The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-12-11
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
STORY OF A MAN WHO FORGOT

10 the EdltOr:
The American Legion had a cele-
bration in Aberdeen, S. D., on Armis-
tice Day. To. carry out the spirit of
religious tolerance which they have
everywhere displayed, Protestant
minister and a Catholic priest were
invited to deliver the speeches. r
was the priest. I was on the plat
form with the minister He, spoke.
didn't. This is how it happened: The
commander, who was also on the plat
form, and who had charge of the pro-,
gram, and who was sitting a few
| feet away from me, forgot that l was
there to speak. True, there were only
| two speakers, besides himself; for the
commander did naturally make
speech. True, that my name and the
| title of my address were published in
the Aberdeen News, of which the COM
mander, Mr.. Veil, is a prominent off.
cial. True. that the chairman of the
committee told Mr.. Veil that was to
speak. True, too, that a second Prot
estant minister who sat beside me was
invited to speak without preparation
and take the place of the speaker who
was there and who was prepared. But
the commander, Mr.. Veil, said he for
got all about me. And Mr.. Veil is an
honorable man. When an honorable
man says he forgot, evidence may be
very strong against him, but we must
not forget that he said he forgot. You
must not search the evidence and
ask: How could he forget. Because
if you doubt his word it would be tan
name. We must respect the veracity
of a soldier But at the same time We
must let facts be heard. No one was
on the platform except those who had
part in the program. The COM
mander knew that. What did he think
I was there for? How did he remem-
Der that the Protestant minister had
a speech to deliver? This minister
was a stranger from out of town. I
was personally known to Mr.. Veil.
How did he remember that a second
minister was to give the invocation
How did he remember to invite this
same minister to give the closing bene-
diction? These questions are not easy
to answer; but Mr. Veil said that he
forgot all about me, and Mr.. Veil is
an honorable man. There were many
Catholic boys there who were natur-
, ally disappointed. Some of them af.
forwards objected, but the commander
said he forgot. And he is an honor.
able man.
/ We Catholics are a long suffering
. people, Our motto is: let sleeping
, dogs lie. Bigotry is dead. What looks
like it is only forgetfulness. Avoid
, trouble. Laissez-faire. Let things go
The knights of Columbus gave five
million dollar home to the legion in
Washington, D. c. In the war they
played fair. Freely had they received
freely they gave. Everybody welcome
everything free. The Y. M. G. A. re
ceived freely and much more than the
knights. But they sold to the high
est bidder the articles which the Am
erican people gave them as gifts fol
the boys.
= If knight of Columbus and Y. M
nc. A. man were running for presiden
, of these United States tomorrow thu
knight would be second and small
:, er Cox. ~. 81,
: If on Armistice Day in Aberdeen {;
Knight of Columbus were commando
of that post and had charge Of the cele
bration of the American Legion, and
: two priests and one minister were OF
the platform and the minister, VIII,
was Mason, had been invited t.
speak, and if the knight commando
remembered the two priests and thei
parts and forgot all about the ministe
q and let him sit there in silence, wha
!. would happen?
II The knights of Columbus would b
q denounced from every Protestant pu
y pit, and in every Masonic lodge an
Il Masonic paper. A movement woul
! be set on foot and the knight CON
: mander who said he forgot, would
degraded and expelled from tn
Legion.
II Now, the commander is a Maso
'e and am knight of Columbus. Blu
B. the commander says, in the teet