SECOND INSTALLMENT---Your Correspondent views armed Catholicism in tremendous parade defying the chivalric Americanism of the South!

Sunday afternoon, August 18th, (1912), found me occupying a vantage seat in a reviewing stand that had been built just across the street from the "Cathedral of the Assumption" in Louisville, Kentucky. Across the street beside the great cathedral was the official reviewing stand, now filled with the pseudo-dignitaries of rampant Romanism and the state of Kentucky. Upon this official reviewing stand were seated hundreds of black-robed priests. There also, hobnobbing with their betters, were Governor James

B. McCreary, Lieutenant Governor McDermott and numerous lesser civic traitors.

Seated at my left was a priest, at my right sat a voluble lady from Ireland, an enthusiastic Catholic. Each of these two individuals proved to be a splendid single-handed talker---indeed it was not so difficult to get information from these two Catholic citizens of Louisville as it was to stem the tide of explanations that my slightest question elicited.

And there I sat for more than three hours that hot, summer Sunday afternoon while twenty-five thousand Romish subjects passed before my wondering eyes is tawdry pomp and pageant! It may be that some of my readers have under-estimated the magnitude of this convention of militant Catholicism or perhaps have been inclined to treat its attendant parade with more or less lightness. Perhaps there is no greater danger confronting the Non-Catholic people of the United States today than that tendency to treat as of little consequence such omnious signs of the times as this hostile demonstration which I am describing to you today. We must not underestimate either the loyalty or the fighting strength of the forces at the command of the Roman Hierarchy. But happily, the rulers have played into our hands this time by giving us a visible exhibition of their military strength. For one day in America Catholicism will abandon the ballot for the bullet. In this installment I shall endeavor to give you only a few pen pictures of the most striking features of this monster demonstration.

In the first place it is a very difficult task to give you an adequate idea of the immensity of this parade. In the history of Louisville this pageant stands out as an unparalleled event both in size and in meaning. Let the reader bear in mind that this parade was three-fold; military, symbolical, and floral. Some little idea of the size of this three-fold demonstration

may be granted from its length, for that sunny Sunday afternoon nearly eight miles of defiant Romanism clothed in flesh and blood wound its serpentine way through the streets of the city! More than one hundred thousand people at a conservative estimate thronged the thoroughfare from end to end of the long parade route, lining the sidewalks, dotting the housetops, and crowding the lawns. Nineteen bands, numbering two hundred and eighty-seven musicians, blared forth strains sacred to Catholic ears, desecrated our patriotic airs, and even profaned poor old "Casey Jones!"

One hundred and four automobiles glided along in this parade. Seventy decorated floats symbolic of Catholic history and sentiment were among its greatest features. There were two thousand, six hundred and ninety-six women and children in this parade. Scores of the floats, automobiles and carriages were magnificently decorated, being literally covered with flowers and gaudy bunting. Great inroads had been made upon the storehouses of Louisville florists and private conservatories had been liberally robbed to furnish the tons of beautiful blossoms that wilted and died that day under the pitiless Southern sunshine. Skillful hands of artists had interwoven flags, flowers, and the inevitable yellow and white bunting around and above and below a multitude of figures, statuary and scenic designs---bringing to life again from the grave of her criminal Past the traditions and superstitions of Romanism.

The head of this vast exhibition of defiant loyalty to a foreign potentatiate was led by Col. H. Watson Lindsey, the Louisville chief of police, in his automobile, who drove down Broadway at fifteen minutes past two o'clock, followed by a platoon of thirty-seven mounted policemen. Closely following them marched

two hundred soldiers of the First Regiment, Kentucky National Guard, led by Col. W. A. Colston.

Behind the soldiers rode a detachment of mounted artillery and in their midst two polished rapid-fire cannon flashed back the sunlight with baleful glare.

Col. Whallen and his staff of twenty-four mounted guards dressed in white rode just behind the cannon. This Col. Whallen was perhaps the most unique figure in this parade. He is the Catholic political "boss" of Louisville and it is but fitting that the Catholics here should give to him the chief place of honor in this celebration, as his was the guiding hand behind it all. Shakespeare tells us that man in his life plays many parts---strange that bizzare life of the "boss---" as we are informed in a short thirty years running the gamut from section hand to theatrical magnate, owning

the largest burlesque theater in Louisville and absolute dictator politically of the lives and incomes of his puppet city officials! Next week we shall present two more large parade photos one of which will show "boss" Whallen in all his dubious glory as he rode that day, himself a master-slave, a tool in mightier hands, though he knew it not.

Among the floats symbolic of phases of Catholicism especially interesting to the unbiased onlooker of studious mind was that of the "Holy Cross" parish, to which John Whallen belongs, a float prepared under his own personal direction. This significant scene on wheels showed the falls of the Ohio river when La Salle, the French priest, caught his first glimpse of the Ohio; Indian maidens awaiting the coming of their chiefs and braves who were approaching in midstream in their canoes, the jubilant priest---all were there.

