The herald., 1894-09-07
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.
THE MOOTED GERMAN QUESTION
SETTLED.
Hereafter the Use of the English Ritual
Will Be Imperative in This
Country-Liquor Deal
ora Ineligible.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6.-The much
mootsd German question was decided
by the supreme lodge of the Knights OF
Pythias today by decisive vote against
permitting the use Of the ritual in other
than the English language. Two votes
were taken. The first, on substituting
the minority report to give German
lodges Ave years OF grace in which to
adopt the English ritual, resulted "a to
Al against the minority report. Then
the majority report was adopted by g
vote Of 70 to So.
The giet OF the majority report is
found in the following recommends
ton:
THAT The supreme lodge reannounce
and affirm the declaration made at the
Kansas City session, and that hence
forth and forevermere the ritual used in
this and all other English.speaking
nations be printed in the English lon.
guage only, and that when the standard
Of our order shall be planted in any
country speaking other than the English
language, the ritual therein used shall
be printed, and all concerns over which
the body has control, shall be conducted
only in the language of such govern
ment, to the end that 1t may be known
to all men and all nations that surround
our affairs, that the Pythian knights are
taught, as one of the cardinal principles
of our order, undying loyalty and devo-
ton to the government to which they
owe their allegiance, whether it be the
land OF their birth or the country of
their adoption"
1t also commended the supreme chan
cellor for his action in upholdi1g the
law in this matter, and was signed by
four members OF the committes-Stan-
ton L. Carter, Thomas d. Msars, L. P.
Hunt and Aaron Myers.
John III. Pusse of Indiana was the
author OF the majority report, which
recommended that the loGges which
have remained loyal to the supreme
lodge and were working with rituals in
another language when the last ritual
was promulgated, be furnished with rit-
uals in the language they were previ-
ously using for period of five years.
after which they would surrender them
and use only the English.
Three hours' debate was had. The
principal speech for the minority was
made by Representative Featherstone
of Wisconsin, and fer the majority by
Representative Carter of California. IL
WAS urged against the minority PROPOSE
ton that if five years were granted the
German lodges, they would apply for
another extension of time at the end OF
that period, and the whole question
would have to be fought over.
Sitting in committee OF the whole, the
lodge has approved the unanimous re-
port OF the committee on the statement
OF the order recommending that saloon
keepers. bar tenders and professional
gamblers be declared ineligible to mem
bership, but not affecting those who
have already become members. The
question has not been acted upon by the
supreme lodge proper.
The same committee recommend that
the supreme lodge proclaim against the
use OF the name of Pythianism in con-
nection with side ranks.
A request has been telegraphsd to the
supreme lodge to institute @ search for
B. T. Ranks of Belle Plain. Iowa. who
came to Washington to attend the en-
campment and has not returned TO his
home. His friends wire that one of his
children ia at the point Of death.