The Irish standard., 1915-10-09

A powerful nti-Catholic organiza,
tion has been formed in Philadelphia
1t may spread over the State, and an
attempt made to establish branch
In the neighborhood of every Division
OF our Order. 1t is announced, in.
deed, that it will ramify to the furth.
ermost end of the United States. It
is declared by responsible individuals
that the old Know Nothing party is
being revived, and that a nationwide
propaganda will be fnaugurated to
disbar Catholics from public. social
and commercial success.
The Know Nothing party, which
convulsed the nation in the decade
between 1910 and 1850, was secret.
Its only public operations were con.
fined to the burning of Catholic
churches, schools and converts. It
also drove Catholics from public life,
ruined many Catholic merchants, de-
prived thousands of Catholics of the
opportunity to earn a livelihood, and
murdered and maltreated them on the
streets during riots in many of our
large cities. Unscrupulous politicians
used the Know Nothing movement,
which was composed of the credulous
and prejudiced elements of the popu.
lation, for personal aggrandizement
The same forces are now at work as
were used with such fiendish cruelty
in the bloody ti-Catholic riots of
1874, when Philadelphia was the scene
of religious civil war.
The new anti-Catholic organization
is openly hostile to Catholic candi-
dates for public Office. Their public
announcements declare frankly that
all non-Catholics must be organized to
prevent Catholics from attaining pub.
lie recognition. The fight is to go
on, the bigots declare, until there is
not a single Catholic in public life.
Some of the statements made are ex-
travagantly bitter. One Of these is
in a public address declaring that
Catholics now control eighty-five per
cent. of all public offices-National,
State and municipal-and this must
be entirely destroyed" This public
statement of policy continues that "
Protestants must object to this con-
troll and must fight, even If it means
the shedding of blood. There is not
enough being now said about creed
and religion and race. We are in the
fight to stay, and keep Catholics out
of Office as we'll as Catholic-controlled
officials"
One of the anti-Catholic speakers
at great meeting of this new Know
Nothing party said: I'VE have already
swatted the Mormon Church, and the
great fight against the Roman Catho-
lie Church is on" There are meet
ings being held in Philadelphia that
are said to be attended by upwards
Of twenty thousand members Of this
anti Catholic organization. Addresses
are made in which the purpose is an
nounced of spreading the organization
all over the country. About four thou
sand new members, we learn through
the newspapers, are initiated each
week, every new member taking an
ti-Catholic pledge with upraised
hand and clenched fist. The clenched
fist means that he vows to oppose
Catholicism in every form with force,
If necessary. Among the vows is one
to the effect that il the member mar
ries Catholic he will cause the chill
dren to be raised in the Protestant
faith. The whole spirit of the new
Know Knothing organization is inim-
ical to Catholics as individuals and to
everything partaking of the Catholic
religion.
The organization is known as the
H. C. Stone Mems Club. It is COLO
Quially called the "Stone-Men." Over
seventy thousand members, 1t was al
legged, had been initiated at the end
of September, and it was then ex-
pected that over one hundred thousand
would be within the "Stone-men" be-
fore the November election. Yet the
"Stone-men" are not organized solely
to eliminate Catholics from politics
by the use of the ballot. They pro-
pose also to drive them from leader
ship in industry and from eminence
in all walks of life. They also in
tend to use the boycott against Cath
olic storekeepers, and the weapons of
prejudice are being placed in the
hands of the "Stonemen" for use
: against their neighbors in way that
is discreditable to American citizen.
: ship.
The "stone.men" have openly an.
nounced their political purposes. But
their designs against their Catholic
fellow-citizens in other than political
areas have been kept secret. Their
methods are hidden and their ulti'
mate object is at present obscure
Whether the intention is to simply dis
bar all Catholics from the prizes Of
life, or to finally outlaw them by stat
ute 10 not now plain. The attempt
however, to influence public opinion