Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-03-01
BITTER ATTACK IS
MADE ON CATHOLICS
Great Secret Order" Comes Out
In Open With Religious
Prejudice
HAD GALLERIES PACKED
Speech Was lMadesAt House Commit
! tee. Hearing l0nlThe Haughey e
Bills

Religion Tor the first time in 200
years was the subject OF attack in the
chamber of the House of Delegates
yesterday afternoon when the Judici-
ary Committee gave a hearing to the
supporters Of the bills, known as the
Haughey Anti-Catholic Bills. George
Waldron, organizer of what has be-
come known as the Great Secret Or
der, was in charge of the supporters
Of the measure, which is chiefly de-
signed to remove all State aid from
institutions not owned outright by the
State. Many of these institutions are
conducted by Catholics.
So bitter was the mans attack that
it created profound resentment even
among the Protestants who were
present However, a clique which
packed the galleries shouted, stamped
feet, boohed or Kissed as Waldron, in
troduced to the House by Delegate
Benjamin f. Haughey, of Baltimore, as
the recognized national organizer of
the Great Secret Order of America"
made the vitriolic attack. After each
particular attack Waldron would look
up to the packed, but silent, galleries,
pause-and that apparently would be
the signal, and then the outburst
would come, and would stop as Wal
dron, the evident master OF the crowd
would raise his eyes and his hand
Tho bills under discussion were in
troduced by Haughey at the instance
of Waldron, who edits an anti-Catho
lie paper which has been circulated
here, ar q who was one of the chief
organizers of the anti-Catholic parade
which was held in Baltimore the night
before recent election.
Haughey and Waldron were in close
conference before the public meeting;
in fact, so close in the early session
of the House that Delegate Curry, of
Baltimore City, had to arise and ask
the Speaker about the propriety of a
lobbyist occupying a Delegates
seat on the floor Waldron was in the
chair next to Haughey, in whispered
conference.
Waldron began his address by an
answer to the charge made on the
floor of the House yesterday by Dele
gate Benson that Waldron was a
cheap CRATER" and for sale to the
! highest bidder" An apparent signal
| to the packed galleries brought forth
vociferous applause as he issued a
defy to any man to prove that as
sertion," and as he had never receiv-
ed a penny Of compensation for any
/ of his services to the order
The secret order" boss then intro
duced a Mr. LOngacre, who said he
was from Montgomery County. who,
prcfacing his remarks like his chief.
started less violent but none the less
apparent attack on Catholicism, and
cited legislation in other States, which
he said was similar to the proposed
Haughey bills.
Waldron is said to have made the
claim that he elected large part OF
the city delegation here and also is
said to have declared he holds writ
/ ten promises from these delegates to
vote as he distates on certain bills.
Former Attorney General Charles j.
Bonaparte and Robert J. Biggs, presi-
dent of the St Vincent de Paul So
cietv. two of Baltimore's leading lay
Catholics. heard Waldron's attack
Practically all of the space in the gal
leries and q great deal of that on the
floor was taken up by the crowd oil
men and women who it is reported
was brought to Annapolis by Waldron
in two special cars to pack the