The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-18

/ treat him IN the rough way he alleges
! He is either constitutional growle
/ or TOO fastidious
Spokane lodge has between 500 ant
| 700 members, and has just completed
| its own building. Il embraces some o
! the best people OF that city II is un,
/ fair TO believe its members were ungen.
| uemanly in their treatment OF the &c.
tor Men Of his own profession, whC
are Elks. are at loss 70 understand
NeiII's conduct"
CEREMONY IS BEAUTIFUL.
Secretary Herman Kohn Of the Ioea
lodge says il i'll becomes Neil to attack
an order like he EIks. the personnel
Of whose membership is very high and
the benevolent and charitable work Of
which is beyond criticism.
II is intimated among a number Of
Elks. especially those who are actors
that Neil is Of a pink-tea disposition
and cannot appreciate a little practical
fun in a company Of men who are. to
say the least. his peers.
Il was greatly surprised" said Su-
perior Judge Henry A Melvin of Oak
land, Ito see Neilrs interview denounc-
ing the initiation ceremonies of the
Elks There is nothing in the rite
which heaps indignity upon a man. The
ceremony is beautiful and dignif1ed.
and compares favorably with several
other orders OF which / am a member.
This man Nell is. either highly sensi-
tive or the EIks in Spokane. where the
indignity is alleged TO have occurred.
do not conduct their initiation cere-
mony as it is prescribed
DIR. o D. Hamlin of Oakland said:
The order OF Elks contains in its en-
rollment some OF the most prominent
men in the United States. who would
not submit TO any such practices as
Neil says he was subjected to. l have
been an officer in the local order and
have never seen anything which would
tend 10 humiliate a man. On the con-
trary, the ceremony is one calculated TO
make better man Of any initiate"
Mr.. Neill must be n very peculiarly
constituted man" said State Senator
Lukens of Alameda. 4 am quite sure
no lodge of Elks ever treated an initiate
with indignity.''
SEAT OF IT'S PANTIES."
The Los Angeles Times has a cartoon
on the subject and the following text
accompanying it: Among the Los An
geles Elks. the topic of conversation
yesterday was of the frightfuI indignity
offered to James Neiil. the actor, when
they warmed the seat of las panties
with a stuffed club during the initiation
ceremonies at Spokane
The Times yesterday morning con-
tanned a thrilling account of how Mr.
NELL got mad and wouldn't play any
more and decided that he didn't want
to belong. anyhow. if they were going
IL IL
tualy offered him a personal indig-
nifty"
Ha-hai Ho-hol He-he'
Mr.. Neill is a very ordinary actor
but dignity is his long suit. If the Elks
had taken Mr.. Neil as seriously as he
takes himself, they never would have
padded him with stuffed club.
One of the Elks said yesterday that
they would take steps to make Neill re-
greet his talk Indeed, if the Elks
should take a notion, it would be rath-
er awkward for Nein as the Elks are
nearly all theater-goers.
John G. Mott, the Exalted Ruler Of
the local herd, said yesterday, however:
The Elks are too broad-minded TO
boycott Neil. It would be dignifying /
a very childish piece of business.
When Mr.. Nell gets educated up to
the standard OF the manliness of the !
EIks, we may extend the mantle of
charity to him and give him another /
chance. L
He is a representative man, is Neill.
and this incident is due to the fact that /.
he is not familiar with the workings of
secret orders.
In his newspaper interview. Neil
makes much talk about 'manliness'
and American citizenship I might
say that among the manly fellows who !
nave gone through the EIks initiation .
are the President of the United States. (
eighteen United States Senators, and
lightweight Congressman. The essen
-iaI qualifications for Elkdom are the
highest appeal to American manhood .
and citizenship
Probably Mr.. Nell was blindfolded
While they were beating him with the
stuffed club. else he would have seen
III that.
FREDERICK O'BRIEN.
Slight Damage By Blaze.