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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION or’ GEORGIA
THE BULLETIN
The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s Association
of Georgia.
RICHARD REID. Editor.
Published Semi-Monthly by the Publicity Department
409 Herald P.’Siding. Augusta, Georgia.
Subscription Price, $2.00 Per Year.
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS FOR 1921-1922.
P. H. Rice, K. S. G., Augusta. President
Col. P. H. Callahan, K.S.G., Louisville, Ky...Hon. Vice-Pres.
J. J. Haverty, Atlanta First Vice-President
•I- Ji. McCallum, Atlanta ..Secretary
Thomas S. Gray, Augusta Treasurer
R chard Reid. Augusta Publicity Director
Miss C.ecile C Ferry, Augusta ...Assistant Publicity Director
VOL. III. SEPTEMBER 30, 1922. NO. 17.
Entered as second class mntter June 15, 1921, at the Post
Office at Augusta, Ga., under Act of March, 1879. _ Accepted
for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section
1103. Act of October 3, 1917, authorized September 1. 1921.
Convention Call.
To the Members of the Catholic Laymen’s
Association of Georgia:
The Seventh Annual Convention of the Catholic
Laymen’s Association of Georgia, which was post
poned from the second Sunday in September in the
hope of haiing it honored by the presence of ou.j
Rt. Rev. Bishop-elect, will be held at Macon, Sunday,
October 29, with Bishop-elect Keyes as a guest of
honor. The officers of the Laymen’s Association
are very anxious to make this convention the larg
est and most representative one in its history in
compliment to our new spiritual leader, and every
member and friend of the Association is urged to
be present. Officers of local branches of the Lay
men’s Association are asked to see to it that each
Catholic organization in their cities appoint a de
legate to the convention. Each parish is entitled
to tour delegates, two men and two women, to be
appointed by the pastor. The names of these de
legates should be forwarded by Laymen’s Associa
tion official as soon as possible to Miss Cecile C.
Ferry, assistant director of publicity, 1409-1410
Lamar Building, Augusta, Ga., who is a member of
the committee on credentials.
I*. H. RICE, State President,
Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia.
The 1922 Convention.
The Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia has
passed another milestone, and President Rice has is
sued a call for tire seventh annual convention, to be
held on Sunday, October 29, at Macon, Ho review the
accomplishments of the year, and to lay out the plan
of future action.
It was in Macon that the first convention of the
Laymen's Association was held, hack in 1916. What a
difference between conditions in Georgia in 1916 and.
1922! Then the state was in the throes of a wave of
prejudice and intolerance unparalleled in this ealight-
ened country and age. The papers of the state which
did not at least occasionally misrepresent Catholic
teaching and practice in a way calculated to incite sus
picion and hatred of Catholics might he countfcd on
the lingers of one’s hand. There was only one paper
in tlie state which consistently defended us. Dozens
of papers rarely appeared without anti-Catholic dia
tribes. -
It seemed at that time that the politicianfwho was
able to denounce Catholics most vehemently and mis
represent them most vilely was the strongest con
tender for public office. In the press, from Ihe pulpit,
from soap boxes at political gatherings in every cor
ner of the stale, at social and fraternal meetings, even
in the schoolroom, Catholics were misrepresented and
mal gned. Their bishop was insulted, their priests
abused, their nuns slandered. The wave' of intoler
ance mounted higher. The Veasey Bill was passed,
providing for the inspection of convents, the private
homes of our Sisters. The next step was to lie against
the Catholic schools of the state. The Catholic child
ren were to lie forced out of their schools and com
pelled to attend public schools, while Catholics were
to he prevented from teaching in public schools.
Such were the conditions in Georgia when the first
Laymen i Association was called to order in Macon.
Iiow different is the atmosphere of the state today.
There is not a newspaper in the state regularly at
tacking us; many of them defend us when we arc at
tacked. Only occasionally does an editor allow any
thing unfair to Catholics to slip into his columns. The
vile outbursts of six years ago are missing. Politi
cians are still able to win votes by an appeal to re
ligious prejudice in a few places in the state, hut in
others such appeals are worse than useless. Misrep
resentation of Catholics in the pulpit and school
room is comparatively rare now, the latter almost ex
tinct. And the principal factor in bringing about
this great change was the activity of the Catholic Lay
men’s Association.
