And how is it in our national capital, the palladium of our liberties?  As a means of demonstrating the power of the church and the subservience of our politicians, the Catholics have invented what they call the “Cardinal’s Day Mass”:  An elaborate procession of high ecclesiastics, dressed in gorgeous robes and jewels, through the streets of Washington, accompanied by a small army of policemen, paid by non-Catholic taxpayers.  The Cardinal seats himself upon a throne, and our political rulers make obeisance before him.  On Sunday, January 14, 1917, there were present at this political mass the following personages:  Four cabinet members and their wives; the speaker of the House; a large group of senators and representatives; a general of the army and his wife; an admiral of the navy and his wife; the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and his wife, and another Justice of the Supreme Court and his wife.

And understand that the church makes no secret of its purpose in conducting such public exhibitions.  Here is the pious Pope Leo XIII again, in his Encyclical of Nov. 1, 1885: 

All Catholics must make themselves felt as active elements in daily political life in the countries where they live.  They must penetrate, wherever possible, in the administration of civil affairs; must constantly exert the utmost vigilance and energy to prevent the usages of liberty from going beyond the limits fixed by God’s law.  All Catholics should do all in their power to cause the constitutions of states and legislation to be modeled on the principles of the true Church.

And following these instructions, the Catholics are organized for political work.  There are the various Catholic Societies, such as the Knights of Columbus, secret, oath-bound organizations, the military arm of the Papal Power.  These societies boast some three million members, and control not less than that many votes.  The one thing that you can be certain about these votes is that on every public question, of whatever nature, they will be cast on the side of ignorance and reaction.  Thus, it was the influence of the Catholic Societies which put upon our national statute books the infamous law providing five years imprisonment and five thousand dollars fine for the sending through the mail of information about the prevention of conception.  It is their influence which keeps upon the statute-books of New York state the infamous law which permits divorce only for infidelity, and makes it “collusion” if both parties desire the divorce.  It is these societies which, in every city and town in America, are pushing and plotting to get Catholics upon library boards, so that the public may not have a chance to read scientific books; to get Catholics into the public schools and on school-boards, so that children may not hear about Galileo, Bruno, and Ferrer; to have Catholics in control of police and on magistrates benches, so that priests who are caught in brothels may not be exposed or punished.