The Irish standard., 1914-03-21

U. 8. House of Representatives.
STILL PERslsTlNc.
Chased from one hiding place to
another the enemies of the Church
here and there come from under their
ambush and deliver a poorly directed
volley and seek again another hiding
place. Here is an example from q
Texas anti Catholic.
Everybody knows the Catholic
Church organized the Knights of Col;
umbus to tight the Masons. The Ma.
sonic fraternity has been thorn in
the flesh of the political Romanists
because 1t stands solidly for dis.
union of Church particularly the
Catholic) and state. Many Catholics,
in backsliding from Catholic control
and idolatry, found membership in
Freemason lodges.-W. ]. Bryan"
1t will be observed that this absurd
and atrocious statement is credited
to the present Secretary of State of
the United States-the Hon. William
]. Bryan. A Jealous Catholic and
knight of Columbus at Beaumont de.
termined in justice to the knights as
we'll as to the Secretary himself, to
probe the matter little, and the fol-
lowing correspondence ensued:
Letter to Secretary Bryan.
Beaumont. Texas, January 20, 1914.
Hon. VIM. Jennings Bryan, Washing.
ton, D. G. Dear Sir: The attached
clipping is taken from the December
number of The Freemason, L. H. He'll,
editor, published at No. 307 Market
street, San Antonio, Texas.
Now, my dear sir, what we ask in
behalf of eighteen millions of your
Catholic fellow citizens, three hun
bred thousand of whom are members
of the knights of Columbus, is wheth-
er or not you are in any way respons-
ible for the publication, and further,
does this in any way express your
sentiments with reference to the Cath
Ollie Church and the knights of Column
bus?
Trusting for an early response, I
am, yours very truly, G. H. McGILL.
Mr.. Bryan's Reply.
Department of State, Washington,
D. c., February 5, 1914. Mr.. G. H.
McGill, care Of Beaumont Council No
951, Knights of Columbus, Beaumont
Texas. My Dear Mr.. McGill: Your
favor of January 20 was brought to
Mr.. Bryan's attention. The statement
in the clipping which you enclosed is
false. Mr. Bryan has never used any
language which could be tortured into
resembling it. For your information
I enclose copy of letter which Mr.
Bryan wrote to Mr.. He'll, the editor
of the Freemason. Yours, very truly
MANTON M. ARGOUX,
Private Secretary.
Enclosed in Mr.. Bryan's letter was
the following copy:
February S, 1914. Mr.. l.. A. He'll
Editor the Freemason, 3O7 Market
Street, San Antonio, Texas. My Deal
Sir: The enclosed clipping, which
am Informed appeared in the Decem
Der number of the Freemason, wa,
sent to me. write to ask that 20,
publish notice denying the authen
ITCHY of the statement. l have nevel
used such language nor any Language
which could possibly be tortured int
resembling it. Very truly yours,
VIM. ]. BRYAN.
Prescott, representing the A. P. Al
in Washington, attacked Presiden
Wilson because he supposed that hi
private secretary withheld from hin
everything that was of interest t.
non-Catholics. President Wilson's sec
rotary was an Irish Catholic. henc
the charge. The Menace" has farce
very badly of recent date when it
statements were contradicted by non
Catholic clerks in the House of Rer
resentatives, in answer to charge
made by the Menace" against p. ]
Haltigan, the reading clerk. Yer!
recently it was barred from the mail
in Canada. The author Of the state
ment that the Knights of Columbu
were organized to night the Mason
and who credited the statement t
Hon. w. J. Bryan was held up to ridi
cule in q letter from Mr.. Bryan him
self denying the statement NO quar-
ter is left. no hiding place dark enough
to conceal the blackness Of the malic
Of prejudice and bigotry, but fool
] will persist in their folly"