Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-04
NOTHING REVOLUTIONARY
 iM HIS CANDIDACY
Says Rev. w. A. keefe Commenting on
 New York Newspaper Article.

In it's Connecticut edition on Sunday the New York Herald said:
 The more than ten thousand mem bers of the Knights of Columbus in Connecticut are stirred as Columbian circles have not been in many years over an appeal which has just been circulated in behalf of the candidacy of the Rev. William A. Keefe of Plainfield for state delegate to the national council of the order.
 The announcement of Father keefe's | candidacy has developed at once a sit 1 uatton which presents two features of an unprecedented nature in Columbian history in Connecticut It also is sig | nificant, it is said, of an attempt to ! revolutionize the policy of the state
 organization, especially in it's attitude l toward the national administrat ton of 1 the Knights of Columbus.
 l One disregard of precedent is the ! direct appeal to members of the order 1 in Connecticut to support a particular l candidate for state delegate. It has 1 been the custom for the delegates to l the state council to select the dele gates to the national council from the 1 floor. Candidates have been worked up l under cover heretofore, but in no cir curnstances, it is said, has formal an- 1 nourcement of any candidacy been made prior to the convening of the state council.
 Another novel phase of the situa- 1 ton, which renders fl exceedingly em- barra ssin" and delicate, it is said, is the clerical character of the candidate, whose cause, instead of being promoted covertly. is openly espoused in such a manner as to make the bid for his support formidable.
 ! The significance of the flying in the face of precedent in the announcement of Father Keefe'S candidacy for state delegate and in the appeal in his be- half, it is said, is Q movement to nega- tive the power of the present state ad- minfstration and, by sending a divided delegation to the national council, to drive the entering wedge for placing Connecticut in the insUrgent class in national councils.
 Many Knights throughout the state say that the circular appeal for Father 1 Keefe bears vivid testimony to the de- termination of the opposition to exact recognition from the state council which will be held in Hartford on the
 first Tuesday in May. The appeal Is Norwich Bulletin. Father heefe was
 formerly a curate of q parish in Nor
 wich and the Columbian council there has in6orsed his candidacy.
 Norwich is the home of John Lee, fourth degree master of the Knights of Columbus. and through 3Ir. Lees influence, it is said, Father heefe was appointed a lecturer of the order. Fa- l ther keefe has lectUred before most of 1 the councils in the state, and his con-
 
 ! bers of the order is of considerable ac-
 7ount as an aid to his candidacy for
 delegate to the great national council
 to be held in Seattle, Wash, this year of the Panama exposition.
 It is reported, but not officially, that
 the administration leaders will pface a l candidate in opposition to Father ] h<eefe in the person of the Rev. John 1 NcCfivney of New Haven, the state | chaplain of the order Evidences are 1 70 a O haF l est would engender the most active rivalry that a Columbian convention 1T Connecticut has seen in many years l Already there IS the keenest discussion although in no way bitter toned of the l, nrospect of the clergymen's rival can- ' 1idacies.
 | Nothing Revolutionary" Says Father
 Keefe.
 A Bulletin representative called upo1 ] Father Keefe at St. John's rectory il = Plainfeld Sunday and asked him if h, l had rear the article in the New YorI = Herald. lie answered that he had. H.
 was then asked if he cared to make l statement in reply. q don't know, said Father Keefe, "as there is mucI u that 1 care to say at this time. Tht :: article in question, from w1atsoeve 3 source it was inspired, seems to b, k 3 mixture of fact and fancy, so wove1
 together as to make it appear a i though the fact that I had been men !, toned as a possible candidate for dele 5 gate to the Su~reme assembly to b. e held i'll Seattle next August was e revolutionary act. It is true that m, c name is likely to be presented to tn S next state assembly for a place on tn = Connecticut delegation. ] consented t q 'oe 8 candidate at the solicitati 0 . l prominent members of the order il
 different sections of the state, and tn s lrst council to endorse candidac. , was the Norwich council, of which r | am a member. The statement in tn q 1 Herald that 1t is contrary to preceden I TOT any council or any number o n councils to express their preference q for state delegates prior to the as Q sen1bling of the state convention i ; untrue as that seems to have bee1 :. l the practice that has prevailed fo : some years past, and at least one othe e council besides White Cross council 0
 Norwich, namely. a New Haven coun
 Gil, has already, by circular letter sen
 1 To all the councils in the state, an T hounceu us endorsement of one of it u U members for a state delegate" 2 What about the statement that YOU . candidacy is in opposition to the pres = 1 ent state administration, and that you 2 supporters are amongst the insurgen d cl2Ss?' Father keefe was asked
 As regards that" he said, q did no Q know, neither do I believe, that ther T i $ any so-called insurgent class il U Connecticut. I cannot see anything i | this state to insurge over. Under tn = able administration of State Deput
 l William J. Mulligan the order ha
 gone steadily forward, increasing i
 membership and influence, and neve - In it's history has the prospects, fo Q progress been so bright as at the pres ] ert time. And what is true of Con ! necticut holds good for the country a 0 1 large wherever the order is establish = ed. am proud of any part that I ma, l nave played in the magnificent prog s ress of Coiumbianism in Cunnecticu I and elsewhere during the past feT I years. believe that as loyal Catholic = and Americans we should never gFoy 1 weary In our zeal for spreading tn
 glorious principles of unity, fraternit,
 charity and noblest patriotism, fo
 which all loyal Knights of ColurnbtI g 1 should always stand
 n Putnam and Rockville Public Build