Waterbury Democrat., 1901-06-10

IlcS, fatner SlOcum SalQ there WOuLu be no need of Catholic federation.
 ''SIost of you," said Father Slocum, are Irish Catholics and 1t is impossi- ble to conceive of Irish Catholics be- coming oppressors of religious or civil liberty. For nearly 300 years your fathers have been in the trenches, so to speak, in defense of religious and civil liberty. The first thing they demanded of James II, before raising hand in defense of his claim was that he grant a bill of religious liberty, guaranteeing equality to every man no matter what he believed. The leaders of the Irish people have in most instances been men of noble aspirations, most of them Protestants, Wolfe Tone, Emmet, and the last one to unite them in a common cause, though unfortunate, still dear to the Irish people. 1t would be i'm possible for the decendants of the men of '99 and of AS to forget the past and became oppressors of others. The church would not permit them if they would and the blood in their veins would cry out against them if they could"
 In closing Father Slocum dwelt up on the absurdity of the claim that the church is dangerous institution, and pointed to the efforts of Bishop Hughes of New York, and the Catholic bishops of Chicago and Pennsylvania on behalf of peace during the riots in these plac- es. There was not Catholic in the Haymarket riot but nine of the men who lost their lives while endeavoring to preserve the public peace were Cath olics and every priest in that city be- came to tower of strength on the side of law and order
 Father Slocum cited various other in- stances in support of Catholic loyalty to the stars and stripes notably the stubborn fact that the Catholic sol dier aimed as straight at the Spanish flag with the cross on it as he did at the Chinese emblem adorned with the dragon and O'Neill fought as furious ly against the Catholic subjects of Isa- bella at San Juan as Reilly did on the wall at Pekin. The fact that Alphonso was the Godchild of the pope did not deter the American Catholic soldier from performing his duty. He had but one thing in mind and that was the de- fense of the stars and stripes and he allowed nothing to stand between him and it. .
 After mass the American band ap- peared opposite the church and dis coursed appropriate selections. Then the societies, followed by long line of carriages, proceeded to the cemetery and marched to the grave of the found CT Of the order. Prayers were offered by the national chaplain, Rev F. A. Me Gtyney, the Rev Fathers McGuane. Flannery, Frederick MeGivney and the vast assemblage. joining in the re- sponses. The floral emblem brought here by Washington council was plac-, ca upon the grave and then the process sion marched to City hall where din- her was served. Caterer Pond had an excellent spread awaiting the party and all partook of it with a relish When the wants of the inner man had been attended to, T. F. Donovan. chair man Of the committee or arrangements. called the meeting to order and intro dueed Mayor Kilduff as presiding of ficer.. -sgi1s y I1 I GtJ Mayor Kflddff spoke btfefl5, wel,c!oiDn1Ia D1 I ing the visiting Knights to Waterb,lrvI among the rugged hills of the Manga tuck valley and then introduced the Rev F. A. McGiyney who spoke upon the order of the Knights of Columbus. and the great work before in the years that are yet to be He laid par tieular stress upon the fact that if we should go back and discover what was in the mind of the founder of the or ganization when he was getting it in shape 1t would be shown that his aim was to draw men nearer to the church and thus make them better Christians and more useful members of the state
 Past State Deputy McClosky of Brooklyn delivered an interesting ad- dress on pilgrimages, beginning at the earliest times and coming down to our own day.
 Rev John J. McGivney spoke on the grand demonstration made by the Knights and thanked all on behalf of the family Other speakers were W. J. Neary of Naugatuck, Attorney Dan- aher of Meriden and the Rev Father Flannery of Milford The speakers were enthusiastically received and all warmly endorsed the sentiments ex- pressed by the Rev Father Slocum in his sermon.
 The visitors left on the 5:1O train, the American band and the local Knights accompanying them to the rail- road station. =
 During the parade yesterday many of the houses on Dublin street were handsomely decorated with American flags and presented very attractive appearance.
 Among the guests in the K. of c. parade yesterday were District Deputy Teylin of New Britain and past Grand Knight NJ. F. Baker, of Winsted who | also was state treasurer of the order | for a number of years.
 Some of the tunes played yesterday by the American band during the Me Givney day parade, notably the ''Grot- to March" ''The Gallant Twenty sixth" ''The Battleship Oregon and
 ''Katzenjammer." were composed by
 Professor Fulton, leader of the band. All the numbers were we'll received, but the "Grotto March, seemed to be
 the favorite among a large number of
 music lovers.
 Naugatuck and the different towns
 along the valley were well represented
 in the McGivney day parade, and it is said that xuora if not for fbo fo of +bo f