The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-08-31

meeting Of the Supreme Lodge
knights Of Pythias, at the Pythian
Iemple, 1O1 North Senate avenue,
"wednesday over the biennial report Of
supreme Chancellor S. w. Green, in
which the lodge was shown to have
mad healthful growth and to have
oeen victorious in several struggles
IN which all members Of the order
are interested.
Ihe report was detailed and show
eu that the colored knights of
fythlas have outstripped all other COL
ored organizations in growth. It
showed, also, that the Supreme Lodge
mas won several injunction suits and
other litigation that had been brought
against 1t by the knights of Pythias
,Wh1ch admit only white men. Chan
cellor Green said that the Uniform
Rank Is growing and that subordinate
lodges In other countries are in pros
porous condition.
according to the supreme chancel-
lors report the endowment depart
ment OF the Supreme Lodge has u
surplus and every piece of Pythian
property is paying property. The
temple at Chicago and the sanitarium
at Hot Springs, Ark, have proved
wise investments, he said. Before
the next meeting Of the Supreme
Lodge, according to the supreme
chancellor, the building of a great
temple Ca the State street property
at Chicago will be undertaken.
Tells of Expenditures.
A sore spot" with the Pythians
and the cause Of all the mumblings
that have been heard is what is
known as the Emergency fund.-" a
special tax authorized and levied by
the Supreme Lodge for the protection
OF the rights of the order in the
courts. When Mr.. Green had finished
that part Of his report bearing par
ticularly on the expenditures Of funds
arising under the emergency fund,
there was general expression of sat-
isfaction.
The report of the supreme chancel-
lor to the lodge showed that the re-
quirements of bond for each respun-
sible officer of the order is rigidly en-
forced Applause greeted the an
nouncement that a club Of men on
the 1sthmus Of Panama would soon be
made into a lodge of knights of
Pythias to be affiliated with the Su-
premc Lodge.
Amid great applause MI Green an
nounced that the Supreme Lodge is
prepared to fight to the last ditch to
maintains its rights as Pythians and
citizens in the states of Georgia and
Tennessee. In both states the cases
brought against colored men by white
knights Of Pythias have been won and
are now pending on appeal, he said.
In this connection the total collec-
tions up to July I, 1911, for the pur-
pose Of defending these actions at
law, amount to $18,964.43.
Employ White Attorneys.
The Supreme chancellor touched on
the relations existing between the
races in the South, pointing out that
In every lawsuit that the colored
Pythians have had, they have been
able to employ the leading white law
yers to defend them.
"It, seems" said the supreme chan
cellor, "that the selection of the lead
ing counsel In our every case serves
as charm to advance him to higher
honOrs in his state"
He told how the lawyers for the
Mississippi Pythians, Leroy Percy,
was elected to the United States SEN
ate; the Governor Of Georgia appoint
ed Judge Bell, the Georgia lawyer to a
place on the bench; the Alabama
counsel was Judge Tyson, former
chief justice of the Supreme Court Of
that state, and in Tennessee the law
yer for the Colorcd Pythians, NJ r.
Bryant, was recently a candidate Of
his party for place on the Court
of Appeals. Associated with those
men, he said, was the supreme attor-
ncy Of the colored Pythians, S. A. r.
Watkins of Chicago, assistant corDor-
alton counsel.
The supreme chancellor gave the
following statistics: Twcnty-sx grand
lodges 3058 subordinate lodges, 49,
500 members; valuation Of the prop
erty owned by the colored knights Of
Pythas, $t,5OO,O0O, and in the last
dozen years, through the several en-
d0wment boards Of the order, nearly
$4,O00O00 has been paid the widows
and orphans Of deceased members.
Memorial Service Held.
Immediately after the report was
finished the lodge adjourned to meet
this afternoon after the parade Mem
Oria1 exercises were held at the Pyth-
ian Temple Tuesday night. Roscoe Con
king Simmons, colored orator and
journalist delivered the address, TAX
ing for his subject. "a Black Miss
issippian.' He paid an eloquent tri,
butte to the late John w. Strauther
supreme vice chancellor of the or
der.
Joseph i. Jones, supreme vice chan
cellor and supreme worthy counselor
made his report to the Supreme Court
Of Calanthc. Among other things he