The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-02
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.
Visit d the Supreme Chancellor
Of the World.
PuRssr PATRIOTISM TAUGHT


A0sse nsa 80 Legally -
- Gevera.sss
". W. Blackwell. Of Henderson, KY.
supreme chancellor Of the Knights OF
Pythias Of the world, arrived in the city
yesterday and will remain here for several
dsys ~ the guest Of W. g. Ronald. the
grand chancsllor Of Washington. He -
making an ofIicsal tour Of ali the grand
lodges in the United States and Canada.
and has already travelled over 6o,ooe miles
in waiting thirty-seven grand lodges in
ofdciai session, and. when he has COM
plesed his tour. viii have visited forty-six
Of them. this being the most extended tour
IN his two years in office He - making
this oficiai tour the occasion Of urging
upon the members their duty to pledge
loyalty 70 the government. ccunseiing the
Canadian brethren TO render Ike unswerv-
ing allegiance 90 the government under
which they live. taking for his text the
decision Of the Supreme lodge at Kansas
City last year to allow the use Of no lam
guage but English in the proceedings of
the order. He talked with enthusiasm on
the significance Of this decision in m in
terviev with . Posr-IsrELLisEscER re-
porter yesterday, in which he said:
I'VE have already practically covered
the North American continent, in which
We have about 5000 members, and Ne do
not desire to extend the order at present
10 foreign countries. In fact the Supreme
lodge IL now considering one Of the grand
est questions ever brought before It. the
determination Of which may involve .
decision not 10 extend the order beyond
North America The Supreme lodge IT its
Kansas City session refused by majority
Of one vote to allow the ritual to be pub
lished in any but the English language.
believing that the time has come when
this great American fraternity should
assert its loyalty to the government under
which We live. Americans 10 that of the
United States and Canadians to that Of
Canada aud Great Britain. by requiring
all its adherents to present as evidence Of
their faith the practice and use Of the
language Of the country. A this theory
has grown in the minds and hearts Of the
membership, very strong desire has been
evinced to nationalize and emphasize our
own chosen tongue.
I'VE believe that this country Is the
leader In civilization and that the English
language 10 to be the Language OF civilixa-
ton, and that therefore We should incui.
cate loyalty to this government The
English language has done more. than any
other 70 advance civilization. A hundred
years ago English was spoken by about
$4,000. 600 people, French by about 81.
600. and German by about IS O0O, COO Now
French has advanced to about 60, 600. 600,
German TO about 10, 600 GOO. while English
Is spoken by about 2i0. 0O0. Goo Of the most
active and progressive people on earth.
At that rate, in another century thu
English language will have encompassed
the earth.
ut 10 the greatest misfortune to this
country that the people have been indif
ferent while . handful of foreigners have
been transplantlng anarchism and social
ism and spreading il in spots. and We have
been only laughing ut it II it goes on in
this way the red communism Of France
will soon b Q playthine beside this
enemy. We take the broad ground that q
man 10 not fitted tn b . citizen until he
knows the English language, and is not
intelligent enough to vote in this country
until he can use English. I do not mean
to reflect on Q man who speaks foreign
guages Is good for educational purposes.
but 1t 10 luxury. If an intelligent, in
dustrious foreigner comes to this country
and Is willing to obey its laws We will ex-
tend the right hand Of fellowship to him,
but he must show his loyalty to this gov
eminent by his readiness to learn and use
the language OF the country before he ex-
ercises its privileged
''The same principle applies to the
lodges in Canada They should require
their members to pledge their loyalty to
the government under which they live
and to use the language of the country.
II We extended the order abroad we should
apply the same principle: We should have
French. Italian and German TRANSACTIONS
of the ritual and the proceedings of the
lodges would be carried on in those Lam
guages and the members pledged to show
10y atty to the monarchies or republics they
lived under. Ii 10 question OF expedi-
ency when we shall extend the order to
these non-English- speaking countries. but
l think We should leave it for our children
TO decide. for We have . large enough field
In this continent TO occupy US for the
next loo years before we shall have fully
covered IT, This principle, however. Of
loyalty TO the government and language
OF the country We live in will make the
order universal on . national basis. We
have six edges outside of North America
In the Sandwich islands, but they are COM
osed Of English-speaking people.
my position on this matter has been
misrerresented ty some OF the German
papers. and some opposition has been
stirred up in lodges composed largely of
Germans, but I have gone among them
and explained the idea, and put the oppo-
sition to rou,. put those ideas forw ard
| at the sessions Of the grand lodges of Ne
vsda and California. pointing out to them
the grandeur of not being French Ameri-
cans or German Americans, but simrlv
Americans bound together by loyalty 10
the government of this great nation Of
1900, os) people. and by the use OF one
| language. and they rose as one man and
appJaaded the idea-Frenchmen Germans
| and ALL
The order is in fine condition on the
| Coast generally. II does not present tho
| same activity rs the jurisdictions East.
| probably because Of the severe financial,
/ depression. but the jurisdictions are in
/ good hands and promise n more active
/ movement in the near future"
| Mr.. Blackwell spent yesterday afternoon
/ in meeting the members in this cisy. and
/ last evening addressed a general nleetin >
| OF all the Knights OF Pythias ia Seattle
and vicinity al the Castle hall in the FRYE
/ block. This evening he will be rendered
q banquet at the Northern hotel Av tina