The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-17
ANOTHER "PLEA FOR CHAMPION
SHTPU

SHIP"
To THE EDITOR OF THE NEW NORTHWEST;
l ask space in the "Champion's col
umn" of your journal to notice some of
the points made in an article headed "a
Plea for Championship" and signed &c.
E. w." and published in your issue of
March Sd.
Although the writer thereof essays to
give 'a few of the commendable fea-
lures of the C. R. c." 1 hope she will
excuse me if say that 1 think she ex-
hibits more knowledge of the I. o. CT.
than of the Order first named. She, Il
take it for granted that &C. E. W." is
entitled to be designated by this pro-
noun), in speaking of the Order of the
c. R. c., says: "It requifes of all appli-
cants for membership a solemn pledge
of total abstinence, and that they do all
an their pO10er to promote the cause Of
| temperance" and then asks: "What
more could any one do ?" Surely, what
more could they? But that is very
much more than is required of Champi-
ons, and would make the Order what it
is by no means designed to be-a tenn
perance reform Order, like the Order of
Good Templars.
| Now, the fact is that the the temper
ance part of the e. R. G. is no part of
the real work, but only a protective
plank in its platform. 1 will give the
temperance clause of the obligation en-
tire: ~ furthermore promise that,
while a member of this Order, will
| wholly abstain from alcoholic bever-
ages, and will only use them incidentally
when prescribed by a competent physi-
clan. will not knowingly give aid or
influence in the traffic of alcoholic
liquors." This is all there is of it, and,
in the language of &C. f. w, ," "I think
it goes far enough" 1t makes the
Order essentially a temperance organi-
zation, while it leaves temperance re-
form to other societies founded for that
express purpose, which are better cal
culated to work in that direction. In
short, it is union of temperance men
and women for mutual benefit.
The pledge above quoted is only one
of fifteen contained in the four degrees
of the Order, and any one of the others
is of as great, and most of them are of
greater Importance to its members, and
none of them are designed to benefit
persons outside of the Order directly,
though with this, as with other Orders
that teach pure, sound morality, it
must make it's influence felt for good in
proportion to its strength throughout
the community where it exists.
The pledges contained in these de-
grees are similar, believe, to those of
most other beneficial Orders. In addi-
tion to the teachings of morality re-
ferred to, members are obligated to be
true and faithful to their Companions;
to assist and encourage them in all law
full pursuits; to defend them against
slanderous reports; watch over them in
sickness; each to bear his proportion of
the expense incurred in paying to mem
bers, or their widows and orphans such
proper, etc. etc. These obligations are
not merely wordy ornament for rituals,
nor are they matters of form. Their re-
quirements belong, as a right, to every
member who obeys the rules of the
Order, financial and otherwise, just as
much as any article which he may
chance to purchase and pay for with his
own earnings belongs to him.
This, briefly stated, is what conceive
to be the design of the Order of the
Champions of the Red Cross; and it is
no more akin to, and seeks no more to
supply the place of the Good Templars
organization, than does the Independ-
ent Order of Odd Fellows. 1t does not
seek to recruit its ranks from the fallen
of earth, but to strengthen them by re-
ceiving as members the truest and best
: men and women of the land.
G. H. D.
Portland, March 10, 1876.