The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-29
THE KNIGHTS OF HONOR.
SIXTEENTH ANNIvERsARY CELE-
BRATIoN YESTERDAY.
Thousands of People Attend, Contrib
ute to Suffering Humanity and Enjoy
Themseives--A Number OF Addresses
Speech OF Mr.. Nicholas Williams.


The Knights OF Honor anniversary and
picnic yesterday, at the East End Dummy
line Park, was the event Of the present
picnic season.
II is estimated that between 1000 and
5000 people were in attendance, at some
time between noon yesterday and last mid
night, the duration OF the affair
BY dnt OF great energy among the
knights and tho irresistible appeal to uni
versal sympathy Of the great charity to
which the gross proceeds go, over 1000
tickets were sold in advance Many others
were sold at the gate, and thus, consider
ing the fact that ladies required no tickets,
is the monster crowd accounted for. Then,
too, the event took place at u park the
mere name OF which was synonymous with
beauty, excellent accommodations and
general attractiveness. II Is not COM
pleted as yet, the management having con-
siruction work discontinued yesterday for
the benefit OF the knights aud their guests.
Tho pavilion, however, is nearly finished,
is pretty and commodious structure, we'll
arranged for dancing purposes Ii was
utilized by the throng almost without in
teruption, from $50 o'clock pm. until
midnight, when the affair was terminated.
Dancing, in fact. was the program after the
close of the speeches.
Speaking OF addresses. there were num-
Der OF fine ones out there, all OF which had
their foundation upon the order under
whose auspices the picnicwasglven. During
the afternoon Messrs. Nicholas William \,
Barney Hughes, b. X. Pullen and Judge l..
ii, Estes entertained and instructed q large
and cultivated audience. At night Capt.
J. Harvey Mathes spoke for about twenty
minutes. All the efforts were OF high
order OF merit, that Of Mr.. Williams, who
was orator OF the day, being especially
well received. II was as follows
Mr.. wILLiAMs's SPEECH.
In the history OF mankind Il often hap.
pens that unexpected and mighty results
follow small aud doubtful beginnings.
This il truo In governmental, in politics, ia
private life, and Il Is ominently true in
benevolent orders The year 1873 will long
be remembered as one Of peculiar trial,
especially 10 citizens Of our own country.
A financial crisis OF great stfingcncy sud-
denly met men without warning aud With
out apology. lie coming was unheralded
by any disturbance, its presence
was unlocked for by any city. be-
meath it's blighting blasts private for
tunes were rumbled, and under It's
shadow public enterprises were abandoned.
There was scarcely a home Il did not enter
nor a banking house IL did not disturb.
The everglades OF Florida suffered In com
/, mon with the chilly nights OF iar-oh Colo
:, 10. MANY who believed II causrlcss
'na'i attempted 10 reason II out OF their
hsce- were destroyed In their feeble resist
4iO 20, and II required the strong arm Of the
Government 20 save the Nation from ire
tricvable ruin. And COR months and years
after It's severity was hut recollection, u
left moral dcsolation such ~ few countries
had ever known. Confidence was almost
utterly oblitemted, and suspicion scanned
with restless vision the words aud deeds Of
men.
such n time was unpropitious for new
ventures in business, and Tor any expondi-
lures beyond the requirements oinecessity.
Aud yet the very emergency made mon
think Of the provisions they were planning
for the future. Tho WEAKNESS Of the
winlry struggle created anew the hope Of
reviving spring. In June Of that year, IN
the State OF Kentucky, aud under her
laws. was organlEed the order known as
the Knights OF Honor. But few at ntfi
embarked In the enterprise. whilo the
many shook their heads with prophecies Of
failure. Its objects then, ~ now were tho
promotion Of maternity among men,
and the securing TO those depead-
cnt upon the membership OF u
small Insurance upon the lives OF
all within iis ranks Tho mistake was
made that the order was but simply an.
other seeker of insurance. For The ac-
complishment Of the first Of these pur-
poses Il appealed directly 10 the better
nature OF our race. To secure the second
II adopted the mutual system OF Insurance.
= based upon assessments. Ailerward 10
founders wisely determined that Il mus
be national organization.
In lis appeal 10 men Il has never beer
disappointed, and year by year has socr
IT, power increase and IL blessings cntol
every State In the Union. And Il Is no
too much 20 aay that there IS scarce
hamlet In this broad land whore iis prom
iscs have been uniulhllc'l
The sowing 81 tho seed In weakness
and doubt has been followed by colder
harvest far surprising the widest dream
OF it, most visionary advocates. Hut, a
ever happens 10 new candidates for popu
lar favor. Us early pathway was hedge,
about with thorns. IL was confidently la
quircd "Aro there not alcady cnougl
insurance companies 10 fully occupy thl
held7 What need can exist ior morc3'
Companies, whose strength was waning
looked With great dsiavor upon the un
tried advcnturcr. should the Goliath o
many summers, Drowned with the sun o
combat, and strong in accumulated Ia
come, should he Yield TO the unknown
Dayid7 In tracing H. history we find tina
Without a war upon Others, tho answe
was made that. II Insurance Ia old ofgani
xailons were a sacred duty OF every hu,
baud AID father, IL was yet morn his dat
20 connect himself with the new order
Then came TIE kind advice 10 adopt COZ
tain Ilans OF business. which was declined
Next followed the prophecy that the orle
could not endure, aud the knights q
Honor have lived TO sadly attend the n
nerals Of many Of the prophets
The order h1s for H. foundation st0n
the boundon obligation u every man {
provide. a. Ear as possible. Tor those de
pendent upon him. and that this rcsuI
should be achieved ID the smallest 0utla
consistent with entire security. II cam
10 accomplish an cnd In which nearly a
other organizations had failed, and i
here 10 stay, modest In prosperity aud uf
dismayed by tie shock OF battle. Il CON
binos sontimentand business should me
insure their hvosf
II We wore sure Of living twenty {,
thirty years there would. pefhaps, !
force In the statement somcumes mac