The Irish standard., 1893-04-08
lANTI-cATIIoLIc SOCIETIES..

last fifty years in which more deter
mined effort is being made than now to.
deprive Roman Catholics of their rights
as citizens Of this republic. Oathbonnd
societies have sprung up here within the.
past few years and infest all parts OF the
country. The most pernicious and anti
American organization of the whole lot
is that which bears the cabalistic title OF
the A. p. A., an abbreviated name for
American Protective Association. In
Ohio and Michigan this association cuts
quite figure in politics. The members
are active in ward caucuses and county
conventions and often succeed in defeat
ing Catholics who aspire to Office. Many
of the members are Canadian-born and
belong to the Orange order, and though
their first allegiance is due to the crowned
head of England, they have no scruples
in commit e perjury by renouncing
their foreign allegiance and becoming
naturalized. American citizens for the
sake Of working and voting against the
Catholics. Other members of this society
are descended from Know-nothing ances-
tors who belonged to the Native Amerl-
can party and from whom they inherit
their proscriptive principles
The A. P. A. is lawless association as
can be seen from their oath, which is in
direct violation of the United States con-
stitution and of the constitutions OF the
various states of the Union. When one
is initiated into the order he takes the
following oath:
L do most solemnly promise and swear
that I will not allow any one member
of the Roman Catholic Church to become
member of this order, I knowing him
to be such; that will use my influence
to promote the interests of all Professionals
everywhere in the world; that will not
employ q Roman Catholic in any capacity
if I can procure the services of Protes-
tant; that will not aid in building or in
maintaining by my resources any Roman
Catholic church or institution of their
sect or creed whatsoever, but will do all
in my power to retard and break down
the power of the Pope; that I will not
countenance the nomination in any eau
Gus or convention of Roman Catholic
for any Office in the gift of the American
people, and that I will not vote for nor
counsel others to vote for. any Roman
Catholic, but will vote only for Protes-
tants; that will endeavor at all times
to place political positions OF this gov
eminent in the hands of Professionals, to
all of which do most solemnly promise
and swear, SO help me God. Amen"
In addition to the above oath, the fol-
lowing instructions and final test are adj
minietered by the president of the lodge:
"Place your right hand on the assumed
emblem of the Roman Catholic Church,
your left hand upon the book of your
faith, and repeat after me: [ hereby de-
nounce Roman Catholicism; thereby de-
nounce the Pope sitting at Rome or else
where; I denounce his priests and ennis
saries and the diabollcal work of the
Roman Catholic Church, and solemnly
bind myself to protect at all times and
with all means in my power the good
name of the order and it's members, so
help me God"
The active agents of the allied anti
Catholic orders are unprinoipled dema-
gogues who are aiming to benefit them
selves both socially and politically by ap-
pealing to the religious prejudices of
their dupes. They charge Catholics with
disloyalty and falsely accuse them Of
plotting to destroy American institutions.
They cannot convince intelligent Ameri-
cans that Catholics are the enemies OF
the country they helped to establish, but
there are many ignorant Americans and
foreigners who are ready to believe the
worst things said of the Catholic people.
When the ancestors OF the latter day
American patriots we're rank Tories fight
ing against American liberty the Catho~
lies OF this country we're shedding their
blood in it's defense. The Irish Catho-
lies, particularly, rendered signal service
in the days Of Washington, and the Con
tinental Congress was not unmindful OF
their valor and patriotism, when. in an
address to the Irish people it said: "You
have been friendly to the rights of man
kind, and we acknowledge with pleasure
and gratitude that your nation has pro-
duced patriots who nobly distinguished
themselves in the cause of humanity and
America The Irish Catholics are as
loyal and patriotic now as in the past,
and if ever this country is in danger from
domestic traitors or foreign foes they can
be relied on to do their duty They will
outlive this anti Catholic movement as
they have outlived the antagonism of the
native.bor bigots of former times. Let
their motto be ''Our God and Our Coun
try.n and they need not fear the oppOsi-