Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-14

and approved by the authority Of the
United States Government. two paren-
thetical statements are added, as fol-
lows:
"(Excerpts from Contested election
case Of Eugene G. Bonniwell against
| Thos. 8. Butler, as appears In the
Congressional Record-fIotise, Feb. 10,
1913, at pages 3216 etc., and ordered
printed there by unanimous consent.
Attached thereto and printed Ton page
3218) as n part of said report as above.)
"(For further information relating to
the proceedings referred to and the ex.
hibits and documents accompanying the
same, reference Is made to the Con-
grcssional Record from which the fore
going portion is copied verbatim from
House BIZ 1523.o'
The circulation Of this "oath" as
part Of the membership drive Of Ku
Kluxism, Inc, having thus been proved.
and the nature Of the document made
clear. IL only remains to expose its
fraudulent and bogus nature.
In "Thc Knights Of Columbus In
Peace and War" of which Maurice
Francis Egan--who was for eleven
years, under three Presidents. Ameri-
can Minister to Denmark, and who de-
clined the Vienna ambassadorship ten
utEcu MIN ny Doth L
Wilson'S co-auth0r with John B.
Kennedy, appears the following state
ment:
within the last six years the
Fourth Degree has been the target Of
attacks by bigots where profession
alsm has been proved beyond question
, through legal action promptly taken by
officers Of the order. 1t seems almost
! fantastic to record the cir
culntion Of n bogus oath. The
! oath made its appearance about 1912.
! 1t was filed by Eugene G. Bonniwell,
I of Pennsylvania, In his charge against
Thomas s. Butler before the Committee
Of Elections. No. !. in Congress. when
Mr.. Bonniwell stated that It had been
used against him as Fourth Degree
Knight Of Columbus in an election con :
test Mr.. Butler. In his defense. stated
that he had rcfrained from condemning
the oath until election day, although
he did not believe 1t to be genuine, be-
cause he feared to give it notoriety.
Genuine Oath Is Given
ear from being disconnected b,
the airing of this de'ectable document
in Congress, those prohting by its cir
culation seized upon its inclusion il
the Congressional Record to give It ar
air Of authority by printing on future
copies the annexation Copied from tn
Congressional Record. etc. not paus
ing, however, to explain the circum
stances under which it was allowed Il
appear in that official journal"
On July 90, 1914. Egan and Ken
nedy point out, in Waterville, MINI
A NJ. Morrison and Garfield Il. Nor
rison, editors and publishers of tn
Mankato Morning Journal, wer
brought to trial for charging E. NJ
Inwlcss, editor Of the Waterville Sen
tincl. with having taken the "oath.
At this trial the renl pledge taken b!
Fourth Degree knights on initiation
was inserted as a State exhibit. i
read:
II swear to support the Constitution
Of the United States. / pledge myself
as Catholic citizen and Knight o
Columbus, to enlighten myself full
! upon my duties as a citizen and t
, conscientiously perform such duties en-
| tirely in the interest Of my country
and regardless Of all my personal consc
qucnces. l pledge myself to do all Il
, my power to preserve the integrity an
purity of the ballot, and to promot
/ reverence and respect for law and or
/ der. l promise to practice my religion
. |
ostentation, and to so conduct mysel
in public affairs. and in the exercise @
public virtue, as to reflect nothing bu
credit upon our Holy Church, to tn
end that she may flourish and our coun
try prosper. to the greater honor an
glory Of God"
! Inquiry Made by Masons
Q The two defendants were conyicte
0 by the jury, of which the foreman wa
3 q Methodist minister. The authors cit
two other similar prosecutions wher
3 convictions or. pleas of guilty resulted
A and, finally, record two instances wher
I investigation by non Catholics wa
I made at the invitation Of the order. Tn
: second of the instances Is more sig
/ nifcant.
t In Los Angeles In 1914 the entir
i work, ceremonies and pledges OF tn
s knights of Columbus were submitte
to Masonic committee of two thirty
second and two thirty third degree Ma
q sons, all past or past grand masters {
Masonry in California. who issued
q statement certifying that they had ex
q amined a complete copy of all the worl
q pledges and ceremonies and found thu
= the order, while secret. was not oath
> bound and that its ceremonies wer
comprised in four degrees INTENDED
teach and inculcate principles that i
v at the foundation of every great re
/ ligion and every great State" The
/ then said:
''Our examination was made pr
Q marily to ascertain whether or not
; certain alleged oath whic
D has been printed and widely circulate
was in fact used by the order al
o whether any oath, obligatio
/ or pledge was used which was or woul
a be offensive to Protestants or MRson
a We find that neither the a
Y legged oath nor any oath or pledl
bearing the remotest resemblance therei
h In matter. manner, spirit or purpose
= used or forms part Of the cerelnonit
i OF any degree Of the knights Of Colunl
bus.
4 '.The alleged oath Is scurriloul
/. wicked and libelous, and must be tho In
d yention OF an impious and venomol