THE “GOOD” AND THE “BAD”: THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR AND THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
The “good” was the national labor federation of the Knights of Labor (K of L), and the “bad” is the
world’s largest (and wealthiest), “Catholic fraternal service organization”, the Knights of Columbus (K of
C).
First, the “good”: The K of L (or officially, the “Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor”) was the
largest and one of the most important (as well as one of the earliest) American labor organizations of
the 1880’s.
And, the American “oligarchs” have always been terrified of the “American labor movement”: especially
the “employers” in Chicago, IL: Two of their assassins (and “familiars”) were Inspector “Black Jack”
Bonfield and Captain “the criminal” Schaack of Chicago’s Police Department (as they willingly
demonstrated in the violent, “Haymarket Square” happenings which occurred between May 1st and May
4th in 1886.
Please see e-article “79” on this website for more information concerning the “Haymarket Square
Massacre” (and the bloody “red squads” of the Chicago Police Department of 1886 and thereafter).
(The “National Labor Union” [NLU] was the first national labor federation in the nation: it was founded
in 1866 by William H. Sylvis [1828-1869], and it ended in 1873. It sought “to bring together all of the
national labor organizations in existence” [as well as the so-called “eight-hour-leagues”] in order to
establish a “national federation”: Sylvis felt that a “national federation” [as opposed to local
federations] could generate greater political pressure upon the “employers” in order to implement true
labor reform.
[Note: A “national labor federation” is a “coalition of trade unions” within an entire nation.]
Lastly, the NLU “favored arbitration over strikes”, and it advocated for a third political party within the
nation, a “national labor party”, instead of only a two-party system. At its “apex”, the “Coalition”
claimed a membership of over 700 thousand members.)
Terence Vincent “Terry” Powderly (1849-1924) was born in Carbondale, PA. He was the son of Irish
Catholic immigrants. He was the leader of the K of L from 1879 to 1893. Under “Terry”, the K of L
reached its “height” in membership: from 700 thousand to one million workers. This range of
membership included approximately ten thousand female and approximately 50 thousand AfricanAmerican members.
Still and unfortunately, the K of L opposed the membership of Chinese workers based upon the false
notion that they “took jobs away from native-born Americans and drove down wages”, and it lobbied
for the passage of the disgraceful and racist Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
(“The Chinese Exclusion Act” was a federal act which was signed into law [on May 6, 1882] by President
Chester Alan Arthur [1881-1885]. Arthur was the 21th President of the United States, and he assumed
the office of president after the assassination of the “could have been great” President James Abram
Garfield [1881-1881], the 20th President of the United States.
[The assassin was an extreme, rightist, Christian attorney by the name of Charles Julius
“Gitout”Guiteau.]
The act suspended Chinese immigration to the United States for over 61 years: it was repealed by the
“Magnuson Act” on December 17, 1943. Still, the new law allowed “continued civil rights violations”
[e.g. denial of property rights] to Chinese-American citizens).
The K of L promoted the social and cultural welfare of the American worker. It rejected Socialism and
“radicalism.”
(“Socialism” is an economic and a social system which advocates the “social ownership” and the “cooperative management” of the “means of production” within a given society: and, in its purist sense, it
negates the “principal of private ownership of property” and it negates the “principal of private
ownership of production”;
“Radicalization” is “a process by which an individual or group comes to adopt increasingly extreme
political, social, or religious ideas and aspirations.” The term, radicalism, refers to the quality or state of
being radical and/or the doctrines or principles of radicals [or extremists]; and,
“Capitalism” is the direct opposite of “Socialism” (although it is not a social system): it emphasizes the
“private ownership of property” and the “private ownership of production” as well as the generation of
“goods and services” for “profit.”
[See e-article “3” on this website for more information concerning the social and economic systems of
the few.])
And, the K of L promoted the political ideology of U.S. Republicanism.
(“U.S. or American Republicanism” is a political value system or ideology which stresses the “liberty” and
the “inalienable rights” of individuals while giving “sovereignty” [the quality of having “supreme,
independent authority over a geographic area and its people”] to the whole of its people.
“American Republicanism” was first practiced by the “Founding Fathers” in the 18th century: it was
based upon the ideas and values of the “Ancient Roman Republic” of Italy, of the European Renaissance,
and of the “Rights of Englishmen” in Great Britain.
[The “European Renaissance”, where the word “Renaissance” is the French for “to be reborn”, was a
“cultural movement” which began in Italy during the “Late Middle Ages” and which sometime later
expanded to the whole of continental Europe: approximately, between the 14th century and the 17th
century.]
Finally, the ideas and the values of “American Republicanism” formed the bases for such seminal,
written works as the “Declaration of Independence” [1776], the “U.S. Constitution” [1787], and the
“Gettysburg Address” [1863].)
