Masonry Lives In Its Patrons.

MASONRY LIVES IN ITS PATRONS .

Address of Bro . W . D . Todd , Most Worshipful Grand Master , at the Lay in a of the Corner-Stone of the , New Masonic Temple , in Denver , Colorado , StJi April 1889 .

MEN and brethren here assembled , be it known to you that we are lawful Masons , true aud faithfnl to the laws ot our country , and engaged by solemn obligation to erect magnificent buildings to be serviceable to the

brethren and mankind , and to fear God , tho Great Architect of the Universe . We have among ns , concealed from the eyes of others , secrets wo do not divulge ; bnt these secrets are lawful and honourable , and not repugnant

to the laws of God or man . They were entrusted , in peace and honour , to tho Masons of ancient times , and , having been faithfully transmitted to us , it is our duty to convey them to the latest posterity .

In the morning light of sunshine men forget the long hours of preceding darkness and the small beginnings that lead to complete fruition . Wo see here to-day not merely the sturdy labour of a few weeks or months , but the foresight ,

the patience and the waiting of many years . The Fraternity to-day could not erect tho stately edifice destined to grace this corner had there not a generation ago been men equally zealous , who made it possible by laying the

foundation for the fund which you are now expending . Most of those brethren have gone to their eternal reward . They sowed and we reap . They laid a corner-stone which we may well recall on this pleasant occasion , for Masonry loves

to be true aud give unto every man his just dues , without distinction . The foundation stone of this temple was laid down deep in the ground many years ago , and it has been our privilege to perfect the work thus modestly begun .

Our ceremony to-day is but brief , but not too brief to deprive us of a kindly thought for tho services of our pioneers and those who followed on , fostering and caring for the ultimate end , through a long series of yeais .

It is not necessary to more than allude to tbe foundation of a Fraternity whose origin is more or less nncertain , but as to whose antiquity there is no division of opinion ; nor to the ceremonies with which you are familiar . But

among our customs , which have come to be recognised as well beyond as within our precincts , none is more general than that the corner-stone of important public buildings should be laid by the Fraternity of Ancient , Free and

Accepted Masons , and according to their time-honoured ceremonies ; and if this is desirable in public buildings , it is still more so in edifices to be devoted to Masonic purposes as this is to be .

But , my brethren , it is not of tbe character of Masonry as an operative art , or its ceremonies as they appear to the uninitiated , that I shall briefly address you , but in its speculative character . We do not now attempt the

erection of buildings such as King Solomon ' s Temple , whose practical workmanship , architectural skill and effects , as seen through the long vista of ages which have rolled by , has never been excelled or even approximately equalled

but an attempt to emulate the character of the Grand Master , whose temple is not made with hands , eternal in the heavens . So that as we can no longer as a Craft lay claim to operative workmanship , our reputation must be

established on a speculative foundation . This magnificent building , with no architectural superior in our beautiful city , and not many if any in our great conntry , and which will stand as a monument to the character and liberality of

the Masonic Fraternity in Denver when we now present shall have so long smouldered into dust that the living shall have never heard onr names , is after all a mere mass of brick and stone , differing only from other buildings in various details of material and arrangement .

But Masonry , as it is now practised , is moral and not physical . While it is true that the great temple erected by our ancient brethren has long since passed into tho elements or been bnried deep in the rubbish of ages , and

its very existence , perhaps , to the cynical , a mere myth of history , not so with its builders , for though dead they still survive as then . Our ancient Grand Masters still

livelive in the love and veneration of the thousands upon thousands of their brothers , scattered all over the habitable globe , and not only do they live now , but will continue to live until time shall be no more . Nor is Masonry kept alive by mere empty forms and

Masonry Lives In Its Patrons.

ceremonies , or by such exercises as we have hold to-day , nor by the work that is done within our tyled Lodges ; if that were true the mould would long since have been heaped over its grave ; it would long since have taken

place amongst the forgotten orders and societies of the past . While it is quite unnecessary to attempt to trace our Masonic antiquity or to feel that our existence in any degree depends upon the truth or fiction of its origin , yet

we do know that this is the oldest living organisation , and that its members are yearly increasing . Then , if that much bo true , which is unquestionable , there must be some reason for it , aud that reason is its inner character .

Tho world at largo can see its public ceremonies , can read its public rituals , can seo its members in their daily walks of life , but Masonry , as it is , is reserved for you , my

worth . Its effects the world sees ; its causes they can

only surmise . Now , my brethren , if this corner-stone has been successfully laid , not merely as a trifling part of a material

structure , but if its moral application has touched tbe hearts of the Masonic Fraternity of Denver , the future of

Masonry here will exhibit it , and I will be proud of the humble part I have had in these ceremonies . Perfection is not earthly , has never been attained by man , and we do

not protend to claim impossibilities for ourselves or Masonry , but if wo continually strive to make each day bettor than the next preceding , we shall come as near perfection as men or organisations ever reach .

A few words to you , my brethren of Denver , who are building the magnificent temple dedicated io Masonry . The higher our pretensions the more scrutinising the public examination , and therefore the greater the necessity

of conduct in the daily walks of life that shall be above just criticism , that the cause we represent may not suffer . Strive to keep in mind that the Masonic character should be in keeping with this temple—broad , generous and towering upwards . Let it not be said that hearts and

hands are less ready to be stretched forth to a needy brothei

than when our home was more humble and less pretentious . Never forget that it is the giver in this brief walk of life who most enjoys gifts bestowed and kindly acts performed , provided he bo influenced by love and not by display .

Remember , too , that as you preserve tho high character of Masonry , you elevate the community in which you live , and so unconsciously become better citizens , and * by example and influence elevate the standard of general

society . Remember , again , that although you are but an infinitesimal part of the great brotherhood , existing in every clime and speaking every tongue , who appreciate

and honour the proud title of Master Mason , yet every part of every machine , however humble , influences and affects the character of the whole , and is essential to its universal harmony .

But I have already gone beyond the limit which I fixed . To you , my brethren of Dnver , and especially my brethren of the Board of Trustees of the Masonic Temple Association , I tender my congratulations , and I feel that I am

authorised to say as much from every citizen of our city . Your proposed temple will not only be a credit and source of pride to yourselves , but to all our citizens as well . Colorado is almost a wonderland . It does nothing by

halves , and your temple will lose nothing by comparison with those of the few most important ones in the United States ; and yet our yonng State has just entered her teens .

I will close by expressing the hope that , as you will receive the commendation of my successor , when your labours on this temple are completed , so may you win by

equal zeal in the moral work before you the commendation of the Grand Master of all , " Well done , thou good and faithful servant . "—Voice of Masonry .

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brtthren , and that which is not seen by men is that to which Masonry owes its present and future existence . Masonry is the character of its members , and this the world sees , quietly measures and understands at its true