The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-21

Principles and Purposes of an Order Having
Membership of 10000.


Principles and Purposes of an Order Having
a Membership of 1O5, 900.
Columbus CO., Special.
The patriotic order Of the Sons of America
closed its tenth annual encampment at the City
Hail. in this city, last night after busy session
of three days. Representatives were present
from every State and Territory except Rhode
Island, Florida and Utah. The national secre-
tary's report showed that there were at
the present time under the jurisdiction of
the National Camp 958 organized camps with an
average membership of ITO, making total mem
bership of 105, $50. The reports from the differ
emit State and Territorial camps showed a very
prosperous condition of the order, the recent So
cialistic aggressons having given a new impetus
to the society. At this session q platform OF
principles, prepared by Charles j. Beattie, OF
Illinois, chairman Of the committee on constltu-
ton, was unanimously adopted The following
rs the new platform:
'The Patriotic Order of the Sons Of Amerca
is q loyal organization of American citizens to
the manor born; all children of America,
nurtured on her soil, reared under the brilliant
folds of her starry flag nursed in her own cradles
of liberty and educated under the benign inf1u-
ence of her sublime Constitution and equal laws,
native born Americans who love their country as
her native children only can love her, who honor
her free institutions as no strangers can honor
them, and who revere her sacred flag as none
but patriots can revere it; Americans pos
sessed of and imbued with American
ideas. devoted to American freedom. in
favor of free homes free schools, free
speech, and a free press the free election of our
representatives and public servants, and the
free and untramnieled jurisdiction OF the courts
of Justice. AS loyal sons Of America we believe
and insist that all of our laws, State and nation
al should be enacted administered and executed
by Americans that all of public property
and treasure State and national, should be I'M
der the care and in the custody of Americans;
that all of the diplomatic and consular officers
~ fnnn nN4,n
ports and countries should be Americans; that
all officers of municipal, county, city and village
governments should be Americans, and that all
the general officers, and post and arsenal COM
manders, in the army and navy should be Amer
icans all to the manor born.
1--WE believe that there should he no dscrimi
nation against an American in his own land in
favor of an alien and that every alien should re-
main in this land for the same period of time
which an American is compelled to remain here
before he is clothed with the elective franchise.
'.That, all other things being equal, Ameri-
can should be preferred for each Office of trust
and profit in the gift of the people to person of
foreign birth
government of any department of our national
State or municipal governments be given over
to the management OF aliens.
'sThat Americans should have the right to gov
ern their own country and manage their domes-
tic institutions in their way, without foreign
interference of any kind or character.
''That free secular education is the bulwark of
American liberty and we insist that our public
school system shall be kept absolutely free from
all ecclesiastical and sectaran influences, and be
under the supervision of local secular officers
elected by the people and subject to the popular
will
s"rhat there should be no organized connec-
ton between church and state in this country,
and that any attempt to unite church and state
would be subversoH of the Constitution and
treason to the Republic, for which all persons
engaged in such treason should be brought to
conden and immediate punishment.
1--WE therefore call upon all loyal Americans,
in the name and by the memory of our immortal
glory OF our gallant sires, who by their bravery
and devotion the blood bought liberties
which we, their sons, are now called upon to de-
fond and preserves; for the glory of our land and
the honor of flag, to join our standard and
redeem our eontry from the ruthless rule of the
alien and the contagion of foreign invasion; to
stem the tide of ignorance and stay the food of
crime, and drive from our midst all systems of
organized pollution; to restore the sanctity of the
| ballot box and the freedom and purity of cleo
| tions; to prevent the suppression of our free
school system, the union of church and state, and
| the subversion of our Constitutions to preserve
| destruction, and to unite with your brethren in
| defense of home and law. liberty and order"
The work of the encampment was perfectly
| harmonious, there having been only one divis-
| ION which was called for. on the question of the
| location at which the next national encampment
/ should be held which was declared in favor of
| Chicago, and the national encampment will be
| held in Chicago on the second Tuesday in June,
| 1887.