Newspaper Page Text
■ - s -—■
i
UNION RECORDER, MILEEDCEVIIXE. CA., NOVEMBER I, l«»
The Knights of Columbus an
minded, from time to time, of th*
perrist.nt purpose of certain person:
to stir up religious hatred.- in electior
years. Lately copies of the notori
ou« “bogus foi>*“h dvgree oath” at
tributed to them have been ciri
lated in \arious part- of the count
This offensive production, which
about equally blasphemous and
volting, ha- been circulated < ccam<
ally, for many years. It is an <
and worn-out imposture and among
intelligent persons defeats its owr
ends hy its own absurdity.
Perhap- the best way to n»ak*
clear what the obligation is which if
a-sumed by the Knight- of Colum
bus on entering the organization is
to print it a« it really is:
“I swear to support the Constitu
tion of the United States. I pledge
myself, as a Catholic citizen and
Knight ot Columbus, to enlighten
myself fully upon my duties as a ci'.i-
such duties entirely in the inter-t of
iry country und regardless of nil per-
I pledge
to do -ill i
integrity i
»y pui
openly
ently.
civic duty and holds up the constitu
tion of our country as the richest
and most precious possession of a
knight of the oidei ” They state
further that they "can find nothing
in the entire ceremonials of the order
that to our minds could be objeted
to by uny person."
A.- a thirty-third degree Mason and
a working member of the Masonic
[ a pr
itatioi
and
conduit myself in public affairs, and
reflect nothing hut credit upon our
Holy Church, to the end that she may
flourish and our country prosper to
the greater honor and glory of God.'’,
If this is not a simple pledg- o
good Americanism and honest citizen
ship. what would be?
Much has been printed by those
circulating the bogus Knights of Co
lumbus “Oath" tending to mislead
the ptildic into ludieving that in some
way CongrcHs had found it to be true.
They referred to the Congressional
Record of February 15, 1 S» 1:». for the
proof of the genuineness of this scur
rilous so-called "Oath." In the Con
gressional Record of February 15,
I f 11. page* 3215 et seq.. appears a
report of the Committee on Elections
No. 1 on the centered election case
of Eugene C. Bonniwell □ gains*
Thomas C. Butler. The contestant
had alleged that the circulation of the
"Oath" against him was libelous and
a use of means not to he recognized,
etc. After reciting the “Oath" the
ports among other things a.* * allows:
"Thi*' committee cannot condemn
too f’ rongly the publication of the
false and libelous article referred to
in the paper of Mr. Bonniwell, and
which was the spurious Knights of
-Columbus Oath, a copy of which is
■pended to the paper. It al-o con-
trjts the publication of editorials
to excite religious prejudice in a
political campaign. No man should
I e persecuted for hi religion, whe h-
*t he be Catholic or Protestant.”
The matter came before Congress
again on January 29. 1915, when Wil
liam Kittr.?r. a Congre-sman from I
California, delivered tre following
Mi. Kettnir. Mr. Chairman, in
this morning's- mail I received a pam-
phlt from California dealing with n
subject thai ha- engrossed mv otten- j
tion for some time past. It deals
wHh the report of four very promi-j
ni u citizens of my State, all Free
Manor . mu! active in hat fraternal)!
order. The report i- made to Judge
Paul McCormick, of Los Angelos Id
n Bi.van Catholic citizen of that city, 4
sent this report of these distinguish
ed and fair-minded men on a sub
ject which has l**en gro sly misrep
resented and has caused religiou
bitterr.esy und strife. I Ix-lieve in
justice and fair play. In the Sixty-
second Congress the < ommittee on
Elections No. 1, in a c rtain contest
ed election case, incorporated in their
report (H. Kept. No. 1623) an alleg
ed oath or obligation of the Knights
of Columbus, the publication of the
said alleged oath being in connection
« .th a contest for membership in this
boily. Thin alleged oath, which can
be found in the bound Congressional
Record of the Sixty-second Congress,
third session, page 3216, was used to
Jetrimcnt of the Knights of Co
lumbus, whose critics pointed to the
publication of the Congrertdonal Rcc-
1 of the alleged oath ns sort of
proof of its genuineness. The alleg-
il oath having found publication in
le Congressional Record, I think it
but fair that this report dealing with
the oath of the Knights of Columbus
by this distinguished Masonic com
mittee should likewise be given the
name prominence.
The following letter* need
planation:
Hon. Paul J. McCormick,
Court Bouse, Los Angeles.
My Dear Judge: 1 take pleasure in
handing you herewith the findings of
th- committee of Free Masons to
whom you exhibited the cermonials
hiij pledges of the Order of Knight-
of Columbus.
