Fiery Cross, Volume 2, Number 17, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 April 1923 — Page 4

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The following display advertisement ran on page 20 of The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, April 1, 1923

To the Citizens of the State of Indiana

Do you know that there is operating in this twentieth century, in these United States, with her unprecedented institutions of liberty, of political wisdom, an oathbound organization whose essential endeavor is to root up and destroy those great provisions of our Federal constitution which express in such clear and impressive language the garnered wisdom of the ages? To accomplish this purpose this organization does not scruple to violate all recognized moral as well as certain specific and clear-cut provisions of the laws of the United States. This organization is amazingly numerically greater in our state than in any other state in this Union. It has for its purpose the oppression and hindrance in the free exercise and enjoyment of certain vital and inherent rights of persons as human beings, which rights have crystallized in the constitution of the United States, arid there find clear, conclusive and comprehensive expression. The citizens of the United States thus sought to be hindered and oppressed in the exercise of these rights are: All citizens of Jewish extraction, all of Negro extraction, all of the Roman Catholic religious persuasion, and all foreign-bom citizens of the United States, regardless of race, creed or previous condition in life. The Constitution of the United States in its-first amendment guarantees that throughout the UnitedStates absolute religious freedom shall prevail. The language of this provision is clear, and if there should be the slightest doubt as to its far-reaching content, that is readily dispelled by a consultation of the case of Reynolds vs. United States, 98 U. S. 145, where a historical review of this provision is presented and this .provision given a very broad interpretation. There are also in this constitution some express and many implied restrictions as to the right to discriminate against citizens of the United States on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude. To those both for and against us, we point out the following Federal constitutional, statutory provisions "and judicial decisions-tc make clear the rights of Catholics, Jews, Negroes and foreign-born in this country, and to point out the legal, consequences to those who have banded together to impair these rights : - Art. I, of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States : "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; or abridge the freedom of speech or of the press ; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances." Sec. 5508, of the Federal Criminal Code, is as follows: "If two or more persons conspire to injure; oppress, threaten or intimidate any citizen in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him

by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having exercised the same, or if two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise of enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured, they shall be fined not less than five thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than ten years; and shall, moreover, be thereafter ineligible to any office or' place of honor or trust created by the Constitution or laws of .the United States." The following are the legal decisions illustrating the far-reaching character and effectiveness of this statutory provision: Exparte Yarbrough.il 0 U.S. 651; Logan vs. United States, 114 U. S. 263; United States vs. Waddell, 112 U. S. 76; United States vs. Mosely, 238 U. S. 383; United States vs. Davis, 103 Fed. Repr. 456; United States vs. Aczel et al., 216 Fed. 917 (Opinion of U. S. District Court for Indiana, rendered by Judge Anderson); Aczel vs. United States (Circuit Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit), 232 Fed. 652. To combat these most dangerous activities and this dangerous heresy, the "American Unity League" was organized. Its executive board is composed of the following prominent citizens of the United States : Hon. Patrick H. O'Donnell, chairman; Robert E; Shepherd, treasurer; Hon. Ernest D. Boyle, Governor of Nevada; Hon. M. C. Mecham, Governor of New Mexico; the Rt. Rev. Mgr. J. F. Noll, editor Our Sunday Visitor; Callistus S. Ennis, Hon. Robert M. Sweitzer, Samuel J. Andalman, Rabbi Leon Fram, Dr. S. M. Melamed, editor East and West; Thomas F. McDonald, high secretary Catholic Order of Foresters; Rabbi Abram Hirschberg, Hon. Patrick J. Carr, Dr. Joseph Stoltz, the Rev. W. J. McNamee, Dr. Max Thwrek, Joseph O, Keller. - I Its purpose is to organize those immediately affected by the activities above referred to, as well as other persons who are interested in the preservation of the fundamental principles of American citizenship as expressed in the Federal Constitution, throughout the entire United States, and with a view of combating intelligently, unceasingly and militantly these encroachments upon these fundamental rights. It is extending its organization throughout the entire United States, and has opened headquarters at Room 1208, National City Bank Building. It desires to number among its membership every person in this state who believes in those fundamental rights embodied in the great charter of American liberties, the Constitution of the United States. Its agents will call upon every person thus believing soon, with the view of enrolling this person in this organization. It is sincerely believed that enrollment in the "American Unity League" will result in a positive, far-reaching good, not only to the individual who enrolls, but to our institutions, the foundations of which are being violently assailed by the bigotry, intolerance and fanaticism above referred to.

AMERICAN UNITY LEAGUE

JOSEPH R. ROACH Advertisement.

By Its Indiana Fiscal Representatives: THOMAS SWEENEY

MICHAEL HARRAHAN

THE DOORS OF THE COURTS ARE OPEN!

jVe are authorized to challenge the American Unity League, Joe Roach, Thomas Sweeney and Mike Harrahan to prove that the "Knights of the Invisible Empire, Ku Klux Klan" is the organization referred to by their terrible inference in the above appeal for Catholic dollars and prova Hhat "To accomplish this purpose this organization does not scruple to violate all recognized moral as well as certain specific and clear-cut pro-i' visions of the laws of the United States. ... It has for its purpose' the oppression and hindrance in the free exercise and enjoyment of certain val and inherent rights of persons as human beings." The doors of the courts are open. Your president, Pat O'Donnell claims

to know the addresses of the executive heads of the Ku Klux Klan You are defied and challenged to deal in facts. The public demands you quit your evasion. Why did you so carefully evade nrintino- n9nu nfW

organization you accuse in this advertisement? Who are van hittino-

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Insert the name of the Ku Klux Klan, reprint the above advertisement and prove it and they will pay Fifty Thousand Dollars, not to you, but to any Catholic institution that two real Catholics, Bishop Chartrand and Bishop Alerdmg may designate .

THE FIERY CRO

Full of the Truth and Faith of Its Readers 1 :t. .. " Read The Fiery Crossfbr Pac ri&otogsi&Kkmdom