The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-03-03
Ardmore, Wednesday, March 8, 1910
MASONS MAKE REPORT

II is a matter of regret that in this
state during the last political cam
paign religious prejudice was intro
duced into the fight for political pre-
ferment with a fervOr unbecoming a
sane people. Articles were published
giving the names of members OF the
Catholic church, who were candidates
and advising protestants to vote
against them. There was published
also what was reputed to be the oath
taken by knights of Columbus that
was calculated to stir up a bitter re-
ligious prejudice against the Catholics.
An investigation of the knights Of
Columbus was recently made by four
of the most honorable Masons in the
State of California, and the finding
of this committee has been given gen
eral- circulation. The Dallas News
has written an editorial on the find
ings of the committee, which is true
and which expresses our sentiment,
and is used here because il Is better
written than one we might write, and
because we would like to contribute
our full share toward overcoming as
we'll as il may be done, this prejudice
which has been built up. The News
says:
A committee of distinguished Ma
sons living in California has had un-
der consideration the ritual of the
knights of Columbus as we'll as the
pledges and oaths taken by the men,
invited by the supreme officers of the
Knights of Columbus, was made, to
quote its own language, "for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether or not a
certain alleged oath of the Knights of
Columbus, which has been printed
and widely circulated was 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 a docu-
ment of peculiar viciousness" And its
finding has been, to quote its own Ian
guage:
1--WE find that neither the alleged
OATH nor any oath or pledge bearing
the remotest resemblance thereto in
matter, manner, spirit or purpose is
used or forms part of the ceremo-
nies of any degree of the Knights of
Columbus. The alleged oath is sour
rilous, wicked and lIbelous, and must
be the invention of an impious and
venomous mind. We find that the or
der of knights of Columbus, as shown
by its rituals, is dedicated to the
Catholic religion, charity and patri-
otism. There is no propaganda, pro-
posed or taught, against Protestants
or Masons or persons not of Catholic
faith. Indeed, Protestants or Masons
are not referred to directly or indi-
rcctly in the cerCmonials and pledges.
The ceremonial of the order teaches
high and noble patriotism, instills a
,oye of country, inculcates reverence
for law and order, urges the conscien-
tious and unselfish performance of
civic duty, and holds up the consti.
tuition of our country as the richest
and most precious possession of a
knight of the order. We can find
nothing in the entire ceremonial that
to our minds, could be objected to
by any person"
There are men, and even organiza
tions in this country that have ex
plotted this sectarian prejudice for the
profits that were to be made out OF
their reasonable and unholy enter
prise. They have used the Protestant
religions to engender suspicious anC
hatreds which violate the spirit o
every religion. They have been pan
derers to the basest of passions. The!
have comforted the ignorant and vi
cious, and, what is infinitely worse
they have deluded and betrayed man.