Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-08-19
A LIBELoUs CIRCULAR.

(From Telegraph Herald, August 12).
That the alleged knights OF Colum-
bus oath circulated. for political eff
feet In Iowa in the last election is
q forgery and that Fourth Degree
Tor any other degree) members take
no oath whatever was brought out
In a pros ecution for criminal libel
in ,Wateryille, Minnesota, last week.
The prosecuting witness was E. M.
Lawless, editor of the Watervtlle
Sentinel, who was charged by A. M.
Morrison and G.. E. Morrison, father
and son, with having subscribed to
the alleged oath. The trial furnish
cd the order the first opportunity
ever given it, to put the. real obliga-
ton Of the Fourth Degree in evidence
and make it a matter of court
record, Numbered among the jurors
was Rev. Thomas Billing, the resi-
dent Methodist minister of Water
vile, who was not challenged by the
complainant and who, the verdict OF
the jury being unanimous, must have
voted for conviction Another. fact
Of interest was the appearance OF the
Rev. H. E. Chapman, the pastor OF
the local Congregational church, as
witness for the prosecution in the
matter Of publication. ~ ~. !
The defendants by their failure to
attempt to establish the authenticity
Of the. bogus oath admitted their fg-
norance Of its truth. They threY
themselves on the mercy OF the
court and sought ito establish that
there was no intent to libel the COM
plainant The latter not only de-
MED in vehement terms that he
had subscribed to the alleged OATH,
which, did he subscribe to 1t,
would mark him with the merited
execration OF his fellow men, but
affirmed that there was no such
OATH: Two supreme officers OF the
order, Dr.. Buckley Of St. Paul and
Secretary Mckinley of New Haven,
Connecticut, testified that the COM
plainant did not and could not have
subscribed to the oath as { alleged.
Secretary Mckinley placed a copy
Of the Fourth Degree obligation in
evidence and it was made part Of,
the records Of the trial. He 4 en-:
phasized the fact that !, the knights
Of Columbus was not an oath-bound
society, and that no member was
asked to take mQse than an obliga-
tion which any gentleman : might
take. Both DR.. Buckley and Mr.. Nc
Ginley testified that the bogus oath.
which was the subject matter Of the
prosecution, was not, either in letter
or spirit, a part Of the ceremonial
Of the knights Of Columbus in any
Of its degrees. G.,:.3., - + : 8
The obligation as subscribed to
by Fourth Degree members and as
presented IA evidence follows: st
r. Il swear to support the Com
stitution Of the United States.
s5.I pledge myself, as Catholic :
citizen and a KnighlAof Columbus,
5 !! to- enlighten myself fully up
( on my. duties as a citizen and to NJ NJ
conscientiously perform such du-
ties entirely in the interest Of my &,
country and regardless Of all per
"a sonal onsequences.ri I pledge i,
myself to do all In my power to b;
preserve the integrity and purity
;sof the ballot and to promote Qhe- \.
4 dfence and respect for law and Ss
y order. promise t. practice my
religion; openly and consistently,
Y but without Il ostentati>sn and to s:
90 conduct mys.slf in pn,s slic f:.s II :; :
fairs and In the exercis e<of public
virtue as tosreflect nothing but @
credit upon our holy church, to
II the, end that she may flourish and q
4 I our country prosper to the great %3S
II er honor and glory OF God. s,5