An organization or a movement cannot stand still.
It must either progress or recede? The Laymen’s As
sociation must go forward. It must continue its
work of bringing about a better feeling among Geor
gians, irrespective of creed. It must see that the
friendlier feeling it lias already cultivtued flourishes.
It must remove the prejudice that still exists in many
quarters. It has infinitely more work to do in the
future than has been given it to do in the past.
The 1922 convention is, therefore, of great import
ance, and its officials sincerely hope it will he the
best attended meeting since the organization was
founded. Such a hope seems warranted by the great
importance of the convention and by the accessibility
of the convention city. But the greatest reason why
record-breaking attendance should he there is found
in the fact that our Bishop-elect, lit. Rev. Michael J.
Keyes, S.M., will honor the convention by his presence.
It will he the first visit of our new spiritual leader in
any city outside the seat of his See. Every member of
the Laymen’s Association, every Catholic in Georgia
who is able to make the trip, will exert every effort to
he at Macon the date of the convention to greet
Bishop Keyes.
Macon may be reached without trouble by rail from
any city in the state. It is a fine drive by automobile
from Augusta, Atlanta, Columbus, Albany, Washington,
Sharon, Athens, Milledgevillc and other points. Auto
mobile parties are being made up in several cities for
the trip. It is not too early to start planning them.
The convention will be over in tlje afternoon, to allow
the visitors and delegates to get an early start home.
The officers of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of
Georgia are determined to make the 1922 convention
Hie finest in its history, even greater than the pheno
menal one of 1921 in Atlanta. With the help of the
membership, they can do it!
The Fight On Catholic Schools.
ii.
Catholics in ihe United States maintain at theif
own expense, more than eight thousand schools, where
fifty-five thousand teachers instruct two million pu
pils, from Primary grades to University degree.
The instruction given in these schools in the se
cular branches is quite as efficient as that given in
the public schools. It has been established by super
abundant proof, through comparisons, tests and con
tests of every description, on marks and honors
awarded by non-Catholic educators, that in every
branch of learning and in every community, the
Catholic school ranks at least equal to public schools
of corresponding grades.
The average cost per annum for public school edu
cation throughout the United States is forty dollars
per pupils. This does not include the cost of build
ings or building sites, or of upkeep. It is the annual
operating expense, which is regulated by the number
of pupils instructed. Each pupil instructed in the
public schools, taking the country over, means ^a public
expense of forty dollars a year. Each pupil of school
age that is educated in a private school means a pub
lic saving of forty dollars a year. The two million
pupils instructed in our Catholic schools save eighty
million dollars each year for the public education
fund of our country.
The cost of providing buildings and equipment for
the Catholic children now attending the parochial
schools, if they were required to attend public schools,
would he approximately four hundred million dollars.
Let it he assumed, however, that if Catholic schools
were prohibited the public school authorities would
take over our Catholic school buildings and equip
ment en bloc, for certainly the rights of property
are not more sacred than the rights of conscience,
and if it could possibly eventuate that our Catholic
schools were outlawed, the forces responsible would
scarcely hesitate at confiscating our buildings. But
there are physical laws which cannot be set, aside.
The upkeep of these building is a future cost that the
public itself would have to bear, and that expense,
at the most conservative estimate would be at least
twenty million dollars annually, in addition to the
eighty millions for operating expenses.
A hundred millions annually—the amount carried
by the Sti rling-Towner Educational Bill which has
been pending in Congress since 1919—that is what it
would cost our country to outlaw Catholic schools;
and that too, after assuming that all of our Catholic
school property* is confiscated. In short, abolish
Catholic schools and confiscate all Catholic school
property, then pass the Sterling-Towner hill with its
annual appropriation of a hundred million dollars, and
if no part of that is paid out in salaries or oilier ex
penses of administration, the public educational fund
of the nation will go as far as it goes now. So far
as money and taxes go, the Catholics will be relieved
of iheir burden of supporting the parochial schools
and a hundred million dollars additional levy will he
made on the people.
