Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-12-16
From the New York Tribune, Monday.
.JOHE Y. FOSTER REPLIES.


HIS LITTER TO THE HoS. JAMES G. BLAINE
WHAT Mr.. FOSTER KNOWS ABOUT AN ANTI
CATHOLIC ORGANIZATION.
To tic Editor cfthe Tribune.
SIR: On or about the lst of November last
addressed personal and confidential note to the
Hon. James G. Blaine OF Maine, and en- the day
on which it was written deposited it in the post
Office in this city To that letter, somewhat to my
surprise, never received q word of reply from
Mr. Blaine, and his silence is explained by the
fact that the letter was stolen from the mails Or in
some other way surreptiously seized by the DEM
ocratic editor in Maine who has paraded his own
shame il publishing it. The lowest order of pick
pocket pifering for the means of livelihood never
fails to return private papers and memoranda that
NAV be found in the stolen porte-monnaie. The
democratic editor in Maine, whose name l am
Glad do not know, has shown himself to have
lower sense of honor than the thieves that niest
the slums Of New York Had he possessed the
first spark Of honor or of decency, he would have
returned private letter either to the writer or to
| the person TO whom il was addressed. 1t is IN
many respects more dshonorable TO appropriate
private letter than to steal private purse, and II
is certainly true that the who will do the first
will not hesitate under favorng circumstances, to
resort to the second.
So far as the public has any interest in this mat.
ter it seems to center upon statement of the pub
shed letter that there is in existence secret anti
sectarian order which will no doubt exert potent
| influence in the next Presidential election. The
confidential letter written by me to Mr.. Blaine did
incidentally refer TO the existence of an order Of
this description, not from any actual personal
knowledge, but upon the strength of common ru-
NOR and of certain information impaired to me,
the confidential nature Of which felt under obi
cations to respect. did not and do not person.
ally know that there is any secret political "anti-
Catholic" erder, here or elsewhere, but every man
of ordinary intelligence in New Jersey is aware,
from published reports, of the existence Of an or
der-the United American Mechanics-which,
while rgidly excluding partisan politics from its
councils, has its cardinal principle hostility to
all scctarian interference in political affairs, and
especially to all attempts to dsintegrate our pub
lie school system. l have been told and believe
that this ORDER stimulated by the insolcnt attempts
of the Romansts in New Jersey, Ohio and else
where, to convert our public reformatores, es
tablishod and maintained by the public moneys,
into sectarian institutions, with affairs, confession
ais and masses. has within the last year or two
grown rapidly to membership, and is still grow
ing in numbers and influence. Why should the
statement OF these facts provoke s1ch tremen-
dous outburst of horror from the democratic news
papers: Have they not for months persisted IN
SAYING that there was some organization OF this
sort Did they not believe their own declarations
when they made them I But my letter did not
state and it is not true, that this order exists
within the republican party or is in any way or
to any extent controlled by republican polti-
clans" 1t is composed, as understand it, of both
republicans and democrats, and of men OF all re-
ligious beliefs whose common bond Of union is the
determination to preserve our institutions from
sectaran dom nation, and especially TO repel all
aggressions upon the educational system which is
the only sure source OF pure and enlightened gov
eminent.
The published letter advises Mr.. Blaine to be-
come member of this order Suppose had done
so in my letter, what OF it ! might also suggest
10 Mr.. Blaine that it would be well for him to en-
quire by what disreputable means the editor of
the Maine Standard obtained possession of his
private correspondence; but respectfully submit
that nobody is responsible for the suggestion but
myself, and that the public can have no possible
interest in the matter.
am not called upon to engage in any discussion
of the question of the compatibility of secret So
cieties with republican form of government. 1t
will be sufficient to suggest that objections this
point come with poor grace from the organ. of
party which is largely controlled by the secret
ciety of St. Tammany-a society which, by its
henchman, only one week ago elected Mr.. Kerr
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and so
paves the way, as it hopes, for Governor Tildens
nomination for President in 1876. And may add
for myself-if anybody cares to know of my OPP
inion-that holding our free institutions to be in
estimably precious, and believing with Dsraeli
that the highest duty of the modern christian cit
zen is to encourage by liberal. non sectarian edu-
cation the development and uplifting of his udi-
vidual fellows, rather than to cxpend his strength
in building up creeds and systems, consider all
associations, whether secret or open, to be defen
sble which look to the preservation Of these in
sttutions and the removal of all burdens and re-
straints which impede the elevation or prevent the
utmost possible growth of individual man-of
whatever nationality or creed or color-whom
they may in any wise influence or affect. Very
truly yours, JOHN Y. FOSTER.
Newark, n. j., Dec. II, rs.