Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-01-22
SECRET POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS.

SECRET POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS.
If the Republican party goes upon
the pages of history noted for any one
thing above another, it will be for its
persistent efforts to maintain an ascend
ency through the means OF secret
political machinery. The Union
League" the "Spartan Brotherhood"
the " Grand Army OF the Republic,
and other secret combinations instituted
by, and to promote the interests OF,
/" the powers that be-" have been just
so many auxiliaries to the grand move
ment in Washington, whose sole object,
stripped of all garniture, is to perpet-
uate the rule of the existing Admins
tration. Another of these powerful
aids has just been unearthed, which, 1t
is claimed has had an existence since
1867, and exerted probably control
ing influence in the last Presidential
election. 1t is denominated the "Order
of the American Union" and numbers
among its members President Grant,
Postmaster General Jewell, Gov. Hayes,
of Ohio, and other bright and shining
political lights. According to the New
York Herald, this order was organized
in 1867, "for the disfranchisement OF
Roman Catholics and preventthem from
holding office" and has been working
to accomplish that end for over eight
years, without any one except the men,
bers, suspecting its existence. The
principles of the " Order of the American
Union" are thus defined in the pream-
BILE 10 its constitution:
In view of the intolerant, persistent, az
rrcssiye efforts of Romanists and their evil
dent determination to control the Govern
ment of the United States, and to destroy our
civil and religious liberty, we declare our
selves adherents to the following propositions'
First, That any interference in political
affairs by any man or body of men acting IN
behalf, or by direction of any eccleslastlcai
body or power, for the benefit OF sucn organ,
III,
and religious equality fought for by our "a
theirs and guaranteed by our national consul
tuition. . ..
ouestion or distinction in the management Of
our public, educational or reformatory lnsti-
tutjons, or in political affairs, is opposed to
the spirit of our institutions.
Third, That there is danger that the Roman
CATHOLIC church. protesseddiy oodsX }pom
their adherents an allegiance paranount 10
that given to the state, may take advantage
AS they have in the pastor the equallty al
Of religious belief, to strive for political IN
fiuence for the purpose OF advancing the IN
terests of the church.
Therefore, as that organization nave lhtro-
duced this issue into political affairs in varl=
Gus sections of our country, and are urging
their own recognition as an element i'm politl-
cal problems, and demanding special iegisia-
ton for their own benefit, we further declare.
ii to be our conviction that true Americans
should organize to oppose such attempts,
It is said that when candidate ap-
pears for admission to this Order, his
standing as Protestant is first made
the subject OF close inquiry, and if sat
isfactory he is sworn not to vote for
any Roman Catholic, or anybody SYM
pathizing with the Romish church, for
any Office of honor, profit or trust. He
is likewise required to make oath that
he will not allow his children to be ed
ucated in any Roman Catholic school,
and obligated to give the preference in
all matters of business to Professionals.
The Order appears to be modelled upon
the ruins of the short-lived Know-Noth-
ing party, and doubtless when it has
served its purpose, of uniting and rem
dering available as political force the
religious bigotry of the country, it will
fall to speedy ruin as did its illustrous
predecessor.
The consummate generalship of Grant
in mapping ont political campaigns
must be acknowledged. He has his
Grand Army of the Republic for the
gallant heroes. who may consider the
Pope infallible, the League for those
who possess no positive religious con-
victions and the Order of the American
Union for those intolerant bigots who
can see no good in any creed but their
own. BY these appliance it is hoped
that o. Third Term will be forced upon
an unwilling people.
SANTIAM WATER wER.-Albany, Ore
gon, is supplied with power to run its
machinery, by canal twelve miles long,
which receives supply of water from