Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-13

n PROMINENT congressional fTaterudiiSt
iechool days. He worked in a shop until
1851, studying law while at work. He was
tadmitted to the bar at the age of Il and
was unanimously nominated for proSecut-
ling attorney in 1886 and 1883, and both
times elected: was unanimously nominated
for Congress in 1896, 1898. 1900 and 1852.
and elected. He is serving his fourth
term and holds high rank in the House.
In the event his party secures control he
would undoubtedly have important House
'chairmanships.
Senator Albert J. Beveridge was the
principal speaker at a great Indiana Pyth-
liam gathering at Indianapolis Thursday
might. Indiana is Of the strongest
Phythian states in the Union, and near
" all its leading public men hold mem
lbership in the order. Among other things,
Senator Beverage said
! This is the only secret order except
my college fraternity to which 1 ever be-
Ion ed-not that / had the slightest pref
udice against others, but in a busy mans
life even the best of things are neglected.
But the circumstances of my joining the
knights of Pythias has endeared this
order to me in peculiarly human and
personal way. When 1 was a candidate
Tor the Senate of the United States one of
the most earnest supporters l had was
Charles Thornton. Lodge so, of the
knights of Pythias After his work, and
that of other devoted friends had Sc
cured me the nomination of the republl-
can caucus, the first man to congratu-
late me was the man whose devoted anu
unselfish services had so greatly contrib
uted TO the result. AS every other CRATE
full man would have done, told him
wanted to show my apprecla uon, and 10
ask me for any favor winch L cou4O De-
stow.
Going to the door, closing it so that we
were quite alone, he came back and sat
down and said: I have only one favor
to ask but that favor has been in my
,heart for a good while II is that you will
join the order of Knights of Pythias in
Lodge IS upon my application for YOU
/ And so the application was made and L
was honored by an election to this great
young OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES far in the no
lbility of its purposes than had imagined
until the day of initiation. Time after
time the initiation was postponed because
no opportunity could be found when could
he present. Finally Charlie Thornton OF
Lodge So knights of Pythias, went TO JOIN
THAT great departed throng of the world
true and tender hearted men and women
J AZ delayed no longer and wired the ON
GERS of Lodge 56, Knights of Pythias, that
whenever they were ready would be ready,
Inc matter what happened. So my member
ship in this order has It's roots in one of the
fmost beautiful friendships of my lfe-a
Friendship not the less strong that grave
I'm Crown Hill cemetery is Its shrine. And
las / was conducted through the wonderful
ritual l could not but think how perfectly
1.-THE benevolence, friendship and charity
which were the three pillars of our organ
sization, were illustrated in the life and
death of my friend who caused me to JOIN
II: W. ,aro ton.n tho host concentions of
,all the ages and made them the reason and
principle of our existence. Friendship, char
,ity, benevolencei Concentrate all the
Thought and effort of the past, and these
three things remain. 1t is the vitality and
glory of our organization that, taking for
our creed the very best that the mind and
heart of man has yet evolved we have
fmade IL our business to spread II by sys-
itematic organized effort. Our order is
trra Ganda of righteous
ness. This is why we have grown so sig
nally in so brief a time. do not say that
sall of our hundreds of thousands have care
fully thought this out and, on Well-rea-
feoned conclusions. become our brothers; but
] do say that it is instructive recognition
of these fundamental truths which has
drawn the flower of the nations young
manhood to us. For this nation is good
nation nation of good men and good
swomen. God-fearing, believing, hopeful,
scharitable. The heroes of the American
Irepubic have been not necessarily its
sablest men, but always have been types or
! Think what it means to this nation to
have half a million of the flower of its
ivourg manhood dedicating their lives in a
tpractical way to these generous and fra
thermal ideal Think what II means to have
THESE lofty views of ife and conduct for
ever written upon their conscences by a
profoundly impressive ritual! Think what
Fit means to have this rltual-this dramatic
Inst -uction-in the highest conceptions of
lthc human character TlNeleu ny d
soath To observe them, Think what It means
ITO have all this followed by continuous and
tpermanent reminder of their meaning
Through the work of each knight at the
Hodge room and through the powerful
Teaching of daily work! Speaking
fmerely of the effect upon the nation, the
republic would be better off If there We're a
hundred such organizations as the Knights
tof Pythias Every order which makes men
Head better lives also makes the nation to
(which they belong lead better life. The
great ancient Masonic order, the powerful,
Vigorous. benefcent order of Odd Fellows
land all kindred associations which teach
men brotherhood are pillars of strength to
the republic.
THE foundations OF the great and benefi-
cent secret orders of the world were in the
cause of liberty and to fetter the hands of
tyranny They began with the close asso-
citation of the best minds who dared not ex-
press their thoughts, in order that in the
Safety of the secret chamber they might
have that intellectual freedom denied them
in the open. At period of the worlds his
tory. when learning itself was treason, the
Sciences were cultivated and the world S
accumulated knowledge was preserved by
secret organizations. So, while they did not
sproduce free institutions. free institutions
were the elimination of their original pur-
pose. Thus. organizations like any one of
those that | have named, whose foundation
stones are loyalty to our free government
and that broad human charity that would
extend fraternity all over the globe, are ele-
ments of strength in severeignties of the
people But where secret organizations be-
come loose, their purpose malformed and
Seek the elimination of the spirit of an
Larchy rather than that of liberty, of rapine
and destruction rather than OF human