Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-02
KNIGHTS OF HONOR.
A Plea 10 the Ladies' for Lodge
Attendance.

The following is the substance OF
the remarks made by Past Dictator
5. s. Garrett at the tenth anniversary
of the Knights of Honor at Estival
Park June 20:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The few moments allotted to me ]
shall consume in an attempt to make d
special plea to the ladies. and know that
If | had the powered oratory to convince
you Of the necessity Of your cooperation
iStt.sS;.s4lss llEsse no fear as to the result.
fully inderse the truth Of the sentiment;
The hand that rocks thecradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
We married men know how 1t is our
selves.
There are six lodges of the Knights OF
Honor in this city, with an. aggregate
membership of 400 in round numbers.
l think 1 hazard nothing in saying that
! the average attendance at the lodge
rooms will not exceed six per cent of
the membership, and some Of the mem
bers have not been present since
the night on which they were initiated.
And even of this small attendance those
who do the drudgery, so to speak, are few
faithful souls who have been in the hRr-
ness from the beginning. Lodge work is
absolutely necessary-the business of the
Order must be transacted. New members
must be added to keep new blood in the
Order, the sick must be visited and as
sisted, the dead must be buried, and the
benefciaries paid the 5000 in accordance
with our contract Did you ever reflect,
ladies, that all this is almost entirely fer
your
Think of the 10000 noble men of this
Order who are daily denying themselves
little personal comforts, in order that they
may by paying their dues and assessments
leave behind the means to enable you to
battle successfully for your maintenance
when they have passed from this stage Of
action.
Well, ladies, when we attempt TO reason
with these do-nothiug brothers, about
their duty and the obligations they have
taken, they very often excuse themselves
by saying, "Oh, my wife objects 10 me
going out at nights, and therefore, can
not attend" The same old story Of Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden; THE
woman that Thou gavest me, ETC., etc.
| appeal to you ladies, celebrated as
you are as being the tairest of your sex,
never mind applauding, | am going to
say the same to the ladies of Tullahoma
on the Fourth of july, l appeal to you
in behalf of your own interest as well as
the interest of the Order; to aid us in
breaking down this great barrier to the
advancement of this Order, say to your
husband; MY dear, much as l value
your society at home in the evening after
your days toll, realize that l ought to
be willing to make some sacrifice in order
to aid ami encourage those who are so I'M
toiling for the benefits ofso many
of my sex. John, 90 to the lodge this
evening and encourage your brothers by
your presence; don't make long speech
under the head of the good of the Order
and be sure, John, to be at
home by half-past ten.p This
he can nearly always do, unless he
has to stop at the drug store for bottle of
Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup. You
can surely stand this absence ofyour lords
one or two evenings in the month, which
Is as often as majority Of the lodges
meet.
A moment ago l appealed to you
L
the dearest portion of Gods creation.
This is especially true since it takes
sixteen yards of material to make your
dresses-and an old bachelor says there
has been contraction" lately and it
takes less than formerly. Well, if there
has been contraction" in the amount of
material required, we are sure there has
been a corresponding or greater 'expan-
SION in cost which makes you "dearer
still What does an old
bachelor know about ladies
dresses? We venture to say moth
ing, and they never will, unless some of
you fair ladies should take advantage of
leap year and propose to them; and right
here let me beg that you resolutely refuse
to have anything to say to them, or at
least to say yes, until they promise to join
the Knights of Honor, and see to it, ladies,
that they keep. the promise before the
honeymoon has passed.
A wag being asked why he loved the
women, said: Because my mother was a
woman" He might have studied a long
time and not given better answer.
Motherl What hallowed associations
cluster around the blessed name-our
lullaby songs-how they lin
ger in our memories
Ladies, when the kindly ministrations
Of those noble Knights of Honor has lain
in his last resting place in the city of the
dead the loved companion who, hand in
hand with you, is now journeying down
the decliyity of life's pathway, and when
the clouds Of the valley shall rest upon
the breast of him who is now your pro-
lection and supporter, you will realize
that in aiding this noble brotherhood in its
of mercy you have blessed
not only yourself and your little ones
but thousands Of others who have been
cheered and sustained in like manner.
Is the sacrifice too great2 May God
help you to see the necessity of your
influence in this behalf. and we shall bless
you as we see the harvest of your plant
ing in the increased interest and increased
attendance at our lodge rooms.
thank you for your attention.