The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-23
No. 1862, Galveston.
No. $50, indianapolis.
No. 324. INDIANAPOLIS.
VIII Appoint Committee to Inyesti-
gate Charges To-Day.

gate Charges To-day.
The story of the charges made against the
management of the Supreme Lodge, pub
lished in the journal yesterday caused
unusual comment in Pythian circles, and
there was number of the influential mem
bers of the order who promptly rushed to
the defense of those having control of the
finances of the order They were very in
dgnant, and insisted that the charges made
by these men were prompted by their own
selfish ambition to seize control of the af
fairs of the order. They invited a full in
vestigation of all matters connected with
the Supreme Lodge, very frankly admitting
that the unfortunate condition of finances
at the present time was due to the prevail
ing system, for which no particular set of
officers could be held responsible. 1t was
shown that the present management is it
self anxious to remedy this system. Among
these Supreme Lodge members feeling was
very bitter against the man who was quoted
in yesterdays Journal, and who made Sc
rious allegations in regard to the disposition
of Pythian funds They say they propose
to find out If possible who he is and take
steps to bring about his expulsion from the
order. So far as the Journal is concerned,
it disclaims an. intention to cast discredit
Uron any of the members of the Supreme
Lodge or the officers in charge of its
Supreme Chancellor Colgrove said last
night that as soon as the convention was
called to order this morning it is his in
tenetiOn to appoint committee of the most
capable and aggressive men to investigate
the charges OF wholesale mismanageme mt
and extravaganza, with a view of ascertain
ing who gave the charges to the newspa-
rers. He regarded the attack on the Off
GERS of the Supreme Lodge as most infam-
ouS Mr. Colgrove declared most emphati-
cally that the financial conditions into
which the order has drifted were due to de-
fectS in the laws of the institution and not
90 f,..1 ,Af fIn fNH1
He referred to his report, which states that
revenue of the order is derived solely from
the sale of supplies. AS long as there is no
more reliable source of income, he says, the
financial conditions of the order will not be
on safe basis. AS it now is the order
CANDLES on the chance of enough new
lodges being instituted to sell sufficient sup
plies to support the Supreme Lodge He
offers a simple remedy. The Supreme
of your State is" said he Appropriations
should be made and then an account taken
of the number of knights in the order, SO
that each one should bear his proportionate
part of the burden. A tax of cents would
be sufficient under ordinary circumstances
At the highest or 71a cents would produce
ample revenue. Until some such change as
this is made in the laws of the order the
financial conditions will not improve"
While Mr.. Colgrove was in no wise con-
nected with the charges made, he felt that
the imputatons cast reflections upon ms
administrati ion He does not oi hande ene
pressed the most implicit confidence in the
honesty of the officers with whom he has
been associated, and declared that IT was
an outrage that statements should be MADE
rejecting on their character.
A. p. Butterfield, eX-clerk of the Cincin-
natl Board of Administration, is member
of the finance committee of the Supreme
Lodge of Knights of Pythias. Mr. Butter
field is boiling with anger over the pub
lished accounts of dissatisfaction with the
manner in which the finance committee has
handled the affairs of the treasury depart
rent, and expresses his opinions most posi-
There is good reason for the present con-
dition of the finances" he said. last night,
in the course of conversation on the sup
for finances upon the sale of supplies and
this has fallen off greatly during the past
two years. Then there has also been quite
Lodge tax. These are the only sources OF
revenue. For the last two, years the re
come up with those of the last six years;
The finance committee has simply carried
out the Supreme Lodges policy. Why. At
the last meeting of the Supreme Lodge
last years meeting-the finance committee
recommended reduction of the approprla-
tions for expenses. This recommendation
was rejected, and the appropriations were
increased instead. We saw what was com
ing. There was no necessity for all this
talk. 1t has been caused by some one VINO
had a motive for inspiring it.
What will occur if the matter comes up
for Investigations?
1T won't come up. The members of the
Supreme Lodge understand the matter
thoroughly. They know how affairs have
been managed and that they have been
managed wisely If there is a deficiency 1t
is more the fault of the system than of the
mel. They talk about White being such
rich man. Why he is only in ordinary cir
cumStances and If he is any richer now
than he was before he became member I
the finance committee, it is because he has
saved from his salary, as any ordinarily
frugal man would His character is above
reproach No, sir: all that talk about a
scandal IS pure bosh. and I'd like the chance
of telling the man who originated 1t that ne
is liar.
Mr. Butterfield was warm" during his
remarks and when he made the remark
about the man he would like to call liar,
he specified the kind of a liar as being one
of sort usually expressed in type with a
row of blanks.