Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-22
CAN F0REIGN-BORN CITIZENS SUP
PORT HIN!


the nominees of his old party in 1855. He
went off and entered the crew battering
against foreigners, and supported and voted
fol j. Nicely johnson, the Know Nothing
candidate, for Governor of California and
Swung" the influence of his papers, two
of which he edited in 1855 in San Fran
cisco, for the Know Nothing ticket.
At that time, the Placer Times and Tran
script, the leading Democratic journal of
San Francisco, as well as the Herald and
the State Journal openly recorded the
position of Mr.. Bartlett's papers in the
matter as at enmity to the Democracy, and
with service to the Know Nothings.
How could they do otherwise, with Mr..
Bartlett an active affiliate in a Know
Nothing lodge, and leading working
member of the order, sworn to its obliga-
tons in the most solemn FORM.
What was a Know Nothing? A man
who, in secret conclave, political in all
its parts, subscribed to these principles;
To place in all offices of honor, trust
or profit, in the gift of the people, or by
appointment, none but notipe-born Protestant
citizens" Ritual, Art H., Hist. Am. Pol,
"copper"
A man who subscribed to this doctrine !:
" No member who may have Roman
Catholic rife shall be eligible to office in
this order" Ritual, Art. Ill
A man who, standing before the Vice
President in the first degree, placed his
left hand upon his heart, raised his right
toward heaven" and swore: I" In the pres
enee of Almighty God and these witnesses,
that will not vote nor give my influence
for any man for any office in the gift of
the people unless he be an American-born
citizen, in favor of Americans ruling
America, nor if he be a Roman Catholic
(Ritual-Initiatory, ibid
And who subscribed also to this penalty
read to him:
Binding yourself in the penalty of ex-
communication from the order the for
fixture of all intercourse with its mem
bers, and being denounced in all the So
cieties of the same as a willful traitor to
your God and your country" Ritual,
ibid
Who was Know Nothing? One who
permitted it to be said in the awful pres
ence of the lodge: " We wish you to dis
tinctly understand that he that takes these
oaths and makes these promises and then
violates them, leaves the foul, thedeep and
blighting stain of perjury resting on his
soul" (Ritual-charge ibid
What other obligations did the Know
Nothings take who nominated and sup
ported ]. Nicely johnson? They stood up,
as did Mr. Bartlett, with the left hand on
the right breast, with the right extending
toward the flag, and received this charge,
among other things: "That you will,
when elected or appointed to any official
station comforting on you the power to do
SO, remooe all foreigners aliens OF Roman
tHetvtfto mum bIhOS VI pidNSi anu mat you
will in no case appoint such to any Office
or place in your gift, SO help you God and
keep you steadfast' To which they an
swered seyerally :" 1 do" Ritual Second
Degree, charge and obligation, ibid)
What did the editor of a journal advo-
eating Mr.. Johnson's election in 1855 and
fighting the Democratic nominee and the
Wing nominee, bind himself to in Know
Nothing lodge? To all these things and
to much more of the same sort.
Yet, behind Mr. Bartlett is a party and
It's party organ, charging the Republican
organization with enmity to foreign-born
citizens, when in fact to that party they
owe the chief liberties and privileges they
enjoy. To that party, of all others, the
world turns for breadth of view, liberation,
perfect freedom consistent with order, and
the broadcast personal liberty compatible
with community interest The party that,
OF all Others, has been the friend of the
oppressed, succor to the down-trodden, the
enemy of clans, the right hand of hui
manity.