, 1873-09-16
A NEW PARTY IN CALIFORNIA.

8inoo the oloction In California, 1t hns boon
discovered that now elonent ontorod into tho
contest In san Fra,lcisco to which no attention
was paid during tho CANVASS, and which yot auo-
oocded In occurring tho election Of oyorY candi-
date which It supported but ono. Thia olomont
waa tho Order Of the Crescent, politlco-relig-
iouH organization recently atarted, whoso primal
object ia the exolnHion Of Roman Catholics from
oflce. Tho organization cast about 0,600 Totos,
and, employing those ~ a balance OF power md
using them with prudence and skill, they
succeeded In elooting Oookril for ohfof
Of Polico over Crowley, McRibbln for
Sheriff ovor White, md Otto Frank
for Recorder over Lucion 11ormann. On tho Log
lslatiVo tickot no contest was made. but 1ts &c.
tual strength was shown in tho vote for District
Attorney. In this case, both tho Republican
and Democratic nominees, Mr. Murphy and Mr.
Ryan, wero Roman Catholics. Tho Crescent vote
uss givon entire to Nathan Porter, whoBo por-
sona1 friends did not even regard him ns d oan-
didatc, md he roooived about 0,000 votos. In
tho election Of School Directors, alHo, tho power
appeara, thoro aro not moro than two Romun
Catholics nho will bo callod upon to adminlbtor
tho school atfaira Of 6nn Franciaoo.
It has beon known for como time in Oalifornia
that the members Of this order wero bound by
oath to maintain Beorocy with regard to their
operations; but their power has alwaya been un-
dezratod, and the politicians, in arranging thoi1
Rlatcs, havo nevor taken them Into account, al
though thoy had ono warning In tho defoat Of
tho candidate for Harbor Oommiaaionor, not
long since. Tho Croscenta do not dia-
criminnte against q. poraon upon tho
ground Of nationality, hut exclusively
upon religious grounds, and thoy juH-
tify themaelvos upon tho assumption that tho
tion. They contend that tho Roman Catholic
Church dooH not conflne itsalf to the teachings
Of itH religious tenots, but intermoddles with
political afraira in olandestine way that it ia
ondcavoring to gain control Of the common
school system throughout tho country aud
TINT tho Ordor Of JeBuite. tho Ancient Order Of
the Hiberniana, and other Catholic aaBocia-
tions arc amply political machines, secretly
manipulated BY tho Church, to got oon-
troll OF the administration Of tho civil
government and uHe 1t for tho propagation Of
tho Catholic faith. Therefore they claim that,
II tho Catholics bnnd themselves together aud
vote together md use their religion for political
purposes, thoro Ia no uay to moet and combat
them except by the secret organization Of anti
Catholics. It is due to the Catholics to say that
they wholly deny those allegations, and oharg o
them to blgotry and prejudice. And thus the
| matter stands between tho opposing forcos.
There ls little probability, howovor, TINT tho
Ordor Of tho Crescent will last any considerable
time. The history Of organizations Of this
character Inns always been briof, like that Of tho
Know-Nothing party, which had q much wider
range Of action than tho Order Of tho Crescent.
There can DO no moro dangerous and iujurioua
| influences at work under q Republican form Of
government than aecrot political Organizations
especially when thor effect ts to stir up roigioua
| animoBitiea.