The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-09
SILVER KNIGHTS MEET
Members Seem Slow About At
tending the Meetings.
MANY INFLUENTIAL MEMBERS ABSENT

A Proposition to Tnvfte the Working
men te Wear silver Badges On Labor
Day.
The meeting of the Topeka temple
No of the Silver Knights of America
at Lincoln Post hall last night was not
we'll attended, owing probably to the fact
that it was not advertised Less than
twenty persons were present and the
evening was spent not in & discussion of
silver coinage but in discussion rather
of the particular business of the temple
and the. best means of awakening an in
terest and increasing the membership,
There are now ninety-two members.
The officers of the temple are as fol-
lows: President, T. 81. James; vice presi-
dent Frank Herald; secretary, r. II.
SempIe; treasurer, A B. Jetmore; citi-
guard, Henry J. Smith; outer sentinel,
VIM. Jamison. The temple has had some
difficulty in finding II suitable man for
chaplain, evidently, for one has not yet
been named
The door was closed against ten or
twelve persons during the roll call, and
on motion OF Dir. COney, Dir Herald was
instructed to go out and invite them in.
On investig alton he reported that "ThOse
sion proceeded in q prOmiscuous way.
Mr.. Herald in a short speech advOcat-
ed the entire removal of the initiation
fee and throwing the doors wide open to
the public. The ritual demanded an in
iJiation fee of one dollar, but G. F. Kim
ball agreed with Mr. Herald that the
temple owed a duty to silver before it
did TO the ritual. This seemed to be the
general opinion.
Mr.. Coney was glad to be able to state
that the interest and belief in silver was
widespread. "Since the issuance of the
recent silver address," he said, 1--WE have
received basket full of letters cOngrat-
nlatory and promising support some
of them are from bankers. l have no
hesitancy in saying that seven tenths of
the voters of Shawnee county are in
favor of silver. I believe in Ad-
vertising the meetings"
J. NJ Talbot, who had taken off his coat
to be better able to get down to work,
arose and said: ''On Labor Day the labor
ing men are to give parade. No doubt
the laboring men are all in favor of silver
and 1 think it would be a good idea to
have silver badges printed and appoint
committee to distribute them among
them so that every man in the parade
will have an opportunity to wear a silver
badge"
This was a good idea, but it was lost
somewhere and did not get to a vote.
Mr. Herald arose and declared that
the janitor was clamorous and wanted
some cash. He had been instructed, he
said, to not open the doors unless the
evenings rental was in sight, and it was
about time to raise it. This was done
in very few minutes and the janitor
got his $3.50.
Mr.. Kimb ball thought it would be nice
to get about 800 young men into the tenn
pie and charge 10 cents q week dues.
He showed his willingness to do his
part of the right thing in the offer to print
free one thousand dodgers announcing
the next meeting at Lincoln Post hall
next Thursday night This offer was &C
cepted with alacrity, as also the
offer of Mr.. Talbot to distribute them.
OF the ninsty-two members of the
temple several were delinquent and MIR.
Ccney made out list of thirty that he
believed would have no hesitancy at all
in giving their dollar if they were asked
for it, and, after some argument, Presi-
dent T. NJ. James, Vice President Frank
Herald and Secretary r. II. SemDle were
made a committee to collect it They
will begin their labors Monday morning.
Soon after Mr.. Conveys announcement
that the supreme court of Ohio had just
decided that a contract to pay in gold
alone was void had been properly ap-
plauded the meeting adjourned at II
o'clock