Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-03-23
A LIBERAL VIEW.
DR.. HALLECK'S REVIEW OF THE
A. p. A.

,
A. p. A.
A Preachers Plea for Liberty-AI
UnansWerable Argument FrOn
Fundamental Principles - Relig
fous Intolerance Condemned.
Following is given in full, as far a
reported, the discourse OF DR.. Hallock
of the First Congregational church, a
Tacoma, delivered on the evening 9
the 11th inst, to which allusion wa
made in our last number:
Matthew XXII: 21-" Render unit,
Caesar the things that are Cesar
and unto God the things that ar
Gods"
There is higher law than that o
citizenship-the law of right. Com
bining that with loyalty to the Stat
makes our compound theme, goo'
citizenship. Some very good men ar
not the very best of men. But ever
the man who is ambitious, polite
publicspirited and generous, if hi
morals are bad and his methods un
scrupulous, will in the end exert al
ultimate influence for evil. Goot
citizenship of the true type include.
loyalty to the country, to the State. tt
the city and to God.
take exception here to the position o
the Tacoma press and OF the politica
wheel horses, with regard to munich
pal administration. l claim thai
national questions are not involved ir
city affairs, and should have no recog
milton. 1t may be stronger policy
for the party to run its lines clear
through from the capitol at Washing
ton to the city hall on Pacific avenue
but it does not secure the wisest ad
ministration of municipal affairs ol
an unbiased regard for the rights o
men. For instance, it starves large
class of deserving laborers this winter
because they did not vote right last
April. and next winter it starves the
rest OF them because there has been 6
change of politics, and this time
they got left. And all this wher
they both voted conscientiously, and
had an equal right to the labor which
they needed for their support.
If to the victors belong the spoils'
be right, of course you will not agree
with me; but l affirm that party
politics are as much out of place in g
municipal election as in choosing the
directors Of bank or issuing the invi
tations to social tea-party.
Give us the best men of affairs tC
run the intricate and weighty bust
ness OF our city's millions selected
from the whole people, not from 8
political class, and give every man a
chance to earn his living on public
work, whatever his views on nation
al questions, if he be loyal to Tacoma
and worthy the name OF man.
Civil service, which is simply bust
ness common sense, can never be
faithfully applied SO long as munich
palities are governed by partisan poll
tics.
Good citizenship means unselfish
regard to public interests. This is the
noble doctrine which tempted George
Washington from the dear seclusion
of his Mount Vernon to the general
ship OF the tattered and demoralized
army of the Revolution, when the
task was thankless and costly, because
the public veal was more to him than
personal comfort. 1t always puts the
public first and self last.
Good citizenship demands fidelity
in registering and voting. Good
citizenship demands the honest pay
ment OF taxes without concealment.
1t is self-evident truth to him who il
willing to see, that to take q pnblic
dollar is as wrong as to steal neigh
boris dollar, and to withhold that
which is due the public treasury is as
truly theft as to abstract that which il
already in.
Good citizenship demands catholic.
ity, liberty, equal rights and perfect
liberation. Old Rome at last gained
liberation for all religions and scored
one in the grand march toward true
civilization; let us not go back on
that! Scrooby demanded il, and
traversed Holland and the seas to win
it. Plymouth Rock received it, and
America has been its arena. Intol
erance would mark a return OF the
dark ages.
In view of the discussion I am in
evitably led to touch a matter that
would willingly leave alone; 8 move
ment in which many of my most re-
spected hearers are doubtless con.
scientiously involved, but which seems
to me to contradict the genius o
American institutions; to be contrary
to our traditions, to the principles o.
the gospel and to the ultimate con-
ception Of individual equity.
Wha is known as the A. P. A. is ar
association, secretly organized and
sworn never to vote for a Roman
Catholic for any public Office, never
to employ Roman Catholic for any
labor when Protestant can be had
There are other things in the oath oil
membership, but only wish to allege
that which is needful for our purpose
This is in the face OF the provision in
the Constitution OF the United States
that "No religious test shall ever be
required as qualification to any
office OF public trust under the United
States"
Ii this A. P. A. oath means any
thing, it contradicts that clause of the
Constitution directly. 1t does apply