Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-03-15

bershipis nearly one hundred and fifty
and IS today one of the largest COM
manderieS in the state. Our membership
Is composed of gentlemen representing
nearly every phase of life; here the poor
man and the rich are equal side by side.
! We receive none, knowingly, into our
ranks, but good men and true and of good
| reDute before the world.
The great Rrner stone Of our order is the
| Christian religion. Masonry is not sup
posed to take the place of religion, but Is
intended to make men better, wiser, and
consequently happier. 1t is intended TO
I'LL our hearts with charity and love
/ for all mankind We have vowed, if
called upon, to draw our swords in the de-
Tense of the Christian religion. We here
wage war against the enemies of innocent
maidens, destitute widows, aud helpless
orphans. If we see brother-and all
men are our brethren, bending under the
cause OF adversely, we cannot look idly on.
Our oriier teaches US that truth Is a
divine attribute, the founder of every
virtue. Truth Is "A grand principle of
Heaven, il is wisdom struggling with
error, virtue with vice.
Truth shines by the side of every path
we tread.
With such !uster that he who runs may
read"
There was a period in the history of
nations when the laurel and olive were
emblems of victory, triumph, and peace.
But the advent of the Christian religion
furnished d holier emblem, the revered
and hallowed cross. This is an emblem of
our order. Under the inspiration OF this
emblem, the knights of old conquered, or
died Constantine is said TO have seen in
the sky flaming cross hearing the inscrip-
ton, In hoe sign0 yinces' This noble
Roman saw and believed: he made pro-
fession of his faith; inscribed this symbol
of christianity on the shields OF his sol
diers, and under this cUnquering sign
marched on TO victory. He suppressed
idoitary and set up the cross as he token
of the religion of his empire, and the spirit
of truth went into all the world, even TO
the ends of the earth.
Oar order teaches us that we are immOr-
tai that all are bound on voyage Of
awful length, and
Though lies valley be a vale Of tears,
A brighter scene beyond that vale appears"
Many of the Sir knights and ladies who
are here this evening have attended the
great conclaves of our order and there en-
joyed the hospitality of our traters. 1t
carried is back to the days of romance and
heroic deeds, the famous old days of chlv-
airy; yes, hospitality is a grand character
istic, and no where more displayed than
among Knight Templars
The grand commander of Massachusetts
was once invited TO a banquet; he PROM
ised to be there if they would serve only
potatoes and water. The banquet was
given and potatoes were served in twenty
seven different ways and water In htteen
different courses. | have seen water served
in such a way that it really did not have
the fa--or of water it is wonderful what
an appetizer water is with a straw.
AS we have Just been talking about an
Irish banquet will give yoI the definition
made by an Irishman of our motto, IN
hoe signo vinces." He said that it meant
that knights Templar would put any
thing he had in hoe to have good time.
Mount Oiivet commandery IS largely
made up of young men. But few COM
manderies with the membership OF ours
can boast of so many in the very pride and
strength of manhood. To young men we
look to carry forward this great work; the
older members will soon lay down their
armor. the battle done. But let him not
boast that puts the armor on, as he who
takes it off. You will soon be called TO
fill the place we now fill, to follow IN the
burrows that we till" Let your light
shine before men, and like the unknown
sentinel of PomDeii, who stood at his post
when the city was enveloped in ashes aud
lava which flowed from Mount Nesuvius
more than eighteen hundred years ago,
live so your deeds, like his, will remain AS
the synonym of fidelity and duty. Uphold
the banner of the cross; ever rememb Der
that as long as sin Is IN the world,
as long as man is in discord with nature,
we viii have work to Go.
'Be bold in virtues cause to speak
Yet gentle concor5 never break
Assured that acts OF charity ana benencence
will plead for thee
When time unvalls eternity"
BE bold in doing right but not too bold
But better b. too bold, and Ike Hector the Trojan
Than coward-Iiae turn your back upon the foe.
Sir Knight w. j. Tull responded as fol-
lows:
CHRISTIAN KNIGHTHOOD.
First, as Christian Knight, desire to
tender congratulations to our esteemed
friend, Sir Knight Pratt and his wife Mrs.
Pratt. Long and happy may they live.
When Ole Bull was in this country many
years ago reception was rendered him by
Wendell Phillips in the Academy of Music,
New York, and Ole Bull was to furnish
some of his music. After playing one of
his best pieces drunken man back in the
audience rose up and said: Say, pard, If
you've got her In tune, give US the best
you've got in your shop"
This illustrates that mans education de-
termlneS his estimate of life. Ii he be
trained from his childhood to see only
few of his fellow men, and that few be a
class of no ambition, persons who have no
desire 10 see Ine IlSln8 SpleudOF Oh the
great homes, cities and institutions of
men, will make up his mind that these
higher types of manhood whose advancing
feet are always found treading the frontier
of the worlds thought and industry and
enterprise, are the exceptions to the rules
of a successful life instead of being the
rules themselves.
Also, men whose habits of life and
thought have never brought them in con
tact with any of the higher circles of polite
social life, learn TO think that these circles
belong rather to the exception than 20 the
rule of the worlds useful people.
With knightiy pride and modesty l
this body of Chivalrous men,
in that none of you belong 10 that class
with the man who did not appreciate Ole
Bulls music, nor to that class whose
training has shut them out from the
society of those who have woven this
strange and invisible fabric which we call
the social life OF man, and laid tue toUu-
dations OF the magnificent homes and III .
Stitutions of the world.
When a mere boy I learned to look upon
a Knight Templar as man that had /
been Sometimes around" as the German /
any Dutch here.
The order OF christian kuighthood was 1
instituted to protect and maintain orr holy /
religion: but He whose weary feet once /
pressed these earthly fields mas now 50 far .
gained ascendHncy IN the esteem and adora-
non of the worlds heart that II 5 great .
needs no defense at the service /
IF these unstable swords Of ours, so let IL .
meet and rarJ often on occasions of this .
lind during our brief stay on thess shores,
and thus Fill up these tieetiag Years with .
seasons of christian JOY. aud after while .
We snail all stand together on that sea OF /
glass in that world that IS higher and dis F.
ant and elsewhere.
Sir knight Ed Phillips responded as
follows:
THE LADIES OF MI. oLIvET Coy3IASDEBY. {