Las Vegas optic., 1914-11-21
MASONS PASS ON
COLUMBIANS'
OATH
THEY REFUTE LI7ELoUs STORY
CIRCULATED BY ANTEcATH-
oLIc PRESS

district deputy for New Mexico, has
written letter to Francis E. Wood
OF Albuquerque, state deputy of the
Knights Of Columbus, expressing his
confidence In the Masonic committee
of California which read the rituals
of the knights of Columbus and de-
clared them to be free from any mat
ter which would be offensive to Ma
sons or Protestants or that would
make of the members Of the order
undesirable citizens. Since New Mex
leo Masonry undoubtedly will be in
terested in the action OF the Cali
fornia members Of the craft, and as
Catholics and Knights of Columbus
also will read with interest the re-
port of the California committee, The
Optic publishes the following article
from yesterdays Albuquerque Herald:
Some two years ago a certain class
Of newspapers published in this
country, Of which The Menace" Is a
type, engaged in fostering religious
hatred and intolerance, published
what purported to be an oath taken
by members of the Knights Of Colum-
bus. It was a blood-curdling affair
purporting to bind members of that
order to actively and secretly insti-
gate an uprising in this country
against Protestants in general and
members Of the Masonic order IN
particular and pledged its members TO
obedience under the most horrible
penalties. Notwithstanding the fact
that persons had been convicted in
different parts of the country Of crim-
inal libel for publishing and circulat-
ing the alleged oath, its circulation
still continued and recently found it's
way into the columns of the South
western Freemason. Judge Paul J.
Mccormick Of Los Angeles, state dep
uty of the Knights of Columbus for
California then secured the permits
sion of the supreme officers of the
order to submit and disclose to a Sc
lect committee composed of four
members Of the highest standing
among the Masons of California, the
entire ritual, obligations and pledges
of the knights OF Columbus. This
was accordingly done and the report
Of that committee and the letter ac-
companying the same is as follows;
Hon. Paul. J. Mccormick,
"Court House, Los Angeles
MY Dear Judge:-I take pleasure
in handing you herewith the findings
of the committee of Freemasons to
whom you exhibited the ceremonials
and pledges of the Order Of knights
of Columbus.
4 am very glad that | have been
able, in measure, to secure this ref
ntation of a slanderous lie which has
been widely circulated and which has
been disseminated in many cases by
well meaning, credulous and deluded
persons.
Il shall see to 1t that this report
has wide circulation among Masons
and you may use it in any way you
deem best to bring about an under
standing Of the truth among men who,
above all controversies and conten-
tions, desire to know and to follow
that which is right and true.
Yours cordially,
RHODES HERvEY.
October 8, 1914"
we hereby certify that, by author
ity Of the highest officers Of the
Knights of Columbus in the state Of
California who acted under instruc-
tions from the supreme officers Of the
order in the United States, we were
furnished complete copy Of all the
work, ceremonies and pledges used by
the order, and that we carefully read,
discussed and examined the same. We.
found that while the order is in Al
sense a secret organization, It is not
on c,fh 1n,,,,.z aroa +, ,,1a4io,, an1 tha4