The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-06-20

| 800 SA0 Ao'i vi Soou SoCleIles
as have grown aud spread, whether
the weather was foul or fair, the
knights OF Pythias may we'll answer
| first. A mighty order in this day
it's virtues aest upon the lips of men
its principles an inspiring force in
the life Of those who have embraced
It's faith, vet it has come forth
through striving and pain and
through opposition, first among those
who should early have welcomed it,
and then from others jealous lest
finally the Negroes were not the
highest examplars of the beauty of
Its fundamentals and strength OF it's
ultimate purpose.
Father Stringer laid the founda-
tions deep; he dug we'll The super
structure has tottered no few times,
but 1t has not fallen, because it was
builded upon rock. The knights Of
Pythias has developed into a veal.
thy and powerful order, though It
began, as a fraternal and benevolent
institution. There have been other
institutions to aim solely at financial
strength which they hoped and
planned to reach by straddling old
principles and looking in either d.
rection at the same time. Pythian-
ism has never deserted for this or
that, It's sustaining genius, knowing
that IT the organization could not
leap to the fore from the eminence
OF its remarkable principles, then
it must never hope to win the hon
ors. From one Grand Lodge in 1881
to twenty-six in 1907; from 5000
members even In 1897, to more than
100000 in 1907, is a leap Of almost
incredible magnitude, but this order
made 1t, and made it against the
acuteSt opposition, on. the outside,
and Indifference oftimes, and oftimes
stupid attitudinizing Of it's own on
the inside. But the builders had
faith, the faith of their fathers, and
against the hebetude Of their own,
and the urgings of others, they stood
out, boldly and nnafraid, first weed
ing out the vicious within, and con-
vincing afterwards the doubling,
having faith all the while that when
the land came to know the patriot
Ism and the fervor Of the aims and
strivings Of the order, it must give
signs that yonder comes a new aod
grander body, in it's right hand the
flaming torch Of Friendship, in it's
left, the flower Of Fraternity, ana
upon its forehead, a garland wreath
Of myrtle entwined about a wreath
Of immortelles.
1t were useless to go over the long
struggle through which the Knights
Of Pythias. came before It, knew.
peace. Pr6pgfly fully may wy
say that what 1t passed through were
unacceptable because it did not come
to be strong without waxing so ON,
unpleasant, but nevertheless, profit.
able experiences; just as nothing, be
it man or body of men, can develop
great strength without having coli
iision with great trials and titanic
strivings. We desire to direct at
tention to a brief resume OF the per-
iod in which the order has had its
largest growth and become the ac-
knoWledged leader in all fraternal
organizations among the Negro peo-
pile
Certain features about the gov
erning laws of the knights Of Ply
thians make it the ideal organiza-
ton. 1t Is representative, altogether,
having the forms that govern a re-
public. In the Supreme Lodge or the
governing body, each state is EMIT
led to not less than two, nor more
than four representatives. This plan
proved not only attractive in the
years long ago, but also did 1T prove
somewhat Of a temptation for those
who got into control, to abuse their
authority and rough it over the con-
fidence Of the rank and file Of the
membership. The division that
marked the order in 1889, out OF
which grew the Eastern and Western
Hemisphere branch, soon, thank God,
to take it's place again under the ban
ner, was due as much to abuse Of
power as to the very reason ascribed
for the withdrawal Of several Of the
leaders The cause Of rebellion in
that stirring time, be it said, has be-
come the arch-stone Of the order, and
where compulsory Endowment seem.
ed odious, If not revolving away
back, it IS accepted IN the present
time as the wisest contamination in
all the history Of PythianiSm. In