"God bless the Knights of Columbus! They are rendering valiant service to His Grace, the Pope, and the Holy Church. What was the character and standing of the men whom they were discussing as prospective Klansmen?"
"They were among the very best men of the town."
The priest resumed his seat. "Patrick," he said, "this Ku Klux Klan is a very dangerous and vicious organization."
"Yes, Father, we often hear that in the Knights of Columbus hall."
"Yes. I know we have often discussed it there, but I am afraid that you do not fully realize the danger. The Catholic Church is strong in the United States and growing stronger every day. Stronger not only in numbers but in influence and wealth. We have many men in important public positions, naturally this is to be expected—but Patrick, do you know that we have men in office out of all proportion to our numerical strength? Why? Simply because we are united. Politicians know that if they can get the support of Catholics that they will have back of them an organization that will act as a unit. 'In union there is strength.' The fact that we are united has a powerful influence in the industrial as well as in the political world."
"Yes, I am sure of that. Down at the L. & B. factory we have Catholic foremen in every department, and the employees there don't need to be told that it is advantageous to a Catholic.
"The Protestants are divided, and we want to keep them divided. If the Ku Klux Klan becomes a great organization uniting the Protestant men of this country (and it is having a marvelous growth) our influence will be lessened. This Klan organization is opposed to foreign immigration. In 1921 there were eight hundred five thousand, two hundred twenty-eight immigrants to the United States." (He went to a cabinet and took out a little book which he consulted). "Two hundred twenty-two thousand, four hundred ninety-six of these were Italians, my own countrymen, thirty-nine thousand, fifty-six were Irish, your countrymen——"
"I was born in America," said McBryan, interrupting the priest.
"Well, the land of your ancestors, then. Twenty-nine thousand, six hundred three were Mexicans. Of this group of two hundred ninety-one thousand, fifty-five, at least ninety per cent are Catholic. Of the remainder—one hundred nineteen thousand, fifty-six were Jews, in whom we have no especial interest. Of the remaining three hundred ninety-five thousand, one hundred seventeen it is safe to say that fully fifty per cent are Catholic. You see that the Catholic Church is gaining through immigration more numbers than all the other churches combined, while the next greatest number go to the Jewish Church. We must keep the bars down to immigration, as it means a rapid increase in membership for our church, and that means an increase in influence and power. Father Vaughn says: 'The tide of immigration is a Catholic one. And it is more: it is from these Catholic immigrants settling in the states, that teeming generations are to come condemning by their overwhelming numbers the sterility of the old American settlers.' Patrick, I am satisfied that if this organization is not put down we will never be able to repeal the eighteenth amendment. In the cities where the Klan has become strong our men have been voted out of city offices and our teachers have been removed from the teaching forces of city schools. The things which this organization has already done are outrageous and the things which they purpose to do are damnable."
"Yes, Father, I know that what you say is true, but the Knights of Columbus are on the job to prevent the spread of this Klanism."