Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1903 — RAISING THE VISOR. [ARTICLE]

RAISING THE VISOR.

In order to ease the more conscientious members of the local K. of P. lodge, it was arranged, so we are informed, that the lodge would have nothing to do with the giving of the proposed bacchanal revel this year, and the matter was turned over to the Castle Hall association. Of course this was simply beating the devil around the bush, and now in all the advertising that is being done no pretense whatever of saddling the ignominy of the affair onto the Castle Hall association is being made. Perhaps the latter organization objected to “fathering” so questionable an affair. It is well known that many of the Knights are bitterly opposed to a carnival, and think it is hardly the province of an order based on such high principles of citizenship and morality as the Knights of Pythias to act as bunco steerer for the saloon and gambling fraternity or to accept money raised by such means.

That the lodge did accept money received in rake-offs or from the sale of the gambling priveleges last year is-tacitly admitted. When the recent fight was made by the ministerial association before the city council against the council turning over the streets of the oity for carnival purposes, the question of gambling was discussed, and Councilmen Ferguson and Parks said that under no circumstances would they vote for the proposition if it were to be run like it was last year, thereby admitting that The Democrat’s criticisms then were fully deserved. Rev. Royce, during the discussion, said that he had frequently heard it remarked that the K. of P. lodge received a per cent of the gamblers’ profits, or money from the sale of the gambling privileges, AND HE HAD NEVER HEARD IT DENIED. He said that he wanted to be set right in the matter, and as there were several K. of P's. there, if the statement was not true he would like for some of them to say so. Not a man opened his MOUTH TO DENY THE CHARGE. Ye Gods! What a spectaole for an order based on such principles of morality as..the Eights of Pythias! It should make every member of the order hang his head in shame. Understand, we are not saying that all the members of the local lodge are to blame for this, northat one-half or one-fourth of them favored or endorsed it, but it was done and the whole local order must suffer the ignominy for it. One member of the city council is alleged to have said about the time the lodge was having a squabble over accepting this gambling or blood money, that he thought the best thing they could do with it “was to build a bon-fire in the street and throw the money into it, and then for every member of the lodge to get down on his knees and ask God’s forgiveness for what had been done, and promise never to do so again.” And yet, when pressure • was brought to bear, this same K of P. councilman voted for a repetition, on the usual empty promises being made that the “objectionable features would be eliminated!”

Were not the same promises made last year? Did not every advertisement of the carnival proclaim in black-faced type that no gambling or immoral features would be permitted? And was not everything thrown wide open and the gambling privileges sold for the benefit of the Knights of Pythias lodge? * Can yon expect anything better this year? One of the leaders in this year’s affair told the writer that they were going to have the carnival in spite of all opposition; that there would be a little “sporting” and some gambling, but that those things were all right; that the people who come to such places expected it, etc. Speaking of the sporting features, a well known Rensselaer doctor told us a few days ago that he was still treating cases for “sporting” at the last carnival! The writer who said that the street carnival was aU offspring of the devil and was conceived in hell was not far out of the way.