Lastly, the K of L, over time, lost most of its vitality due to a number of factors: (1) due to its inadequate
organizational structure; (2) due to its loss of “visionary” leadership; (3) due to its self-destructive
philosophy of “selective exclusionism” (e.g. Chinese Americans were not allowed to be members); and
(4) due to an active campaign of illegal suppression by a number of agents (willing “familiars”) of the
American few (through their use of violence, through their use of negative propaganda techniques,
through their use of wrongful prosecution and incarceration, and through their use of assassination
which intensified starting in 1886): “remnants” of the K of L continued to operate until 1949 when its
last, local affiliation terminated its relationship.
And, second, the “bad”: the K of C (“The Knights of Columbus”).
The K of C was founded by the Venerable Michael J. McGivney (1852-1890) on March 29, 1882 in New
Haven, Connecticut while he was an assistant pastor at Saint Mary’s Church.
(“Canonization” is the “act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person” a “saint” [“a holy
person” or a person with “exceptional” holiness]. That is, a “saint” indicates a “believer” who is “in
Christ” and in whom “Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth.”
The four styles, steps or titles to “canonization” are “Servant of God”, “Venerable”, “Blessed”, and
“Saint” where the second step, the “Venerable”, is a designation of one who is considered “heroic in
virtue.”)
“The Venerable” was an Irish-American Catholic priest who had temporarily left his seminary studies (He
was ordained as a priest on December 22, 1877.) in order to care for his family when his father passed,
suddenly. Since Roman Catholics were excluded from the few organizations which could provide the
needed “social services” and based upon his family experience, he decided to provide his low-income,
immigrant, Irish Catholic congregation with a realistic alternative, namely, a “mutual benefit society” or
a type of primitive “life insurance.”
(A “mutual benefit society” is a group of individuals who joint together for a financial and/or for a social
purpose. Before the financial “mega-corporations” created the approach of “multi-faceted insurance”
[e.g. life, home, fire, and eventually automobile], “friendly” societies provided financial and/or “social
services” contingent upon religious belief, historic nationality, race, political beliefs, trade affiliations,
social class, etc.)
“The Venerable” choose the name of “Columbus” as part of the designation for his new, Catholic,
immigrant, “mutual benefit organization” in order to indoctrinate Catholic immigrants to the idea that
they were full members of American society as well as partial founders of the American nation. Also,
the name of “Columbus” had great significance to the “Anglo-Saxon Protestant power structure” in
America: it considered “Columbus” as an “authentic American hero.”
(Christopher “the navigator” Columbus [1451-1506] was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator who had
been born in northwestern Italy [which was, then, the “Republic of Genoa”].
Under the “auspices” of the Catholic rulers of Spain, “the Navigator” completed four voyages to the
island of “Hispaniola”, a major island in the Caribbean ocean [which today contains the two sovereign
states of the “Dominican Republic” and of “Haiti”].
Finally, the voyages of “the Navigator” initiated a process of “Spanish colonization” which may be
viewed as the “precursor” to the more general and much larger “European colonization” of the “New
World.”)
Lastly, the “Venerable” died from “pneumonia” on August 14, 1890 at the age of 38, because of
inadequate medical care.
The K of C is headquartered at “1 Columbus Plaza in New Haven.” Its “Supreme Chaplain” is Archbishop
William E. Lori, and its 13th and current “Supreme Knight” is Carl A. “one criminal under god” Anderson,
KSG (2000-present). And, Anderson’s reported, total compensation was 1.2 million USDS in 2009.
Parenthetically, the “Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great” [PEOSGG] is one of the five
“Orders of Knighthood” of the Holy See, but not an order of the Roman Catholic Church. The PEOSGG
Order was established by Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) on September 1, 1831. And, its “motto” is “For
God and Prince.”
The PEOSGG Order is given “to Catholic men and women….in recognition of their personal service to the
Holy See”…. The designation, “KSG”, represents the fourth class of the Order: and, its “insignia” bears a
representation of Pope Gregory on one side and its motto on the other which is suspended from “a red
and gold” ribbon.
(Please see e-article “72” on this website for more information concerning the “Vatican Bank” and its
‘Supervisory Council” on which Anderson continues to serve with some of his fellow knights.)
Currently, there are over 1.8 million members in 15 thousand councils (with nearly two hundred councils
located on college campuses). Its membership of “practical Catholic men”, which are18 years of age or
older, consists of four different degree levels or ranks (First [“charity”], Second [“unity”], Third
[“fraternity”], and Fourth [“patriotism”]). And, its official junior organizations of approximately five
thousand “Circles” are named the “Columbian Squires.” Also, the “Squire Roses”, which is a youth
sorority of girls and women who are between the ages of ten and 19, is a component of the “Knights” on
the state level.
The K of C’s “motto” is the following: “In service to one, in service to all.” It enjoys referring to itself as
the “strong right arm of the Roman Catholic Church” in a financial and in a social sense: donating 154
million USDS (2010) directly to “charity” (out of approximately 1.41 billion in “charitable contributions”)
and 653 million “man hours” from 2000 to 2010.
The K of C’s insurance program has more than 80 billion USDS of life insurance in force with 15.5 billion
USDS in assets.
