremonies. I should stop, it would lessen the information, the clarity
like to go past that place and like to remember the part of vision, and thereby, the ability to put into action on the
that Masonry had, not only in the founding of my own part of one of the greatest, if not the greates, bodies of
State of Montana, but in the founding of our nation, and men in the United States of America, their ability being
I like to follow down how it was that the idea of Masonry, reduced to put clearly and defi nitely into practice the tings
the idea of the square deal, where we meet on the level which we must continue and practice here, if this country
and where we deal with each other in the common of ours is to endure. We don’t agree in politics. We never
brotherhood of man and common fatherhood of God, how discuss politics on the fl oor of our Lodge. We have various
all those things were built and written into the fi rst forms beliefs in regard to those things. We do not all belong to
of the Government of the United States. the same church. We have diff erent view points as we
look to our duties to our God, from the standpoint of the
Now that places on all of an obligation as Masons. I have organization to which we belong. We have diff erent view
heard men - I am glad it has been on few occasions, but points with regard to practically everything that presents
sorry I have heard it at all - men who have served their itself to us as a question of our citizenship. We diff er in
country in the time of war express the idea that because some degree at least, but there is one thing upon which we
Montana Freemason Page 12 Aug/Sept 2019 Volume 95 No .6