These are plain figures. They make it plain, too,
lHat the fight on Catholic schools is not intended to
\put any material hardships on Catholics, but would
relieve them of the extra burden which they now
hear; nor is it intended to help the people, for it
.would put on tlie people an additional tax of a hun
dred million dollars a year; nor is it intended to im
prove education, for the education being given in the
Catholic schools is as good as that given in the public
schools, which is as good as can be given in the pub
lic schools without additional funds, which would not
he available even though the people were required
to pay a hundred million dollars more taxes than they
now pay.
4
Dixie Musings
There is a use for everything, even
the Ku Klux Klan. It helps fill up
this column from time to time.
In the next column to your right
will be found more nonsense, in
the shape of extracts from speeches
of Ku Klux lectures than it is custo
mary for a Catholic paper to admit
to its columns. It is published to
acquaint the reuders of The Bulle
tin with the kind of bait the Klan
uses to drag in new members. We
are told we constitute only thirteen
per cent of the population of the
country—over twenty per cent is the
honest figure—and yet hold sixty
per cent of the offices. For instance
there are ninety-six members of the
Senate. Five of them are Catholics.
Sixty per cent of ninety-six is over
fifty-seven. In this case the lec
turer’s figures are only fifty-two
Senators out of the way, which is
not bad—for a Ku-Kluxer.
The lecturer who made this state
ment was a “Doctor” Fowler. What
kind of a doctor’s degree he holds
does not appear, but the course of
study which led to his doctorate was
evidently very weak on mathema
tics. By the way, all Ku-Klux lec
turers seem to be Doctors, perhaps
from their ability to doctor facts.
The Ku Klux nearly broke up the
Dalton, Ga., Civitan Club recently.
At a regular meeting and luncheon
a member offered a resolution en
dorsing the Klan and suggesting that
the membership of the Civitans at
tend in a body a lecture by a Ku-
Kluxer that evening. The motion
was duly seconded. Bight away bus
iness started to pick up. A third
member of the Civitans angrily of
fered an amendment to the effect,
that the membership go around in
the evening and break up the meet
ing. Another Civitan counseled
moderation, although expressing his
opinion that the organization should
take no stand in favor of tile Ku-
Klux. Others were more outspoken
in their estimate of the Klan.
“The Civitans have no business
endorsing the Klan,” shouted one
member.
“This smacks too much of politics,”
declared another, banging the table
until the dishes danced. “The Civi
tan Club will have enough to do to
loog after Civitan affairs.”
Several threatened to leave the
meeting and never come back. The
introduction of the question was de
plored; it seemed as though the
club had been split wide open. The
members, who very angry at first,
ended up by being furious. And
then—
The president poured oil on trou
bled water by telling the member
ship that the whole thing was a hoax
arranged by the Alarm Clock Com
mittee to put some life into the
meeting, and that none of the Civi-
tans had made application for mem
bership in the Klan.
In any event, it shows where the
representative people of Dalton
stand on the Ku-Klux question.
Dr. Haywood, another Ku-Klux
doctor, declared in a lecture, accord
ing to the Tifton Gazette, that the
Klan “is composed of only the best
native born citizens of the United
States, and upholding the Consti
tution above everything else save
the Bible.” Treason 11 treason 11
treason 111 A book written, by for
eigners, placed above the Constitu
tion of the United States, and by a
Klan lecturer, too 1 Heat up the
tar kettle 1
The Rome Herald carries a story
about the trouble the non-Catholic.
clergymen of Chattanooga are hav
ing in their attempts to have the
Bible taught in the public schools.
The city attorney ruled that to limit
tlie proposed ordinance to the Bi
ble would make it unconstitutional.
The word religion was then substi
tuted. The Methodist Episcopal min
isters of the city object to the or
dinance as it now stands, for it is
broad enough "in its phraseology to
permit people of any religious be
lief, even Buddhism and other cults
which have but few followers in this
country, to establish courses or
study in the high schools if they
complied with the regulations laid
down and had any applicants from
among the student body. And there
you are I
The daily papers have been en
tertaining us with an account of a
baby who is supposed to have dis
tinctly said, “Mother” a few mo
ments after its birth. -This reminds
us of Job, whom the Bible says
cursed tlie day he was horn.