I am very glad tha~ I have been
able, in a measure, to secure this re
futation of a slande rous He which has-
been widely circulated and which has
been disseminated in many cases by
well-meaning, credulous and deluded
persons.
I shall see to it that this- report ha^
wide circulation among Masons and
you may use it in any way you deem
best to bring about an understanding
of the truth among men who. above
all controversies and contentions, de
sire to knew and to follow that which
i- right and true.
Yours cordially,
W. R. HERVEY.
October 9, 1914.
Wo hereby certify that by au-
• thority of the highest officer of the
h • of Golumbua in th Stat
* California, who acted under instruc-
| (ions from the supreme officer of th
.. der in the United States, we v-erc
j furnished a complete copy of all th*
work, ceremonies, und pledges used
! by the order, and that we carefully
i read, discussed and examine*! the
I same. We found that while the order
I is in a sens* a s*eret association, it
i. not an oath-bound organization.
Qjiie new Quick
is the new Stifle
Men and women on every street-
--in every city and town--are pro
nouncing the new B UIC IC.with
Masterpiece Bodies by Fisher,the
most beautiful automobile of the
day --------
Never before in the history of
motor car manufacture ha\e the
motorists of America welcomed
any new automobile as (hey are
welcoming the Silver Anniver
sary Buick with new Master
piece Bodies by Fisher!
Sweeping into the market at a
time when motor car lines were
practically standardized—when
imitation was destroying indi
viduality—these epic Buick
creations introduced an entirely
new mode —
A mode of body-symmetry—of
size and magnificence—of soft
contours instead of straight
I and that its ceremonies arc comprised
! in four degrees which are intended to
teach and inculcate principles that
1 lie at the foundation of every great
religion and every free State. Our
examination of these ceremonials and
obligations was made primarily for
the purpose of ascertaining whether
t-r not a ertain alleged oath of the
Knight.-- of Columbus, which lj*s been
. ’i inted and widely circulated, was : .n
fact used by the order, and whether!
if it were not used, uny oath, obli-j
gallon, or pledge was used which was
or would be offensive to Protestants |
or Masons, or those who are engaged;
in circulating a document of peculiar
viciouanesw and wickedness. We find j
that neither the alleged oath nor any j
oath or pledge bearing the remotest;
resemblance thereto in matter, man
ner, spirit or purpose is used or forms
gree of the Knights of Columbus.
The alleged oath is scurrilous, wicked
and libelous, and must be the inven
tion of an impious and venomous
mind. We find that the order of
Knights of Columbus, as shown by its
rituals, is dedicated to the Catholic
religion, charity and patriotism. There
in no propaganda proposed or taught
against Protestants or Masons or per-
.-<>ns not of Catholic faith. Indeed, j
Protestants and Masons are not re
ferred to directly or indirectly in the
c remnolals and pledges. The cere-
n part of the ceremonies of any de-
monials of the order teacher a high
and noble patriotism, instils a love of
country, inculcates a reverence for
law and order, urges the conscien
tious and unselfish performance of
civic duty, and holds up the Constitu
tion of our country as the richest and
mot* precious possession of a knight
of ‘.he order. We can find nothing in
the entire ceremonials of the order
that to our minds could be objected
to by any person.
MOTLEY HEWES'FLINT.
Thirty-third Degree Past Grand Mas
ter of Masons of California.
DANA REID WELLER,
Thirty-second Degree Past Grand
Master of Masons of California.
WM. RHODES HERVEY.
Thirty-third Degree Past Master and
Matter of Scottish Rite Lodge.
SAMUEL E. BURKE.
Thirty-second Degree Past Master and
Inspector of Masonic District.
Various publishers and distributors
•of this “Oath” have been brought to
court und found guilty of malicious
libel. Among others wan ti.e case of
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs.
Charles Megonegal and Clarence H.
Stage which was tried in Philadelphia
on February 20, 1913. Both defend
ants were found guilty.
The case of the State of Minnesota
vs. A. M. Morrison and Garfield E.
Morrison, the editor* and publishers
of th? Mankato Morning Journal,
Mankato, Minn. Thin case was tried
in Waterville, Minn., on July 29,
19!4. Both defendants were found!
guilty.
Also People vs. Turner, tried at
Santa Cruz, Cal., on October 28,
1914. H. S. Turner, editor of the
Santa Cruz News of Santa Cruz, Cal.,
was found guilty. This case is re
ported in 28 Cal. Appeal 766, 154
itterapted to prove it. .uthenticiu
In f.ct the order ha. had po.ted
some years a .landing off., , 2 -
000 to oe paid to anyone who couli
prove that the Knight, of ColuioU
had any connection whatever u .'
any such oath.
