The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-05-30
all point to organization as means to
Il

forcih,e illustration of this fact, refer |
you to tie history Of mobs, riots and |
inSurrections, they have always been
suppressed and put down by q compare |
lively small numper of regularly organ
lied troops. Hence we find that when |
ever men have an object or idea in view, !
which they desire 10 carry out, the first |
step towards accomplishing it is to or
ganize for the work The great pol IT,
cal parties of our country, the powerful
and numerous ecclesiastical dpnomi1a-
tions, and the mighty railroad corpora
.ions, are worthy and notable examples
of this fact. No politician would think
of engaging in a great political contest
without an organization, no church
would survive without it, and none of
our many business corporations could
exist and thrive in any other way. Or
ganzation in all these is the vital part
of tlieir being, and the more thorough
and complete it is the greater the vital
ity. ! thought it but proper to direct
your attention to the Importance and
necessity of organization, in general
way, as justification for secret societ-
les when they avail themselves of it.
But, says some one, don't object to
societies or organizations, IL they are
open and public, and not secret-it is
only the secret societies that object to
Strange as it may appear there are,
nevertheless. a considerable number of
such persons. Let us glance at the force
of this objection. 1t is true that secret
| societies have their secret work and
mysteries, and their binding obligations;
but these things are of the very highest
Importance in creating and cementing
the ties of friendship and brotherhood
| by which their members are associated
| together, and have none of the imprO-
prieties and wrongs which their Oppos-
ers seem to Imagine.
The mysteries and obligations of se-
cret societies, but exempify and impress
in most glowing and sublime manner
| the grand principles and lofty duties to
which their members owe allegiance.
| There Is always peculiar charm about
secret, a strong natural desire to faith
ON it And is it wrong to keep harm
less secret? Has not every man, wo
man and even child some secret hidden
in the breast, which it would not be
pleasant nor profitable to divulge ? Are
you not satisfied that there are such
things as family secrets, church secrets.
political secrets and secrets in the null
tfarious departments of human society?
They are inevitable! 1t is unnecessary
to enlarge upon this subject, and we
will now proceed to consider the origin,
principles and mission OF the grand and
influential Z" Order of the Knights of
Pythias." of which we profess to be,
aud l trust are, worthy representatives.
| You will rlease bear in mind that the
subject is a comprehensive one, and will
require great brevity IF expression to
4 briDg it within the scope of single lee
ture. TO do it full justice would rather
require volumes. ......
The origin of the Order dates back
nearly 1900 years, or about 400 years
B. G.. The sublime incident which gave
it birth occurred about that time in the
city of Syracuse, in which Damon and
Pythias we're the principal actors. =
DIonysius, the elder, justly recorded in
history as the Tyrant of Syracuse, y
was supreme ruler of the city at thai
time. The pages of history bear wit
ness of the fact, among other acts, thai
he caused an immense cave, $50 feet II
length, to be constructed in rock, IL
the form of a human ear, by, which al
the sounds from within were directed Il
common centre which communicated
TO an adjoining apartment, where III
spent the greater part of his time TO heal
whatever might be said by those whom
his suspicicns bad cruelty confined il
| a a1N -
duced one of the finest achievements II
the Science of Acoustics, 1t also por-
trayed one of the most cruel acts o
which human nature Is capable. Ant
to crown his cruelty, he caused ever!
one of the artists who made 1t to he pu
to deatL, lest they should reveal the de
sign of its construction. ......
Fer some cause, Dionysius, the Ty
rant, became offended at Damon h
was seized and incarcerated in a dun
geOn, and, without hearing, sentences
, to die. The time and place OF the exc
. cution were fixed, and, as time is eve
, fleetng and unrelentless in her course
SO the last Of Damon's days was rapid
! ly drawing nigh. He was HUSBAND
and father, and q man OF high mora
virtues and acute seusibilitleS. ii
! longed, as such a nature and characte
| only can long, to see his wife and littl
. ones once more, to clasp them to hi
: breast and say the final adieu, befor
S that cruel death to which hs was doom
7 ed should forever Intervene. His FAM
. ly was many miles distant from him
0 he kumbiy implored the King to gran
S him this as his last request; but hi
5 appeals were in vain, tho iron.hearte
/, tyrant looked upon him without a sym
!, pathetic tear. Damon pledged hlmSel
in the most solemn manner that b
= would return In time for the execution
: The tyrant would not trust himi bu
d finally made the severe proposition I
: Damon, which in his tyranical heart b
}, conceived impossible for him TO meet
Il that he might go, il he would get and
i ther person to take his place In the dun
n geon as hostage, to die In his place
y he did not himself return in time. III
J. friend, The noble and gallant Pythia'
. 10 suo1,r heard the proposition titan b
+ lIastonad to The dun 5eou, aud freel
Q offered himself 10 take bis perIloE
}, place. ie did not wait for Damon