R. R.
The Dixie Press
(ORANGEBURG, S. C„ DEMOCRAT)
We noticed a political advertise
ment a few days ago in which i
certain state candidate was endorsed
by two Protestant preachers. One
of the great criticisms directed
against the Catholic Church by its
opponents in the religious field is
its alleged political activity. Most
of us can imagine what a sensation
and resentment would be created in
many quarters if a Catholic priest 0t
or official should happen to adver
tise his letter of endorsement which,
inferentially at least, would be re
questing votes for the candidate.
(CORDELE, GA., DISPATCH)
Senator Foy. down Savannah way,
is ready to take his dose of tar and
feathers. The Klan down there tried
to make him vote for one of Valen
tino’s measures he didn't like, and
here is his polite message declin
ing:
“I don’t know who the Ku-
Kluxcrs of Savannah are, hut I
would see the last one of them
in hades before I would vote for
the bill.”
(STATESVILLE, N. C„ SALLY)
Former President Wilson wrote a
citizen of Texas denying a statement
made in the Democratic Senatorial
that he handed out to Catholics 85 _
per cent of the offices while he was ^
President”. The statement was made
by a preacher, said to be an official
of tli Ku-Klux Klan. A similar state
ment was made in North Carolina
by preachers while Mr. Wilson was
still President. These preachers
were not Ku-Klux officials, but be
cause Mr. Wilson’s secretary was a
Catholic they were just sure he had
packed the departments at Washing
ton full of people of that faith. The
fact that the assertion lacked real
basis in fact didn’t prevent the
preachers giving it circulation..
(CLEVELAND, GA., COURIER)
According to The Bulctin, a Cath
olic organ in Georgia, there are 23,
000,000 Catholics in the United
States.
(VALDOSTA, GA., TIMES)
Mr. W. E. Hinson says that he
was accosted on the streets by two
white men last night and threatened
with extermination. He thinks it
was the result of a mistaken idea,
but he did not like their attitude a
little bit. He judged by what they
said that they thought that he was
trying to “spy” on them, though he
says it was not in his mind and he
did not dream it was a K. K. K.
meeting until he was held up and
threatened with rough treatment.
(ZEBULON, GA., HERALD)
Dr. Brown, a Ku-Klux lecturer, ^
charged that the fight on the Ku-
Klux Klan was inspired, financed
and conducted by the Jews and the
Roman Catholic Church, and he said
that this was done because both are
antagonistic to Ihe fundamental
principles on which the Klan is
founded. The speaker charged that
between 75 and 80 per cent of the
big newspapers of the country are
owned or controlled by Jews or
Catholics. Dr. Brown denied the
Klan is making a fight on any reli
gion, race or creed.
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION)
Forty-two candidates out of more
than 100 running for state, Fulton
county and local municipal offices,
had replied Saturday to question
naires sent them by the Atlanta
League of Women voters, seeking
information of their qualification
for the office to which they aspire.
Answering question nine: “To what
fraternal organization do you be
long?” not a candidate admitted
membership in the Ku-Klux Klan
or the Twelve-Twenty Club.
(CHATSWORTH, GA., TIMES) *
Discussing the Protestant princi
ples of the Klan, the speaker (Dr.
Fowler, a Ku-Klux lecturer) declared
that the membership of the order
were not ooneerned about the form
of worship of the Catholics, but in
sisted that tlie Catholic Church was
the enemy of tlie democratic insti
tutions of America, and that it had
a llirottle-hold on our government
and ils institutions. He asserted
that with a membership of 13 per
cent of the population of the coun
try, the Catholics held over 60 per
cent of the offices in the country,
and that a majority of the members
of both the Republican and Demo
cratic national executive commit
tees were Catholic. lie characterized
the encroachment of the Catholic
Church as a real menace to Am
erica, and said the Klan encroach- mi
ments had shaken tlie very founda
tion of the Vatican at Rome.