The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-28
Declares Against SaIOOnkeepers
and Gamblers in the Order.
HIGHER KNIGHTHOOD.
1t is in the Interests of Morality
and Respectability.
Those Using the German Ritual
Strongly Denounced

WAsHNGTON, Aug. 2S.-Preparatlons
for the grand parade Of the uniform
rank engrossed the attention OF the
Pythians today. Many thousand visitors
were attracted TO the tented camp by the
exhibition drills Of several divisions
The conclave of the supreme lodge
was called to order by Supreme Chancel-
lor W. w. Blackwell IN Builders Ex-
change hall at 1O. Great secrecy was OBJ
served and the entrances We're carefully
guarded. The supreme officers wore
Grape badges on their arms as a token Of
respect to the late Past Supreme Chan
cellur Shaw Of Wisconsin.
The roll call was answered by dele
gates from nearly every state and terri
tory. Supreme Chancellor Blackwell
and Supreme Keeper Of the Record and
Seal r. l. White, read their biennial
pnrts.
Chancellor TsIackweII's Report
The report Of the supreme chancellor.
tx. of r., will attract wide attention both
inside and outside the order, and espec-
tally for the vigorous manner in which
he deals with questions arising from
what he terms an organized rebellion Of
certain persons who have persisted IN
publis hing and using a German transIa-
tion of the ritual, despite the refusal Of
the supreme lodge 10 permit such trans
lations. He gives the following as the
statistics Of mem bershIp according to un-
official reports to July /, 1894:
"Grand lodges a: subordinate lodges
6.262; total number of membership
46J, al, a net increase Of u, ,O25 members
during the past two years. The imam
cial condition is most satisfactory. The
order universal is in most prosperous
condition, and the times are propitious
for a much greater increase during the
next two years than ever before in our
history.
mo small amount of friction has been
II two va.
growing out Of the action Of the Kansas
CIty session. dIss0Iving all cortneclion
heretofore nOminally recognized as ex-
isting between the Pythian sisters and
the supreme lodge, and thereby bringing
this Institution under the ban of pro-
scriptiOn through the adoption of new
ritual. / am Of the opinion We are bound
to lift the ban. This can be done by
special edict making a exception so far
as the operation Of the law NAV effect
them and letting il stand to all other
organizations"
Under the head of @the German ques-
tion,1 the supreme chancellor says: You
are confronted with an open defiant ele-
ment Of malcOntents. who, having viO-
lated every principle of honor by having
taken the law in their own hands and
translated the ritual, now have the hardi-
hood to come before you, reekIng with
treason from head to foot, and under the
gulse of loyalty ask YOU to grant them
something they already have.
The time has come when America
should be Amerlcanized, and how hard
il may be temporarily, the successful
accom- plishment thereof viii be worth
all it may cost I have urged upon our
German brothers the necessity OF losing
their identity - foreigners by adopting
the English language, becoming in fact
American citizens, a. they all profess to
be. and of elm. mating from their names
and societies tile prefix or German Amer
7o -rafra IL
the unenviable distinction Of being for
eiguers at ALL
why should anv fully recognized
citizen Of this country desire to be
cla-sed as foreigner Of any kind. when
the designation brings to him certain
element Of doubtful responsibility com
pared with thai OF simple American citi-
zenship.'
"Who are the foreigners of this coun-
try, az generally accepted by every body?
A GER ain disreputable scum from Eu-
rope that have been dumped IN upon US
during the past twenty years. headed by
anarchIsm. mahaism, socialism, hood
lumism, dead beatism and u thousand
other 'isms, that are being secretly cul-
tivated to the disadvantage OF our cOun-
try's interests.
Il have been accused OF chasing our
German brothers with the above. but in
Stead have said TO them: 4 want to help
you lift yourselves out Of such an unen-
dorse the English language, practice
what you endorse.
Some years ago this body granted
permission to the grand lodges to locally
legislate a. they might desire upon the
saloon element question, and the eligi-
bility Of owners and tenders thereof to
membership Under this permission
several grand lodges since have declared
saloon keepers aud bar tenders ineIigi-
BILE upon the ground Of their business
engagement having strong tendency to
cultivate immortality, lawlessness and
other disreputable habits contradic-
tory TO the teachings Of our order
"If il the wish oil the supreme
lodge to experiment when permission
was granted grand lodges to locally test
this question, I am glad to report the ex-
pertinent most satisfactory. In fact, 50
strongly am convinced that the step
is one in the interest OF law, order NOR
ality. responsibility. better citizenship
aud higher knighthood that l am con
strained to conclude that the time has
come when we, as a great fraternity
should put aside policy, expediency or
any other question of doubt that may
stand IN the way and declare ourselves
the leaders of reform by manfully facing
this important question and declaring
that no saloon keeper, bar tender or pro-