Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-04

little leaf1et by John j. Keegan of
Bath, State Deputy Supreme knight
for Maine, Knights of Columbus, UNI
der the title Not Defence-Not n
Plea. Just a Truth About a Diaboli-
cal Lie" tells it's own story:
On Columbus day the knights Of
| Columbus of Los Angeles, Cal, well
coined home from his ad limina visit
to Rome their beloved Bishop, Right
Reverend Thos. Conaty. At the
celebration held in the handsome new
club house of the knights. which was
dedicated just one year ago, a letter
of vital interest to every Catholic IF
the country as well as to the Knights
and citizens was read by the Chairman
and occasioned the widest enthuiasm.
1t follows:
Hon. Paul J. Mccormick,
Court House, Los Angeles.
My Dear judge
| / take pleasure in handing you here
with the findings of the committee of
Free Masons to whom you exhibited the
ceremonials and pledges of the Order of
knights of Columbus.
l am very glad that | have been able,
IN a measure, ito secure this refutation of
| a slanderous lie which has been widely
circulated and which has been dissent
mated in many cases by well meaning,
credulous and deluded persons.
shall see to it that this report has
wide circulation among Masons and you
may use 1t in any way you deem best to
bring thout an understanding Of the
truth among men who, above all con-
troversies and contentious. desire to
know and to follow that which is right
and true.
Yours cordially.
| Oct. 9, 1911. w. RHODES HERVEY.
! Judge Mccormick explained thai,
because of the wide circulation of a
! called knights of Columbus OATH"
and especially because of the alleged
oath" had found its way into the
columns of the Southwestern Free
| Mason he had placed the ritual and
obligations of the knights in the
| hands of a committee of Masons AS
| it was represented that the Knights
were actively, though secretly, urging
an uprising against Masons and
Protestants. because bound by oath to
do So the judge felt it necessary TO
take this step. He said:
AS State Deputy of the Order in
California. as a member of it, and AS
a loyal American citizens. | could not
pass by these vile falsehoods and
sianderous statments. After securing
permission from the heads of our Or.
der, ] submitted its ritual together
With its pledges. to a committee IF
Masonic authorities here for them ts.
determine the falsity or truth of these
Misrepresentation"
The findings of the committee We're
next read, and the names of the
preventative citizens who signed
| them We're greeted with ringing
cheers. These findings are here Civ
en-in full and deserve the widest pos
! sible circulation:
We hereby certify that by author
ity of the highest officer of the Knights
of Columbus in the State of California,
who acted under instructions from the
supreme officers of the Order in the
United States. we were furnished "A
complete copy of all the work, cere-
monies and pledges used by the Order,
and that we carefully read, discussed
and examined the same. We found
that while the Order is in a sense a
| secret association, 1t is not an oath
bound organization and that it's cere-
monies are comprised in four degrees,
which are intended to teach and in :
culcate principles that lie at the
! foundation of every great religion and
every free state. Our examination of
these eeremonials and obligations was
made primarily for the purpose of as
pertaining whether or not a certain
alleged oath of the Knights of Column
bus which has been printed and wide
ly circulated was in fact used by the
Order and whether, If it was not used.
any oath, obligation or pledge was
used which was or would be offensive
| to Protestants or Masons, or those
who are engaged in circulating docu-
ment of peculiar viciousness and
wickedness. We find that neither tho
alleged oath nor any oath or pledge
bearing the remotest resemblance
thereto in matter, manner, spirit or
purpose is used or forms a part of tho
! ceremonies of any degree of the
i knights of Columbus. The alleged
oath is scurrilous, wicked and libelous
and must be the invention Of an i'm
pious and venomous mind. We find
that the Order of Knights of Column