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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA 8 THE BULLETIN The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s Asso ciation of Georgia. Published Monthly by the Publicity Department. 409 Herald Building, Augusta, Georgia. Subscription Price—$2.00 Per Year. ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1921-1922 P. H. Rice, Augusta President Col. P. H. Callahan, Louisville, Ky.. .Hon. Vice-Pres. J. J. Haverty, Atlanta First Vice-Pres. J. B. MeCallum, Atlanta Secretary Thomas S. Gray, Augusta .Treasurer Richard Reid, Augusta—Editor & Publicity Director Miss Cecile C. Perry, Augusta. . . Asst. Pub. Director VOL. II. OCTOBER, 1921 No. 11 ANOTHER PLOT UNEARTHED! Again we quote the Columbia Sentinel. Its editor was working in his office in Washington, one he occupies oy virtue of bis position as tne Junior Senator from Georgia. A young man came in and told him that Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus were having all the Masons and Protestants dis charged from the government departments. The interview ended when the great statesman arose— but let him tell it: “Our grey eyes met, and I said to him— “ ‘My life is in much greater danger than yours. My devoted friend, Sam Askew, of Atlanta, called me up on the long distance telephone a few nights ago, and warned me that the 4th Degree K. of C. had deputized a man to come here and assassinate me.’ ” The young man offered himself as a bodyguard for the Senator, but the brave man refused. He even turned down an offer of a pistol with which he might protect himself. Precautions against as sassination are useless, according to his view, but: “Pm not afraid of anything, or anyone,” he de clared. The Junior Senator from Georgia has been the self-confessed object of more plots that any man since the days when disposing of emperors was the favorite outdoor sport of tottering Rome, yet he is still doing much better than sitting up and tak ing nourishment. Don’t worry, Mr. Senator. This ALLEGED plot against you will do you no more harm than your recent and very real one against certain officials of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia has done them thus far. A TWO-EDGED ORDINANCE An ordinance which would make it unlawful for “any priest, bishop, archibishop, prelate, preacher, pope, minister of the gospil, pastor or any other per sons” to conduct services at which both white and colored people' attend was rejected by the ordinance committee of the Atlanta City Council late in Sept ember. The ordinance, which was aimed directly at Cath olics, was introduced by a councilman whose only purpose in City Council seems to be to stir up re ligious bigotry. In rejecting the ordinance, the committee of Coun cil pointed out that if adopted it would prevent the negro ministers of Atlanta from attending the an nual Bible conference at the Baptist Tabernacle. If our Protestant brethren would take the time to reason it out, they would find that a movement against Catholics is, even though unwittingly, a movement against them also. If anti-Catholics were successful, they would destroy not only the Catholic Church, but all religion as well. They are not only anti-Catholic, but anti-religious in the last analysis. THE VEASEY BILL ‘‘ty ’T The Veasey Bill was passed a few years back to correct the unspeakable conditions alleged by the anti-bigot of our country to be existing in the Catho lic convents of Georgia. The bill has been in effect a number of years now, and, even in places where the anti-Catholic feeling is strong, it has revealed nothing that is not credit able to Catholics. The Junior Senator from Georgia some time ago expressed to the Governor of Georgia, accord ing to the Governor’s own words as quoted in the Atlanta Journal of September 26, a fear that the law was not being enforced, especially in Chatham County, and suggested that the matter be taken up with the solicitor of the Savannah judicial circuit. This Governor Hardwick eventually did. He was informed by Solicitor General Walter C. Hartridge of Savannah that there had been an “absolute com pliance in this county with the provisions of the Veasey Act on the part of the officials of the County.” The correspondence between Governor Harwick and Solicitor Hartridge was given out for publi cation by the Governor to allay “a spirit of in tolerance and religious prejudice in Georgia.” Where are the revelations promised by the backers of the Veasey Bill? To date they have blamed the lack of them on the non-enforcement of the act. But the Governor of the State, elected chiefly by their votes, states it is being enforced. What have they to say now? HARMFUL INTOLERANCE (FROM THE ATLANTA JOURNAL) The mayor did well to veto council’s silly resolu tions of September 19. To have approved them would have made the city government ridiculous. As private individuals, be it readily granted, mem bers of council may entertain what views they will of this or that church, but as public servants of a free government they should hold themselves above even suspicions of religious animosities. Unhappily, however, some appear to have mistaken twentieth century Atlanta for seventeenth century Boston, and to have worked themselves into the very passion that banished Roger Williams and hanged harmless Quak ers because they would not bow their consciences to Puritan bigots. Wherever, whenever, by whomso ever practiced, presecution for religious belief is wrong, all-American, unchristian, and dangerous to basic human rights. As good Atlantans and good Americans let us have a speedy end to all that smacks of this evil. Let us work together for the commonwealth as citizens of one democracy if not as sons of one Father in heaven. And let council set an example of render ing unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.