Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-03
PATRIOTISM NEED
OF COUNTRY SAYS
NOTED LECTURER
Joseph Scott, Los Angeles, in Address
Before knights of Columbus in
Davenport, Pleads Loyalty.
CLAIMS CRISIS is REACHED
Declares Never a Time Since Lincoln
Whom Spirit of Harmony and CO.
operation More Needed.

Speaking before the Knights OF Co
lumbus convention last night on
American Citizenship" Joseph Scott
of Los Angeles, Cal, touched sharply
upon the problem Of religious preju-
dice. Mr.. Scott is lecturer for the re-
ligious prejudice committee of the SUI
preme council of the Knights OF
Columbus.
No matter, he said. how loyal the
Americans are in their hearts to the
spirit OF patriotism, it is necessary to
implant the idea of patriotism, firmly
in the plastic minds of our children.
There never was a time since Lincoln'S
presidency when this country needed
more the spirit of harmony and Co
operation from all classes and con-
ditions of people.
The only test of loyalty to this
country" said Mr.. Scott, lis a firm be-
lief among its citizens OF the Amerl-
can ideal as being superior TO any 9TH
er ideal now existing on earth"
Easy on the Hyphen.
Discussing some recent problems
Mr.. Scott said: "A great deal is being
said now about the hyphenated Amer
lean 1t would be well to put a soft
pedal upon talk of that kind Let 1t
be remembered that the hyphen orig
inally was put upon the immigrant as
a badge of exclusion il certain sections
of our country, particularly where the
Anglo Saxon stock predominated-
The knights of Columbus has no
limitation on its membership growing
out of racial distinction It may be
somewhat helpful, however, to empha-
size for the benefit of those who are
not knights OF Columbus that mere
racial prejudices are not the only dill
ficulties which confronts the nation to
day. A more subtle influence Is abroad
in the land in the character OF an or
ganized campaign TO dlscredlt the
Catholic church and to brand Amerl-
cans of that religious belief as I'M
worthy of the confidence of their fel-
low citizens. Men and even women,
have been going through this country
on lecture platforms, and through pub
lie print with a campaign of villiflca-
ton of the manhood and wOmanhoOd
OF the Catholic church which would
resurrect even the dead TO righteous
Indignation. We Catholic men are just
like the rest of you, with limit or
human patience For centuries we
have been taught to respect our moth
ers, our wives, our sisters and our
daughters, and if, therefore, the mails
read by decent people it is hardly to
be wondered at if in certain places i'm
puISive men have resented insults to
their women in a manner not war
ranted by law.
81 am surprised to note that a great
deal of this scandal mongery comes
from the south, the land of chivalry
and gallantry hardly exceled in
history"
Returning to his subject of citizen
ship Mr.. Scott said:
my observation has led me to be-
lieve that there is some anxiety even
among some otherwise well-informed
people as to the political power of the
pope Ordinarily that would be an ex-
tensive subject to consider in one
night Contemporary history has,
however, afforded an illustration that
should remove the last lingering sus-
picion of doubt from such anxious
citizens.
Allegiance Not Political.
eve Catholic Americans owe no po-
1itical allegiance to the pope. He has
no civil powers whatever over our &C
tivities, 1 am saying this deliberately,
and without eQuiyOcatiOn or reserVa-
ton, and am asking you to accept 1t
with the sincerity with which it is
expressed
$50 long as religious liberty is prac-
ticed under the spirit Of the constitu-
ton the Catholic would be the veriest
migrate who would not give his whole
hearted allegiance TO this country. If
we only look abroad therefore for the
illustration TO which I refer we will
see Catholics of every country in Eur
ope dying by the thousands for the
flag of their nation. In some instances
that flag typifies a country which has
in the past promulgated and enforced
discriminating laws against the Cath
oIice church, and deprived Catholics
OF their just rights, and positively pre-
scribed their freedom and happiness,
but it is the flag of their country, and
the Catholics patriotism is living
virtue, and he feels impelled to respond
to the call of patriotism and the
bounded duty of his conscience.
81 think / voice the sentiments of
the membership of the knights of Co
lumbuS and of every intelligent Cath
Ollie in this country when | say that we
deeply appreciate the spirit of toler-
ance and good feeling which for the
most part exists among our non-Cath-
olice brethren throughout the length
and breadth of the land. Bishop Mora,
the early Spanish Bishop of Los An
geles, always alluded TO his non-Cath-
Ollie fellow-citiZens as his separate
brethren, a most charming reference,
which never failed to strike respOn-
Sive chord.
I'VE are furthermore not unmind-
full of the fact that elsewhere in for
eign countries the religious line has
been drawn sharp and hard, and very
often it is the dead line of strife and
bitterness. II any of my Catholic
friends are doubling the accuracy of
my opinion in this matter, particularly
If he comes from Europe or any other
part of the civilized world, let him go
back there and compare the attitude OF
the non-Catholic of that country with
the spirit which pervades the nom