The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-01
ReSent Declaration of Civil War
Clouds in Kansas.
State Deputy Malone Writes for
Knights of Columbus.
SAYS ALLEN UNDULY ALARMED
Catholic Church Is Not a
Political Organization"
Religion Now Enters the 1922
Political Campaign.

Religion was today injected into the
muddled political situation in Kan
sas when James A. Malone. state
deputy for the knights of Columbus
and former state senator, took Cover
nor Allen to task for his Great Bend
speech Malone, who addressed a let
ter to the governor. defended the 10y
atty of Catholics to the constitution
and principles of good government
and resented declarations that civil
war threatened because of the Ku
klux Klan and Catholic antagonisms
in this state.
Malone defended the Catholic church
against the governors attack as parti-
san politicians who refuse to vote for
candidates who are not Catholics. Il
fear you are unduly alarmed" says
the former state senator. There is
not the remotest possibility of serious
strife insofar as the Catholics are con-
cerned. We stand for law and order.
Not Political Body.
Again in defense of the knights of
Columbus and the Catholic church
participation in partisan affairs, Ma
lone again challenges the governor.
1.-The Catholic church and the Knights
of Columbus are not political organ
izations," heGsays. We do not want
Catholics to be political agitators nor
office hunters, but we do want them
to be Americans in the truest sense of
the term"
Governor Allen followed his Coffey-
Vile speech with a talk at Great Bend
Monday night where he bitterly as
sailed both the Ku KIux Klan and
the Catholics. He charged that one
was almost as bad as the other and
that kansas is not more than pistol
shot from civil war" He added that
he belonged 10 almost every order ex-
cept the Klan and the Knights of
Columbus and would not join either.
Speech a Bomb SheII.---.
The Great Bend speech was bomb
shell in political headquarters- Lines
had been practically established by
virtue of the governors severe attack
on the khan. He had won plaudits of
the Catholics and anti-klan organiza-
tions as well as hundreds of persons
not directly affected Dut opposed to
principle of masked action. Now the
Great Bend speech threatens to scut-
tie the ship
MaIoners letter is ratlef mild man
nered and charitable 1t pledges the
church's support of TIE governor in
his fearless stand for human rights
under the constitution. But back of
the honey-coated tone is an awful
=, allOp that may have a To- of effect
on election returns.
1IaIOne's Letter.
In his letter to the governor Malone
Go.avnor Henry j Allen. State House,
NV Dear Governor-You are quoted in
more than one pistol shot from war be
cause of hatred between Catholics and the
are unduIy alarmed. There is not the re
motest possibility of such serious strife,
We stand for law and order We respect
and obey legally constituted authority. We
are taught by our religion TO love our
enemy, to do good to those who hate us.
10 pray for those who persecute and
calumniate BY the very teachings of
our church are bound in conscience
Catholics a
tho you are a Methodist and the
rights of every other man regardless of
his religious belief. and we must defend
you with life if necessary. We stand
firmly upon the terms of our state con-
stitution which provides the following:
''Jhe right to worship God according to
the dictates of conscience shall never be
infringed: nor shall any control of or in
reference with the rights of conscience be
permitted. No religious test shall be re-
for any vote at any election
We do not ask anyone to. defend US as
Catholics We have never sought special
favors or privileges, but we demand our
rights as American citizens and as Amer
those rights even as did our fOrefathers.
The quoted statement Catholics who go
is not Catholic" is manifestly unfair
to Catholics. Catholics never say Il do
not vote for man who is not Catholic;
tho many do not vote for Catholic candi-
dates precisely because they are CathO-
II we held such views we would scarcely
over vote because we seldom for
office And the church from the beginning
mas adopted a most wise duty in teaching
the obligation of voting well all
other duties of citizenship in the Catholic
school as shown by our text books. Dur
ing many years there has not been
Catholic on either party state ticket.
will venture the estimate that in the 1O0
counties in Kansas, seventy five of them
do not have a Catholic on either ticket in
the coming election. 1 VIII challenge the
evidence to show even one case, in all the
bisforv of the state where Catholics an
organized body ever tried to elect any man
%The Catholic church and the Order of
or1anizatfons We do not want Catholics
10 he political agitators nor office hunters,
but we do want them to be Americans in
me truest sense of the term We want
tbeu 70 study and understand the duties
~ citizenship and the institutions of our
selves with sincerity and fidelity with
unrest and best thought, with highest aim
snd most earnest endeavor TO the inter
ssts of American civilization IN every 7
snhere of human endeavor which the pro-
yidence of God opens to them.
feel sure you intended no injustice to 1
the knights of Columbus nor wished 10 !
cave the impression that the Knights of
-SoIIfTabus is political or un-American. One |
NJ Our most solemn pledges Is that We I
shall never allow politics to enter our /
-ouncils AS Democrat l had the hont'r !
Sampaicn speakers Being state deputy of /
he knights of Columbus it was deemed !
,sgv5sable to decline the honor. First. II 4
TrouId subject the order to the danger OF I
.rftfcism for having entered politics:
.a.nnd IL ,vouit. be unfair TO those MEM 1
sers ~ our order who belong to the on
5osite political party. There are only two