The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-06-27


Notwithstanding the fact that this
event has held the front page
headlines of the Roman Catholic
press for the past six months, and
notwithstandin ing the fact that the
Knights of Columbus boast Of nearly
a half million membership, the press
announces that only fifty thousand
were in attendance. At any rate a
gay old time was had. Cracked ice
and cracked heads were in evidence
toward the close of the proceedings,
yet the details are lacking in the ma
jority of the Romanized dailies of
the land. President Taft, of course,
made the unwilling speech.
Following the unvei1ing, the Ital-
ian Ambassador and Ministers from
European legations spoke of the
glory and honor due the bold discOv
erer who made known the possibili-
ties of the Western Hemisphere. Sec
rotary of State Philander G. Knox,
chairman of arrangements, took
charge Of the parade and the review
ing stand. In the parade were 90
600 regulars, militia and Knights of
Columbus The Knights were given
right of way over all other civic
bodies.
The Columbus statue was erected
with money appropriated by con-
gress, and paid by the taxation Of all
the people Of the United States, re-
CARELESS Of religious belief, or the
lack of any religious belief what
ever; yet the dedication Of that
statue was entirely a function Of the
Catholic Church, managed wholly by
members Of that church, and it was
designed from the beginning to end
as an advertisement and a glOrifCa-
ton of that church. The parade
down Pennsylvania avenue is said to
have been composed of more than
10000 knights of Columbus Gall
Cath olics), together with several
thousand members of Italian socie-
ties Gall Catholics). These people
came from all parts of the United
States and Canada, and some came
from as far away rs Australia Gall
CathOlicS). 1t was an occasion when
mo Protestant or nOnCathOlic need
apply" There are many thousands
of Freemasong, Odd Fellows, Elks,
knights Of Pythias, and members of
other secret societies in Washington
and other places who might have de
sired to do honor to the memory of
Columbus by marching in that pa
rade, but as they are all 'non-Cath-
Ole" they were denied the privilege
except that one small lodge Of col
ored knights of Pythias was per-
mitted to join in the procession
This concession is supposed to have
been granted as sort of currying of
favor with the cOlored people pre-
liminary to an attempt that is to be
made to convert all of them to Cath
olicism. The Red Men Of Washing
ton begged urgently and insistestIy
to be permitted to march in the pa
rade, but were denied the right on
the ground that there was mot
enough Of them" (only about 400),
yet the small number Of twenty Gu
ban Catholics from Havana were well
coined gladly, and given a prominent
place in the parade. Except some so
or 60 colored Knights of Pythias,
the only 'non-Catholics" who were
in the parade were among the United
States soldiers, who We're ordered
out to lend Importance and an air of
nationality to this purely Catholic
occasion and 'fete day
In the face Of the facts like this
Catholics will stand up and grow
black in the face, arguing and pro-.
testing that the Catholic Church is
fixedly, determinedly and unalter-
ably opposed to union Of Church
and State, or of ANYTHING that