Another striking float was that representing the three councils Y. M. I., of Trinity, Mackin and Unity, a bower of white bunting trimmed with green asparagus from which rose four Roman columns, one at each corner, at the base of each column stood the living statues, these figures representing the various virtues outwardly claimed by this order---Faith, Hope, Charity, Prudence, Justice, Fraternity, Protection, and Education! Notice the extreme modesty of these claims. And their consistency with Catholic history!

That "fighting arm of the church" called "Knights of Columbus" was represented by another strikingly modest float depicting poor old, over-worked Columbus caught in the very act of planting the Catholic cross upon American soil, surrounded by members of his crew and a few wondering natives---by the way, some of the natives are wondering yet! But it was a beautiful object lesson---for the dupes!

And ever and anon the muffled tolling of the huge

bell of the cathedral above us mingled with the boisterous cheering and salvos of hand-clapping of the throng of black-robed priests and servile State office-holders in that reviewing stand across the street. That muffled booming of the great bell was like an iron toned requiem tolled in mid-air above the funeral of the State of America.

Half a block back rode Chief Hollow Horn Bear, the last surviving Sioux chief, who was a participant in the massacre of Custer and his brave men. This red-handed old warrior together with another unsavory aborigine---Joe Horn Cloud---was brought down from the Sioux reservation in South Dakota by a Jesuit priest named Westropp to act as "Official Color Bearer" of this convention. There he rode, gaudy in the war-paint and chief's fighting costume of other days, unwhipped and unhung of Justice, silent, gaunt, savage---a fitting symbol of the pitiless and horrible cruelty of the real spirit of his Romish masters!

An immense and motley representation of the various Catholic societies and orders of Louisville was led by the "Knights of St. John," in full parade dress uniform. The float representing this order was trimmed in the inevitable yellow and white and depicted a knight in the armor surrounded by out-riders ready for battle. Another silently significant symbol!

The "Catholic Knights of America" marched by in force, followed by their float symbolizing "Protection"---in the interior of which was a bevy of children bearing below them the inscription, "On a solid foundation."

The "Knights of Columbus," marched four abreast, covered two blocks.

The parish of "St. Elizabeth" was represented by a gorgeous float depicting that old, threadbare tradition from which this saintess derives her veneration in Catholic worship; it must all be true for here she was

in person in an old-time forest with her apron filled with roses. As this interesting and cute little fiction goes this particular saintess was caught in the woods some time ago carrying rye bread to the poor and was scolded by the cruel, bad king. Later the king met her (again in the woods I suppose---perhaps by accident), when her apron was full of bread, but when she opened the apron at his cross command, instead of bread it was miraculously filled with roses!

Of course Joan of Arc was on duty, being depicted in the float of "Mary Magdalene's" parish as a young martyr dressed in armor and crimson cloth, astride a horse and carrying a Catholic banner and surrounded by twelve girls dressed in white. Truly, a marvel of historic accuracy!

By actual count twelve of the Muses occupied the float of the "Presentation" Academy, dressed in white and half hidden in the immense grape arbor showing white marble pillars and cross pieces from which hung impossible bunches of grapes.

"It was the Irish ____" the "Ancient Order of Hibernians" marched waggishly by accompanying their float which was a miniature reproduction of Blarney Castle, surrounded by palms and a profusion of tropical flowers and plants. Ah, they were the roguish b'yes! Their color scheme leaned heavily toward the green!

One of the most meaning floats was one among those of the "Holy Cross"---and you could never guess what it was---a huge cage of LIONS, and I believe I caught a glimpse of two or three disgusted looking TIGERS! No, dear reader, this statement is NOT a joke---ask anybody that was there. It is supposed that any luckless Guardian of Liberty or Junior Order men caught that day were to have been ____?

But I forbear further description of floats or marching orders or soldiery or what not---time and space

are limited this week. One striking commentary on the Catholic faith that was again obviously brought out in this parade was the absolute subservience of the "common herd" to their masters, those imitation dignitaries of the Hierarchy. As the automobile bearing John Bonzano, the dago peasant, and "Bishop" Donaghue, of Louisville, swung down the long line of the parade, every Catholic's hat came off among those lining the wayside and every Romish subject's pate was bowed in silent acknowledgement of inferiority. While the great iron bell in the Cathedral tolled on and on, the swiftly marching divisions and orders from the various parishes all formed themselves into human crosses as they passed that stand packed with priests and civic traitors, and not a Catholic man in all that monster parade but walked past that cathedral with bared head! The world-old story---serfs and masters!

Louisville's streets were closed during the parade to all but those in line. Catholicism, by aid of civic police and State soldiery was contemptuously triumphant, she dominated! At every corner copper wires were tightly stretched across the pavement breast-high---these same wires extended from block to block above the outside edge of the pavement at the same height---to cross the street or to attempt to disregard the restraint of the wires meant arrest, fine, imprisonment.

(Continued---See Chapter 10.)