McCloskey, William, Bishop of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, to Archbishop John Baptist Purcell, of Cincinnati, Ohio, 1873 March 17

He told Father William J. Dunn that if the object of some of his parishioners was only to keep secret their proceedings at their meetings, apparently Knights of Labor and if the business was in all respects harmless, and with the assurance that if anything objectionable were introduced or if they attempted to connect with forbidden societies, they would abandon the society, then McCloskey saw no objection to the oath. The men said that Bishop Thomas Foley approved of it and Dunn wrote to him. He said that he had followed the practice of the Archbishops that if they did otherwise "we might as well close our churches." McCloskey sees how that they have added conditions, among which is one that they refuse to let the party swearing to see the oath beforehand. He has instructed his priests that that cannot be done. He studied the question before feeling it necessary to give a public declaration. He originally thought that an oath might be taken because the worker nowadays has so little with which to defend himself. The conditions laid down in the Council of Baltimore are not always clear, but they go pretty far. He wishes Purcell would instruct him if he has any clearer laws than McCloskey can find. It is difficult, but he believes that they must give these people all that in conscience we can yield and they claim. He sends regards to Father Edward Purcell. :: II-5-f A.L.S. 4pp. 12mo.