Editor’. Note-The public.,j„„
tne above article is paid for by a local
member of the order of Kr.ight
Columbus with the purpose of .
in the hunds of his fair minded fell,,,,
citizens the real fact, concerning thi.
malicious .lander now being used flir
political purposes in our citv
Adv.
34.
State. 166
; also con-
i distribut-
In the case of Crane vi
Tac. 1110, Roy Crane w
victed for malicious libel
ing thin false “Oath.”
There likewise have been other
cases brought into court in various
states in the Union, all with the same
result It has been proved over and
over again that this socill "Oath”
is a vicious and malicious libel und
the publishers and distributors when
ever fuccd with the issue, have never
FOR RENT—3 unfurnished upst«i r »
room.. Light, and wale, fnrnl.hni
Phone 480.
666
Caret Chilli tad Fever,
Utermitteat, Remittent and
Mliaiu Fever doe la Malaria.
It kill* the Gerau.
. illy steel paneling work em
ployed on any car in the world!
And as the weeks have passed—
and the full significance of
dented proportions!
Buick sales records hi*.* been
broken! Production schedules
have been increased again and
again! The great Buick plants
are working to the limit of their
capacity to supply the demand.
nhc ofilver ^Anniversary*
BUICK
RALPH SIMMERSON, Buick Dealer
KNOW the convenience of having lamps on hand ready :o
replace burnouts as they occur. Buy them at these new
low prices. Pay no money down. Buy as many cartons as
you like and pay for them ia three monthly installments
[Monthly Pay’ts]
Six 60-watt lamps $1.32 - - - - 4lc
Six 23-watt lamps $1.20 - - - - 40c
Georgia
POWER COMPANY
had
th.
supreme offictr of the Knights
olumbus in the United State?, a
the
ork. <
and pledgvi
ed In
der ; thi Knight- of Columbus for
their full examination and inspection.
That Masonic committee consisting
of Motley Hewes Flint, thirty-third do
::r • Mason and past grand master of
Mr -ons of California, formerly post
master of the city of Lo» Angeles,
and president of one of the largest
bank-’ in hat city; Dana Reid Weller,
ond deg
Ma
pas; grand master of California, and
a distinguished member of the Cali
fornia bar; William Rhode.-. Hervey.
thirty-third degre Mason and past
master and master of Scottish Rite
Lodge, and formerly a superior court
judge of Los Angelejj County: and
Samuel E. Burke, thirty-second de
gre? Mar on and past master and in
spector of Masonic district, one of
the most prominent dentists ..f Los
Angelos.
Tr . four men, than whn.n none
sfar.d higher for probity and honor in
the State of California, and who are
throughout the State for their
adherence to th" highest standard?
of personal integrity, have just made
a report on the ceremonies and ritu
al of the Knights of Columbus. They
find unanimously that “the ceremon
ial of the Order teaches a high and
noble patriotism, instils a love of
country, inculcates a reverence for
law and order, urges the consden- 1 '
tiou* and unselfizh performance * 1
Old Mother Hubbard
went to the cupboard,
And found that the
cupooard was bare,
She ’phonedrightaway,
"Send Omega today,”
And now she has
goodies to spare!
Sold :>;• monl a!) tr.i- ^iixvn; in and
around Milledgeviile.
NOTICE
To Ail Buick Owners
i wish to say that our service department is open and operated to give the best
service that is possible to Buick owners. Our mechanics are constantly being
posted with bulletins issued by Buick Motor Company and no other than a autho
rized Buick service station can possibly secure this information and without these
bulletins no mechanic can stay well posted. Not only these bulletins are furnish
ed. but the Buick Motor Company has a service clinic once each year and all ser
vice men meet and for one or two days talk and discuss their experiences they
have had during the past time. I also wish to say that it is perfectly natural for.
the mechanics that are working for a Buick Dealer to take more interest in a
Buick automobile than a so-called mechanic at one of these shade tree garages or
back alley repair shops. Our repair shop is well equipped with special Buick tools
that you will not find at other places and we have nothing and use nothing but
genuine Buick parts, prices on Buick repairs are standard and reasonable all over
the world, and the customer can find out just what he is going to be charged with
before leaving his or her car. Our mechanics are W. N. Knight and Robert Ash-
field. and they wish to extend to you a hearty welcome to our service department
and assure you that you will be treated as they would like to be treated them
selves.
Ralph Simmerson
BUICK DEALER
)