Unfortunately and sadly, “the K of C has loss its way.” Over time, it has become an extremist, rightist,
Christian, “elitist organization” which attempts to impose its “religious and social value systems” upon
the American and international many.
Although the K of C covets and advocates its “non-profit status” within the United States, it does not and
it will not adhere to the specified prohibitions within the IRS tax laws (for “non-profits”) concerning
lobbying, candidate endorsements, and other partisan, political activities.
Historically and for example, the K of C lobbied for the inclusion of the words “under God” in the U.S.
“Pledge of Allegiance” in 1954.
And currently, the K of C promotes such causes as “The U.S. of America is a Christian nation” (ignoring
the U.S. Constitution’s provisions concerning the “separation of church and state” as well as the
pluralistic, religious origins of the nation); as “pro-choice” policies being reframed as “sinful”, and thus
illegal; and, as “same-sex” unions and/or marriages being viewed as “the devil’s” attempt to corrupt the
American many, and thus, the unions and/or marriages will remain illegal regardless of sexual
orientation.
Lastly, the K of C donated 1.4 million USDS in order to support “Proposition 8” (the banning of marriages
between “same-sex” couples) in CA’s 2008 election. Financially, it was the “Proposition’s” largest
supporter.
Arguably, In the denial of the civil rights of “same-sex” couples and in the promotion of the general social
inequality of “same-sex” individuals, the K of C is unaware that it has become the principal instrument in
the “devil’s attempt to corrupt American society.”
Also, that “devil” has become the K of C’s master, the Holy See: and, Anderson and his fellow “knights”
have not been prosecuted and they have not been incarcerated for their involvement with a legendary,
financial institution (which historically, is the Mafia’s and (was) Nazi Germany’s “laundering” Bank), the
infamous and criminal Vatican Bank.
Please listen carefully, “the Venerable” is not happy with you, the K of C: that is, he is extremely sadden
by the actions of the present K of C and by the actions of the “13th Supreme Knight” (Carl A. “one
criminal under god” Anderson): What ever happened to Michael’s missions of financial support and of
“social services” to low-income, Irish-American, Catholic Immigrants living in the “middle class”
neighbors of New Haven?
After all, the Catholic immigrants of elsewhere had come to the United States of America in order to
avoid political “persecution” and to end economical “deprivation”, not to inflict these experienced
abuses upon the American people.
Poor, poor K of C, “the Venerable” and “the Navigator” did not, do not, and will not forgive you for your
“systematic” and “purposive” imposition of “Catholic, Christian, social values” upon the “United States
of the American many”: “the Venerable”, after all, respected the pluralistic, religious origins of all the
people from elsewhere.
Post Script:
On July 30, 2012, the “Medicare” and the “Medicaid” programs reached their 47th birthday!
Thank you, “FDR”: for “Social Security” and for saving the American “middle class” from starting the
Second American Revolution (1929-1939). Thank you, “LBJ”: for the “Great Society” along with its
humane social programs (e.g. “Medicare” and “Medicaid”) for the American middle class, for the
American lower class, for the American helpless, and for the American disenfranchised. And, thank you,
“BHO”: for the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010” (PPACA of 2010). It is an important
first step towards a “Universal Health Care Program” for all American citizens: still, you will need to do
much more in order to stop the American “oligarchs” from committing, the continuing
“indifferencecide” upon the American many.
And, “Big” health insurance (and its “for-profit business models”) will continue to murder the American
innocent, the American helpless, and the American disenfranchised unless the purposeful “massacring”
is stopped: and, the American many will never, never, never “forgive and/or forget” the immoral, the
unethical, the illegal, and the uncaring, “business” practices of the American few.
After all, the privileged classes enjoy, actively, “fixing” and “controlling” the lives of the American many
by lobbying for more inhumane legislation in order to generate more and more “blood profit.”
Finally, to the 111th and to the 112th Congresses of the United States of America: you are the willing
puppets of the truly “indifferent”, extreme, unchristian, right-libertarians of ALEC and all of its
privileged, corporate sponsors. You are systematically attempting to undermine “American
Republicanism” in our “representative democracy” in your treasonous actions toward the American
many.
And, you are “naïve” to think that you will be allowed to commit unchallenged, continuing damage:
“you should be better students” (of course, this is an oxymoron) of American history.
To hell with the “oligarchs” (the American and the international few: “Big” health insurance [of the
1999 financial mega-institutions] and the Holy See) and their “familiars” (the Vatican Bank, the Chicago
Police Department of 1886 and beyond [e.g. Bonfield and Schaack], “Gitout”, “Exclusionism”, the more
contemporary K of C and the KSG class of the “PEOSGG” Order, the U.S. Congress of 1886 and other
criminal groups, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Anderson, KSG, “Proposition 8” of CA [2008], and to
all those “Americans” who would advocate and who would cause extreme economic suffering and
extreme social inequality because of fear, security, greed, privilege, or sport),
Fromoneofthemany
.