The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1920-05-01


Of the 1852 councils as separate en-
titles, thirteen and half millions of
/ dollars were expended in insurance
benefits. Besides, more than $780,
600 was contributed Immediately fol-
| lowing the San Francisco disaster to
aid the earthquake sufferers. The
flood sufferers of Kansas, Ohio and
Texas; the fire sufferers of Chelsea,
| Salem, Northern Minnesota and
across the international border; the
victims of the awful calamity in Hal
flax were participants in the charities
of the order, regardless, of their creed
or color"
Mr.. Goldstein was asked if the or
der did not tend to localize the SYM
pathy of the membership. "Quite to
the contrary" said he, "since the fra
= ternity of the Knights of Columbus
is exmplified in. mutual assistance,
the wide catholicity and duty of man
to man, citizen to citizen, and neigh
Dor to neighbor. The proof lies in
their manifold experiences. The or
der's great work is not narrowed down
merely to the relationship of Sir
1 Knight to Sir Knight, it is seen in the
public works of the society. Especi-
ally in the recent world war is its
universally seen by its motto; EV-
ERYBODY WELCOME, EVERY
THING FREE.
Next after God, you say the
knights are pledged to obey Caesar?"
Though Mr. Goldstein is not Yankee
he answered by asking: "How other
wise than by obedience to God would
come the duty to obey Caesar? I'm
der the guiding principle of Patriot
ism the Knights of Columbus teaches
that loyalty to the government of the
United States and its flag is second
only to obedience to God, and this is
good dogma and good common sense.
Patriotism is exemplified in the at
titude of the order on the subject of
socialism, now known in its new Rus
sian dress as bolshevism. And by the
way, the knights did not await the
Russian socialist federated soviet re-
public before enforcing the rule that
the application signed by a candidate
for membership pledges him to the at
titude on socialism taken by the Cath
olic church as expressed in the encyc-
licals of Pope Leo XIII and Pope
Plus X This obligation is stated in
plain terms. Terms that are plain,
forceful, reasonable and moral
pledge the would-be member to the
maintenance of the inviolability of
private property and of the natural
rights of man to stand for the integ-
rity of the family, and loyalty to le-
ultimately constituted authority in
the state as well as in the church, and
obedience to God-all of which is
quite contrary to the teachings of the
Reds"
Mr.. Goldstein was asked how long
time the campaign of the knights
has been in progress. "The campaign
of education was inaugurated by the
K. of C. about five years before our
country entered the world war Our
work was the first of its kind TO be
instituted by fraternal order. Free
public lectures were arranged for
Peter w. Collins, DIR. James j. Walsh
and myself. We have travelled
throughout the United States and
Canada, setting forth principles in de-
Tense of American institutions and
Christian civilization against socialist
assault. Besides lectures, hundreds
of thousands of books and pamphlets
on all phases of sociological problems
from Catholic standpoint, have been
widely distributed" / assume that
during the war these public lectures
were not held? "Quite true, this fact
marks off our work into pre-war
period and our present postwar eff
forts which form a part of the re-
construction work our order is en-
gagged in at present for the purpose
of aiding our government to readjust
affairs from war to a peace basis.
1t is a great satisfaction that the
whole country is coming to relaiza-
ton of the dangers that Turk in So
cialistic PHILOSOPHERS and practices. So
it is that we are now proceeding with
our lecture campaign of education,
doing what we can to protect our
country's integrity as against radical
assaults and to make of our beloved
America the ideal republic of the
world. Not, Of course, that we were
idle during the stress and strain Of
those bloody days, for the knights of
Columbus not only preach American
ism, they practice it. The knights
followed our troops to the Mexican
border in 1916. All along the line
from the Gulf Of Mexico to the Gulf
Of California they established recre-
alton centers, sixteen il all, for our
boys, paying al the expenses out Of
the supreme treasury Added to this,
special regulations were adopted
pledging to pay fun insurance moneys