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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
THE BULLETIN
The Offical Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s
Association of Georgia.
Published Monthly by the Publicity Department.
409 Herald Building, Augusta, Georgia.
Subscription Price—$2.00 Per Year
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1920-1921
P. H. Rice, president, Augusta.
Col. P. H. Callahan, honorary vice-president,
Louisville, Ky.
J. J. Haverty, first vice-president, Atlanta.
J. B. McCallum, secretary, Atlanta.
Thomas S. Gray, treasurer, Augusta.
Richard Reid, editor and publicity director, Au
gusta.
Miss Cecil C. Ferry, assistant publicity director,
Augusta.
VOL. II MAY, 1921 No. 6
The readers of The Bulletin must have been un-
expressibly shocked at the news of the brutal murdei
of seventeen negroes recently in one section of
Georgia. It was very hard to realize the possibility
of so awful a crime.
Habitual disregard for law is not common in the
state. Its most horrible result has been shown in
this case. What must the people outside Georgia
think of this state!
The Georgia Laymen’s Association has been found
ed for the purpose of correcting the false impressions
prevailing in this state among our Protestant neigh
bors, about the Catholic Church and her teaching, and
thus establish more friendly relations.
But God forbid that any one should insinuate that
there is, or can be, any difference of opinion between
Catholic and Protestant on the subject of murder
and disregard of law.
Though the overwhelming majority of Christian'
in this state are members of the various Protestant
Churches, it would be simply monstrous to say that ,as
in all likelihood the perpetrators of these crimes were
Protestants, the Protestant churches were responsible.
. .No such unworthy and calumnious thought is ours.
But in the remedy for these awful conditions
Protestants and Catholics alike are wholly interested.
It is undoubtedly the case that some action by the
Legislature is imperatively necessary. Unfortunately
this affords a chance for the politicians, most of whom
have no fixed ideas, and are not guided by a con
scientious connection of the right or wrong, but merely
the expediency of a matter. It seems to me that the
first step is to cease electing by popular vote, judges
and solicitors. Human nature is very strong, and the
temptation to bow to the whim of a majority, on
whose vote the judge depends for re-election, is very
powerful.
But there is something of far greater importance
The people must be taught submission to law, and
respect for authority. When a mob takes the law
into its own hands and metes out what it calls justice,
it merely commits murder.
Until this is done, all remedial legislation is vain.
These awful crimes and the subsequent action ol
the civil authorities, the suggestions made by the
Governor after an examination—these have placed
Georgia on trial. The rest of the American people
are looking to her to see what Georgia is going to do
to preserve in her borders a form of government which
protects life and liberty.
Our Christian civilization is at stake. If nothing
results from these crimes in the way of reform, if
human life continues to be held as lightly as now, if
the life of the colored man particularly is in the
hands of the mob and not in the hands of the court
if mob violence continues to go unpunished, then
every decent, honest and self respecting Protestant
and Catholic Georgian must hang his head in shame
for his state is disgraced before all men.
(Signed) BENJAMIN J. KEILEY,
Bishop of Savannah.
Although the literature sent out during the month
of April was not as great as during the preceding
month, when 1200 samples copies of The Bulletin and
as many circular letters were mailed to all parts of
the United States, it was greater than any other month
since the convention. The pieces of literature mailed
amounted to 4,984. The records for the previous
months follow: October, 3,830; November, 1,034
(no Bulletins this month); January, 3,363; February,
3,088; March, 16,606.
During April subscriptions to The Bulletin have
been received from the following cities: Tampa
Fla.; Girardville, Pa.; LaSalle, 111.; Salina, Kansas;
Alexandria, La.; Emporia, Kansas; Pass Christian,
Miss.; Nashville, Tenn.; Spokane, Washington; At
lantic City, N. J.; Canton, Ohio; San Francisco, Cal.;
Woodstock, Vt.; Bellows Falls, Vt.; Waukesha, Wis.;
Jefferson City, Mo.; Los Angeles, Cal.; Laurel, Miss.;
Oneonta, N. Y.; New Orleans, La.; Grand Junction,
Col.; Nenominee, Mich.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Lisle, 111.;
Baltimore, Md.; and Worcester, Mass.
On May 3, a subscription came to the office from
the Knights of Columbus, Prince Edward Island,
Canada, and others have been arriving daily during the
month. Most of the subscriptions received may be
traced directly to the circular letter of President Rice,
accompanied by a copy of the March number of The
Bulletin.
The National Catholic Welfare Council Bulletin, in
its issue for April, states that among the new organiza
tions joining its ranks are “those two magnificent
associations of Catholic Laymen who have done so
much to defend the Church in America, to propagate
the gospel of Jesus Christ and to soften the feeling of
antagonism and remove distrust on the part of our
non-Catholic fellow citizens, The Catholic Laymen’s
Association of Georgia and the Catholic Laymen’s
Association of New York.”