Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-08-03
R%ACE-RELIGI0US
PREJUDICE TOPIC
HEARD BY K. C.'S
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS IN ANNUAL
CONVENTION HEAR PATRIOTIC
ARGUMENT BY LECTURER.
DECLARES IT WOULD be WELL TO
PUT SOFT PEDAL ON TALK
OF nYPnEMATED AMERICAN.

DAVENPORT, Iowa, Aug. 3.-Speak-
ing befor the Knights Of Columbus con
%vention last night on American Citizen
ship, Joseph S,ott Of Los Angeles, Cal
ifornia, touched sharply upon the prob
lens of religious prejudice. Mr.. Scott
is lecturer for the Religious Prejudice
Committee Of the Supreme Council Of
the Knights Of Columbus.
No matter, he said, how loyal the
Americans are in their hearts TO the
spirit of patriotism, il is necessary to
implant the idea Of patriotism. firmly
in the plastic minds of our children.
There never was a time since Lin
coins presidency when this country
needed more the spirit of harmony and
cooperation from all classes and condi-
lions Of people.
The only test Of Loyalty to this cOun-
try said Mr.. Scott, lis a firm belief
among its citizens in the American Ideal
as being superior to any other ideal now
existing on earth.'
Discussing some recent problems Mr..
Scdit said: "A great deal is beng said
now about the hyphenated American.
Ii would be well to put "A soft pedal up.
talk Of that kind. Let it be remembered
that the hyphen originally was put upon
the immigrant as a badge OF exclusion
in certain sections Of 0ur country, par
t%icularly where the Anglo Saxon stock
predOmin&e ed.
The Knights Of Columbus has no linn
%itation on its membership growing out
OF racial distinction. 1t may be some
what helpful, however, to emphasize
for the benefit of those who are not
Knights of Columbus that mere racial
prejudices are not the only difficulties
which cOnfronts the nation today. A
more subtle influence is abroad in the
land in the character of an organized
campaign to discredit the Catholic
church and to brand Americans Of that
religious belief as unworthy of the con-
fidence Of their fellow citizens. Men and
even women, have been going through
this country on lecture platforms and
through public print with a campaign
of villific:t ion of the manhood and wo-
manhood of the Catholic church which
would resurrect even the dead to right
eous Indignation. We Catholic men are
just like the rest of you, with our wives,
our sisters and our daughters. and if.
therefore, the mails are filled with liter
atslre unfit Ito be read by decent people
it is hardly to be wandered at if in GER
tain places impulsive men have resented
insults to their women i'm a manner not
warranted by law.
Il am surprised to note thar a great
deal Of this scandal mongery comes from
the south, the land Of chivalrv and gal
lantry hardly excellcl in history"
Returning To his subject u .,..enship
Mr. Scott said:
MY observations have 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 tx
~tensive subject to consider in one night.
Contemporary history has however af-
forded an illustration that shonid re-
move the last lingering suspicion Of
doubt from such anxious c~itizers.
We Catholic Americans owe no po-