Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-05-07
PROTECTIVE VIEWS.
Tho Oalclal Declaration OF the A. r. A.
Council

Council.
DIES MONIES. May z. The supreme
council Of the American Protective Asso-
citation has elected officers. adopted plat
form and adjourned. Traynor WAS re-
elected president, and in justice to him the
council has requested the press to an
nounce that he did not in his annual nd
dress advocate the old Know Nothing
doctrine of twenty-nnc years residence of
foreigners in the United States before
they can vote. l;,t recommended ten years.
The platform adopted will bind Protectives
everywhere and for TINT reason Is the
most important declaration made to this
date by the organization that is causing
SO much comment and stir in political
circles
Mum rs to Old Party Issues.
The declaration Is mum rs to the prin.
cipal issues between the old parties, and
only refers to few outside Of those rrin-
ciples that make the association peculiar.
In fact the second declaration is to the
elect that the association is not a political
party, does not control the political af,ilia.
tons Of its members, being devoted ms far
rs political action is concerned to teaching
its members to he intensely active in the
discharge of political duties. believing
that To he the best way to solve all prob.
lens confronting the body public. One
of TIE genera. subjects referred to in the
PLATFORM is taxation, and the demand is
made that all rea! and personal property
lie tnsrd-which means taxation Of church
property.
On Immigration ard Other Subjects
IL l. claimed that exemption from taxa
ton is equivalent to grant of public
funds. Thr!. mere restrictions on the inn
migration Of psuuers from Europe ars de-
mhnd"d. The only place in which econom-
les are touched OH is in the thirteenth par
a-rapa where il Is demanded that all ma.
t'oEnl OF state legislation affecting the
| financial, industrial or commercial inter-
es's o. the country he general in charac-
| teT-nCt for n section or n class. The coun-
Gil tabled every motion attempting to COM
init tire order "a any distinct line of policy
on The money. labor, suffrage, temper
, ancc or other party questions, and also
| adopted resolution declaring that no
committee or other authority in the order
could bind the members to any political
action beyond their negative obligation.
II was resolved that Washington, ID. c.,
nc the permanent meeting place after 1896,
and that all meetings be held with open
doors. the public to he invited to witness
and listen TO all resolutions.
The Distinctive PRINCIPLES.
The chief interest O. outsiders in the rs.
socintion, however, is contained in its dis
tinctive Observation-Disclosures rs to the
church of Rome, the American public
school system and the naturalization laws
The first paragraph of :he platform is as
| follows: Loyalty to true Americanism
which knows neither birthplace, race
creed or party, is the first requisite for
membership in the American Protective
Association" Then follows the declara-
ration rs 20 Rome: while tolerant of all
creeds, it holds that subsection to and
support Cf any ecclesiastical power rot
created aud controlled by American citi-
zens, ard which claims equal. if not great
cr, sovcr i.aty than the government Of
the United States of America is irreconcil-
able with American citizenship. 1t is
therefore, opposed to the holding of offices
in nntioral. state or municipal govern
ment by any subject or supporter of such
ecclesiastical rover"
| On the Public Schools.
| Paragraphs 1. ) and q are devoted to the
public school question. In paragraph 4
| IL Is declared that while unfolding the
Constitution O. the United States in its
entirety and no portion more than the
guarantee of religious liberty, this
religious liberty is guaranteed to the
individual and does not mean that un-
der its protection any un-American
ecclesiastical power can claim absolute
contrc! over the education of children
growing up under the stars and stripes. ~
Paragraph goes on to declare the mon
scctarirn free public school the bulwark
OF american institutions and the best
place Tor the education of American chill
drcn. To keep them such we protest
against the employment of subjects of any
! un-A american ecclesiastical power as Off
cc-s ar teachevS of our public schools" And
pnrr.:rnph condemns the support out Of
the public treasury by any means of any
| sactnriqr school, resormatory of other in
stitutiol not owned and controlled by
public authority.
Change in She naturalization Laws.
Another important demand is that Of
paragraph 10, which requires foreign born
| mirrors TO themselves naturalize-not to
come In under their fathers naturalization
rs TOW, and then goes on to demand "tbat
no alien shall be naturalized or permitted
| 20 vote in any state in the union who can
not speak the language of the land and
who cnnnot prove seven years continuous
residence in this country from the date of
his declaration Of intention" The present
administration Of the naturalization laws
is declared the most prolific source of the
prostitution of American citizenship to
the bascst uses" The twelfth paragraph
demands that all institutions Of any kind,
either public or private, in which people
are under restraint, be open at all times to
public inspection
| THE WOMEN AND THE col ONEi