The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1856-09-05
PHILADELPHIA, August %. 1886

HEApELrHlA, AuBuSt IS, 1896
ENTLENEN:-The same reasons which bav.
prevented me fFom speaking elsewbar. ~
PEI ne to decline the invitation 50 kindly ,;r
en- by you TO address the people Of Sa,,ers.,
county on The 25th inst regret il ti,s ,ao-
IN this instance, as your letter informs me- Tho,
the invitation comes from committee. evsr,
one OF whom once belonged 10 the Whig naar
but who now have mauliness and pubic snr.
enough to support the Democratic candidate tor
the Presidency, and 10 do ali YOU hoBorabI,
can in his behalf. In that effort you are ri,b,
~ suPposlng you may count upon nv best y.
ertions.
In your letter You speak of the "ihsjiop,
enemy" which grew up in secrecy and dgS-
troyed the great party to which We once be-
longed. You are right 10 this. Il did orou,
up in secrecy, and it first destroyed Us in those
very communicated as PHILADELPHIA and
Somerset where the conservative party once
was strongest. was candidate for poDo-
lar office (Which ! now bold) in 1853, and IN
the extremity of that contest, taking. as | did
an active part in il, | never heard Of such
thing as Know Nothing Lodge or council or
encampment. No one in all that contest IN
suited me by asking me TO Join it. There were
Wings and Democrats and Americans, lard
am proud TO believe many of all parties sustain
ed n'e,) bot these were public, open, honest. IN
bluShing parties. Their organization was in
the day light There were old fashioned county
and ward meetings, where a mans politics
were openly avowed and maintained There
were no waiting for dark nights. There was
no use for dark lanterns. Nay, further, there
was no secret, eXtrajuticial oaths binding mems
consciences, to be dispensed with according to
convenience by some irresponsible SUPERIOR
The only oaihs then recognized hv the aw-l9r-
ing political men were to support the Con-
stItulIon and to tell The truth in d Court Of jus
tice. There was no mockery of religious riss
devised by unscrupulous politicians, There
was no swearing on the Bible, or The cross, Of
the American Hag--(al sacred symbols 10 The
really religious and patriotic mind, and yri all
profaned by Snch abuse, TO prescribe man be-
cause hp worshipppd God in certain form, Or
because he drew his tir>t breath or passed hi, in-
iant years as many OF cur revolutionary aucrs-
tors did, beyond the ocean. There was no r.
course to that worst Of all conlrIvauces drna
of thr fact Of belonging 10 tha: secret party. So
was it in the Fall OF 1883
But IN he Spring of 1884, under hy iacsn-
tive ot a great local election, and wi;h lyrFas
prcl OF accumulated pair nage, this sctet dis
Ease BROKE out here in Philadelphia. It o,ote
out, as infectious diseases are apt TO brrak op,
in holes and corners but it soon spread tern
bly,. In The Spring OF 1854 the Know Moth
ing majority was from ten 10 fftern thousand
IN this city. | wish could describe to y0uj&
insidiouS as we'll as IFS iusoent progress here.
Men Joined it from fear. Poor men were fore
ed from actual necessity 10 connect themselves
with It. No one could aspire 10 any public
post that did not mark himself with the brand.
Curiosity tempted some. A captivating catch
word about Americans ruling America srduced
many an honest man who did not pause to re-
fleet that Americans always had ruled America.
The rush was tremendous. Careful and con-
Slderate men paused, and asked themselves
wlther such crooked and secret paths must
lead. Some went very near the edge, locked
over and drew back. Some there wrre-andl
claim proudly to be- one of thoSe-Who>r III
Stincts rry9lted from the very first, and WHOSE
reason prompted The quick and sure Judgmeo!
that the bitter end ofan organization so un"oi-
thy, so ungentl-manlv, so unconstitutional
could not be far Off That the very drSPotISn
would provoke rebellion, and that The Amrn,-
can people, the people of Pennsylvania, could
not be reconcilrd 10 this secret, midnight mum
merry. Secret organization is not and never
can be cong-nial 10 the American heart /
thought 50 from the first. ] said 50, and | nave
lived TO see il proved.
But this danger-insdious as YOU call lis
not over, and know from past history, thai III
writing this 10 nv old Somerset friends w can
not differ. il was net likely that party Wht"
had such apparent strength in 1894, should ~
this, the great contest of 1886, retire NIlhoo't
and, accordingly, there IS now orio'
the nation Know Nothing ticket Tor rf5S-
dent and Vice President Of the United Sfa'eS'-
And here, in Philadelphia, probably IN sour
set county, and certainly IN some oS''','
States, this ticket is actively and Ingeu'0','ii
though it is conceded thai us parma
success cannot elect its candidates. LEI Us -
candor ascertain what this ticket Is, and no" ~
candidates stand or ought 10 stand before yo"
III what YOU and and all honest m'h ,''""
of this secret, oa,h-bound party have any idu-
dation in truth or iustice-itlt br drInofa.A"7
and degrading-if It's aims be low, ana rs "'..
wrong, who, let me in all candor ask: IS o,s.
sponsiblp for the evil ii has done and IS oo'D7
The misguided. though honest hnmoe '.' I1
whom passion or prejudice leads as'ray, 'aap ;ot,-
know many such,) or the well educated '"t' ,t,
Iigent, experienced man, who, moving u ..,,i. vi
highest rank of political life, lends the au'ps. .,
iy of his name and position TO this mlsen's,os,
dpusioD, OF knowing it in his heart TO Oe y, ~'V47 81,
uses it for his own poor purposes - "
there can be but one answer
In January, 1886, Mr.. Fillmore, u '"' lave
ience of three individuals, whose nai"'s .s,.