The Irish standard., 1893-12-30
Americans ruling America, /

L
various lodges and were voted for by all
members under penalty OF expulsion.
They Were not 30 much independent
nominations es selections Of satisfactory
men from the rival Wing and Demoera-
tic tickets. No public notice Of such in
dorsement was gwen, but its effects were
visible in the returns, and threw political
calculations into chaos ip many places.
Thus, even before the order actually
appeared in politics, it was in many in
stances the real arbiter of elections. At
arst the Know Nothings devoted most Of
their attention to municipal politics, just
as is now said to be the plan Of the A. r
AIS. But by October, 1854, they were
strong enough to obtain the balance OF
power in the Pennsylvania Legislature
and at the same time their support gave
the victory to the anti Nebraska party in
Ohio and Indiana.
E1n the elections OF 1855 the Know
Nothings gained little in the West, but
made great stride in advance south
ward, where they easily captured most
OF tbs Wings In this year, too, they
first appeared effectively in Rhode Island
politics. They had begun to gain q
fpothold here in the winter Of 1854 as q
political organization and had organized
themselves in ward and township coun-
cils. Their growth was rapid, particu-
larry in Providence, and in 1866 they
elected their candidate Cor governor,
Hon. William Warner Hoppin, and all
the other stats officers as we'll as control
ling the Legislature. Their other vic
tories in that year were in electing gov
ernors and legislatures in New Hamp.
shire, Massachusetts,, Connecticut, New
York, Calitornis and Kentucky, also
some officers in Maryland and exas;and
in Virginia, Georgia, Alabama. Missls-
sippi end Louisiana we're aeteated by
only s,6all majorities ranging from 1000
| to II, COO.
Encouraged by these successes in local
politlcs, the order began to prepare for
a campaign as national party in 1856.
1t went upon the theory that large num-
bars Of peo, 10 were tired Of the agitation
for and against slavery, and it thought
that in place OF the slavery question it
could make opposition to aliens and
Catholicism national issue. To this
end leading Catholics were brought to
bay in public controversies, the peraecu-
tions by the Catholic Church in all coup
tries were rscounted, special denuncia-
tione were leveled at Bedini, the Pope's q
Nuncio, and Americans were warned
| that the inquisition ..s.would kindle the
fires Of the holy auto da fe on the high
places OF our Republic and delage our
blooming plains with American blood.
La pursuance OF their more am bilious
plans in secret grand council at delegates
assembled in Philadelphia, February -,
1856, and in stormy session OF three
days adopted platform in Is PROPOSE
tions, the principal Of which were that
only native-born citizens should be Sc
lectei ifor public offices. and there should
be "resistance to the aggressive policy
and corrupting tendencies OF the Roman
Catholic Church" !.
On the day following the adjournment
| Of the secret council an open nominating
convention met, with All delegates pres
ent, only Maine, Vermont, Georgia, and
South Carolina being unrepresented.
After one informal ballot, Millard Fill
more was nominated for President, and
the declarations previously made by the
council was adopted as the party's plat
form. Disliking the slavery plank in
this platform, the Northern delegates, to
the number OF II, withdrew and issued a
call for another convention in June. The
seceding delegates then nominated Banks
and when he declined Il ey indorsed Fre-
mont, the nominee OF the new Republi-
can party. The Democrats nominated
Buchanan and the Wings accepted Fill
more. The campaign that followed was
sluggsh enough, except for the Free
mont hullabaloo, and the real contest
was between Buchanan and Fillmore,
In the county as q whole the popular
vote for Fillmore (American and Whig)
was 874b34, in = total of 4, ,06a 967 and his
eleotoral votes were only eight. all from
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