CHAPTER VI. NEW ‘GET-RICH-QUICK’ SCHEMES.

The papal organ of the archdiocese of Chicago, The Nezv World, in its issue of March 9, 1912, over the signature of the Archbishop of Milwaukee, makes a two-column statement to the Catholic public, under the heading “The Catholic Colonization Society.” I give a few excerpts:

“The Catholic Colonization Society, U. S. A., is a properly chartered corporation under the laws of the State of Illinois, having been incorporated in July, 1911. It has succeeded to and taken the place of a former Illinois corporation of exactly the same name, which, having surrendered its charter, has no longer any legal existence. The present C. C. S. is truly national, inasmuch as its operations are not confined to any one section of the United States, and its membership comprises men representative of different races or nationalities: Belgian, Bohemian, German, Irish, Italian, Polish, though all American citizens. Among its members and directors it counts archbishops, bishops, priests and laymen. Being a Catholic organization established for the protection and promotion of Catholic interests through Catholic colonization, our society is naturally subject to the rules and laws of the Catholic Church, and will in all its dealings and undertakings seek the advice of the prelates of the hierarchy interested or concerned in the work of Catholic colonization.

“A special feature of the C. C. S. that we desire to develop on safe and expedient lines is the affiliation with it of other Catholic colonization societies. In view of the continuous influx of different races from the old country, the C. C. S. strongly encourages the formation of racial colonization societies, which may become affiliated with it and work under its guidance and with its assistance. This will facilitate the establishing of racial colonies for Bohemians, Italians, Polish, Slavs, etc. However much we may desire the quick and full amalgamation and merging of such races in the American nation, it can not possibly be denied that for a time racial settlement and colonies are necessary, if these newcomers to our shores are to keep the Catholic faith themselves and help to build up a glorious future of the Church in America. Where diocesan or state colonization societies are formed, these may also become affiliated with our society and thus profit by its larger experience and greater influence. Other Catholic colonization societies, although not affiliated with us, may yet work hand in hand with the C. C. S., where they will always find cordial and serious consideration. In this way the C. C. S. will become a great central bureau or agency where the work of Catholic colonization all over the United States can be concentrated and systematized so as to render it more successful and to offer the colonist more safety and security. Catholic colonization will then command the attention of all American citizens and do away with the old reproach that so much of this so-called Catholic colonization business is simply a fool’s play, if not downright swindle….

“The C. C. S. may be called another Church Extension Society which furnishes not money, altar and vestments, but the people, the priest and the church….

“It will arrange with the land company for the reservation of such tracts of land or such.a number of acres or farms as will be necessary to locate and develop thereon a well-sized colony; then it will settle and fix the most favorable prices and terms for which the land will be sold to Catholic settlers. Here it may be stated at once that our society does not look for the cheapest land. The cheapest is never the best. We look more for good and productive land at reasonable, although somewhat higher, prices. Besides all this the C. C. S. will arrange with the land company for the building of an appropriate church and school and parsonage to be erected within a certain time or as soon as a given number of Catholic families shall have settled there. The land company must, moreover, guarantee the salary of a priest for a certain time to be agreed upon. None of these arrangements will be made without the previous consent of the Bishop of the diocese in which the colony is located….

“In view of the great field lying before us with all its magnificent opportunities for a most useful, widely beneficial and, in fact, positively necessary Catholic colonization movement, it is to be hoped that the C. C. S. will find on the part of American Catholics all the support and help it deserves and a cordial co-operation all along the line. It is the only American national colonization society that enjoys the great honor of having received the hearty recommendation and encouragement of the Archbishops of America, assembled at their annual meeting. Friends of Catholic colonization can greatly help the C. C. S. by bringing its work to the attention of prospective Catholic colonists of their neighborhood or acquaintance, by sending useful and reliable information concerning large tracts of land available for farming settlements and obtainable at moderate prices, by warning us of fraudulent or suspicious colonization schemes, and in many other ways. Yet all this valuable help will not accomplish much without financial backing. In an undertaking of this kind it is money that counts. The future usefulness of the C. C. S. must depend largely on the financial support that it will get. Rich Catholics of noble hearts find here another splendid opportunity of showing their love for Holy Church and their brethren of the Faith. For Catholic colonization, as we propose it, is but another manifestation of the great missionary spirit that has, in our days, been wonderfully awakened in the Catholic Church of the United States.

“In conclusion I may say that the C. C. S. is controlled by a board of twelve directors, its operations are managed by an executive committee of five members, and its actual work is carried on by the following officers: Director general, Most Reverend Archbishop Glennon, St. Louis; president, Rev. J. De Vos, Chicago; vice president, Right Rev. Mgr. McMahon, New York; secretary, Very Rev. E. Vattmann, Wilmette, 111.; treasurer, Rev. A. Spetz, C. R., Chicago. The office of the C. C. S. is located in The Temple, Chicago, 111. S. G. MESSMER,
“Archbishop.
“MILWAUKEE, Wis., Feb. 26, 1912.”

It is evident that The Catholic Colonization Society is not advantageous to the general public, but detrimental to the public welfare.

Land owners, non-Catholic merchants, labor organizations and all other citizens, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, whose interests and rights are endangered by this Society, ought to wake up before it is too late. Congress of the United States ought to be called upon to investigate The Catholic Colonization Society, as well as the many Roman Catholic boycotting organizations, monopolies and trusts, which have been established in this country chiefly in the interests of a foreign potentate the pope of Rome.

PAPAL LIFE INSURANCE.

Another of Rome’s latest get-rich-quick schemes is the establishment of “The New World Life Insurance Co.” According to its prospectus, it is strictly a Roman Catholic organization, and its papal organizers have their eye on the “$78,000,000 of Catholic money in the shape of premium on policies, which is being paid annually to American life insurance companies.”

The prospectus of this Roman company explains why the “American life insurance companies” ought not to be patronized by Roman Catholics, and indirectly suggests a boycott of them. In the no distant future priests, prelates and lay leaders of the “American Federation of Catholic Societies” will find sufficient grounds for issuing a most severe boycott against “American life insurance companies” and thus corral the $78,000,000 or more annually.

This papal insurance company will afford a fruitful source of graft to the Roman Hierarchy and its lay agents. On the maturing of policies or on the death of policy holders, a large percentage of the moneys due will be expected for masses for the relief of the suffering souls of the deceased policy holders, as well as other large sums to “make America dominantly Catholic.”

The banking, colonization, loans and. insurance schemes of the Church of Rome in America and elsewhere, which are carried on under the guise of religion, have not been a “fool’s play,” but “downright swindle.” The papal land swindle in Minnesota is fresh in our memory. The many papal swindles in loans and insurance companies within recent years are not forgotten. The swindle in Archbishop Purcell’s bank in Cincinnati, which deprived several thousand people of their hard earnings, and other such swindles too numerous to mention, ought to be a warning not only to the Roman Catholic people, but also to tolerant, gullible non-Catholics.

One of the saddest scenes which I ever witnessed was while I was a member of the Roman Hierarchy that of an old maiden lady in Manchester, N. H., who died in 1886, cursing Archbishop Purcell and the pope of Rome for having swindled her out of her hard earnings-

Why are not these Roman clerical bankers, colonizers, etc., prosecuted and punished according to law?

American citizens, we are facing a crisis: Wholesale papal swindles, boycotts and persecutions are rapidly increasing a twentieth century papal inquisition will be the reward of our apathy, our cowardice.

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