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

force Of hope plus lSbor--ln short,
+ when we are ready to count effort
and weigh honesty: measure ability
and write 1t: down, we can but turn
:, to the work accomplished for Ply.
! thianism by this man. this STRIPPING
OF young fellow from the valley OF
kanawha. We abhor gush; stopping
over is not weakness Of ours; our
propensity for overduly lavishing
praises upon either the living or the
dead is not highly develc Jed, We
make bold, to say that ;Aobler rec.
ord OF service, and q richer, it would
be hard to locate In all the annals Of
the audacious striving Of the age,
than that rendered, by Mr., Starks.
I Out Of nothing. save empty dignity
and few faint, faint promises, ~
has ,builded the greatest, advisediy
greatest, organization, among HE
people in this day. He has gone ON
7 from day to day sufficiently enthused,
and often fred, With the appealing
virtues Of the fundamentals OF Py-
I thianism, and the knowledge that It
| must capture mems hearts, because
| about 1t was the beauty and the hon.
esty. and the practically necessary
and capable of winning them. The.
records OF Pythianism's seven years
growth during the last seven reads
like some seductive dream.
Mr.. Starks, as we pointed out a
few words back, was elected in 1897.
The order at that time had less, con-
os retgned and was jealous OF its
reign. Not a book or record of any
kind was turned over to the new SUI
preme Chancellor; he had nothing
save the sympathy and support of
some of the noblest men that have
lived in this day, but the title to the
Office and the big wide world before
him. The threads he >grasped we're
broken, broken low, and the end was
dubious---Mr- -Starks- is a born man
Of affairs, possessing but very few
equals, and, We doubt, If any SUI
periors In his generation. Into the
work he threw himself, holding that
henceforth the history OF Pythianism
in its relation to. people Of color was,
In part. to be the history of his life.
That was the situation just seven
years ago. What is the record at
this hour?
There are $4,000 Pythians in the
Supreme jurisdiction, and MISSISSIPPI
pi alone, has more Pythians than were
claimed, or could be claimed by the
entire Jurisdiction seven years ago
Rich? Beat it If you can, and If you
can, run up your. flag, for it's your
victory!
The Order embraces twenty-six
Grand Lodges and subordinate
lodges, the latter covered by the Su-
tpreme. Chancellor, throughout the
United 8&ates, the Hawiian Islands,
Cuba, the West Indies the Philippine
Islands, Africa, Central America,
and Australia.
During the past. seven years more
than two millions of dollars in death
claims and. sick benefits have been
disbursed. At the present time in
the various Endowment departments
throughout the jurisdiction there is
more than three hundred Thousand
| $500, 00O) dollars.
The Order owns property, all Sc
cured under the present administers
ton, valued at nearly million dol
lars. This includes the Pythian Tenn
pie purchased last summer at Chi
cago by the Supreme Lodge, and
valned at sixty thousand ($60,000)>
ment was raised by each member of
the order paying the trite, and yet
mighty, sum of twenty (2O) cents;
and by each member Of the Woman's
Department paying ten (10) cents.
Simple, isn't it? But that is flnan-
cieriqg.
1t were not necessary to record
that the most modern methods OF
business have been adopted by Su-
preme Chancellor Starks and his CO.
workers. We doubt very much
whether more systematic office Or
bank may be found than that Of the
Supreme Chancellor in the Pythian
Building at Charleston, building he
| erected for the Grand Lodge Of West
Virginia without ado Of any kind or
| character. The books Of each Of
ficer are carefully audited by COM
mittee at regular intervals and re-
ports,regularly made TO the Supreme
Lodge, We venture the assertion,
and are bold enough in doing so, that