THE ORDER OF DON'T KNOCK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 129, 26 June 1901, Page 2

THE ORDER OF DON'T KNOCK.

«. An American newspiper mfln has v sir ed[a ( lub in Bafl'.lo, to which he has given fr"ecurioub title "The Order of Don't Knock." Tr e memb rs are not pledged, as the name might, suggest, to abs-t.in from p-rsonal violtnce or rom ent'tji'g a strange 's room without :i-tiounc ng themse'ves, hut. simply to ref ai;i f"om speiUing ill of—from' k 11 ckin> - Ih ir friends and acquaint* nces. The slar-gy title was a'op'ed b. cause the founder rrrogni-od that if hecilled his organisation a "Society or the Promotion of G. o.lfellow-hip," or anything like tha 1 -, lo's of the people he hop d to rfach would bo iil reel by thi m*re tame. The obj cfcs of the " 0 der" are Inscribed in the articles of incor(j'"fi io i as fol'ows:-(l) To ov. Rom < in is members the d'plo'able hihi'. of speaking ill of oir fel'ows, tlemise Im mn as acd by p<c ptsnl (ximple trying to induce others to do tha Fame. (2) To beMer toe social and mora! condition rf minlaid by a (rue devotion in it* memera to the cause or charity in its broaden, (3) To keep the Go'den Rule ever in the minds of its in mb.-rs. (4( To bind its ogethe- in a wri-1 and f.atei-n.l manner," The mo to of the 0d r is, "If you c n'c boost, don't kn.ck," •ml tie founlrr pxpliins in a bo k oe las issued, that to " boa it" is to speak of a p?rson, aud th.it to "Ifok" is to speak ill. As paral'els to the mottr, tha fou ider r ci as the Bihl cal injunction from S". John: "Hi that is without sin anion,'yoo, !et him li so csst a s'oie," and the Sii k.-speraon gem of phil s>phy, " He th.it st al my-pursG Kte.Us t'a ; b, but he t' at ii'ches my good mmp makei me poor iode<- d." The book contains a long li-t of things that will be considered knocks, including "sein-ls]," •'joviil g," " knocking without words," politic licnr'cks I ""new<*p*percr ; fci<i-m," ' business knocks," and ascora i f other common oft'ei.e s, The by-hws prescribe a fine of one scart for every knock, and it is lef r, to tie console nee of the in inber to impose the peu> lty. Sevmty-fivrt percent of the fine-i go to ehiivtes eelect.d by the extcuive and twen'y-five per c>nt to 'heost of the The Oder has aire dy made very considerable progress io Arreica, and st<p? are b°ing taken to 'SU'bluli b-anclws in other countries, '■hii-tchurch would be none the worse for tha presence (f a strong soo'V.y pKdged to ti'o its influence against the pracico if "knocking."