The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-18
Member Drive
TO Be STARTED
BY PYTH|ANS
B. R. Lnman, State Organizer,
Delivers Stirring Address at
Opening of Big Campaign.

extensions in Indiana, organized a
membership campaign for Wayne
county lodges at a conference of the
eight Knights of Pythias lodges held
Wednesday night in the Odd Fellows
building.
A. L. Ford was appointed county
superintendent and a special member
ship committee is to be appointed in
each lodge.
Frank Strayer and Inman delivered
addresses. A banquet was served to
members. An enthusiastic reception
was given to the plans for the cam
paign.
Inman's address on "Americanism"
was warmly received. He said in
part:
1.-The Influence of systematized prop
uganda is we'll known For a score Of
years prior to the world war, Germany,
the arch-fiend of civilization, carried
forward a system of 'kultur' propa-
ganda, which reached practically
was one of the nations to feel the
subtle influences of this nefarious
system.
Now that the Beast of Berlin has
been driven to his lair, and his in
famous ambitions exposed to all the
world, we find ourselves face to face
with another system of propaganda
which threatens to undermine the
very foundation of our national life
and the sacred institutions which
have brought our country to the front
rank as great world power. l refer
to the subtle hand of Bolshevism
with its Odious propaganda of anarchy
and its abominable system of proli-
tariat administration of governmental
affairs.
Boshevism VS.. Americanism.
This my fellow citizens and brother
Knights, the greatest foe to Amer
icanism at this time.
1T Is said that in some of the re-
cent labor disturbances, more than
seventy-five per cent of the strikers
could neither read, write or speak the
American language. Uet's get the
habit of calling it the American Ian
guage). Hundreds of these disturbers
of our industrial life claim allegiance
to countries other than the one in
which they earn their daily bread.
If l had my way about 1t, every
foreigner would be compelled to take
the oath of allegiance as soon as he
arrives in this country for residence,
even though it should be only tenn
porary one.
His refusal to do so would cause his
Immediate deportation to the land of
his nativity. If these men are not
willing to become bona-fide American
citizens. recognize constituted author
ity and imbibe the spirit of real
Americanism, then let them get out
from under the protection Of the Stars
and Stripes and re-establish them
selves in land that is more TO their
liking.
This is no time for 'pussy-footing,'
nor blind experimentation in the
fields of international affairs to an
extent that will jeopardise American
sovereignty as vouchsafed by the con-
stitution. l assume that tho League
of Nations will be signed by the
United States senate.
IF certain interpretations are nee
essary to protect our national sover-
eighty, such interpretations will doubt
less be made. All of us may not be
of one mind regarding the practical
operations of the league. but it will
probably do no harm, with proper in
terpretations, to give it trial. But
AS long as the world persists in rails
ing bull dogs, we had just as we'll
make up our minds to continue to
manufacture muzzles and be prepared
10 administer the Pasteur treatment
for hydrophobia
"Demand for America nism."
The demand of the hour is for a
firm policy of intense Americanism
Let our foes across the seas, on the
south side of the Rio Grande, and with
in our own border, understand once
Nd ill Ill.,
means something and that American
ideals will be protected against foreign
aggression or domestic revolution.
The order of Knights of Pythias is
fundamentally a patriotic one. Every
true Pythian is a 100 per cent Amer
lean. There is no place in this great
order for the red flag, the white flag
or any other flag but the Stars and
Stripes. Pythianism is opposed tC
hOlsheviSm and every other form OF
anarchy, because these things are un
American. Pythans stand for consti
tuted authority.
They stand for national solidarity
the supremacy OF law, the honor of the
state, the sanctity of the home, the
fatherhood Of God and the fraternity O.
man Not only this, but this grear
order will be in the future, just as il
has always been In the past, ready
to stand behind the flag in every
crisis
pythans Gave Lives.
Fifty thousand members Of thi!
order answered the call to the colors
and offered themselves in the grea
war. to fight and TO die if need be. foI
cause which they believed to bt
right. Some of these brave lads are
now sleeping beneath the poppy field
of Flanders and elsewhere in tn,
blood-steeped soil of Europe.
They belong to the immortals o
history. who. like Leonidas and hi
noble three hundred in the mountain
passes of Thermopylae, down to on
own Lost Battalion in the Argonne
have paid the supreme sacrifice while
defnding the sacred ideals of civiliza
ton.
1T is for these reasons. my brothe
knights. that l plead for an aroused
spirit of Pythianisnl, which is but an
ether term for an aroused spirit o
CNp MEM wLN WORK LARn