The Portland daily press., 1894-05-12
THEA. p. A.
Declaration of Principles Made BY the SUI
preme Council.

preme Council.
The Supreme Council of the American
Protective Association has just closed a
four days session at Des Moines, Iowa. The
Council adopted the following declaration
of principles
!. Loyalty to true Americanism, which
knows neither birth place, race, creed or
party, is the first requisite for membership
in the American Protective Association.
2. The American Protective Association
is not political party and does not control
the political abbiliation of it's members,
but it require them to be active in the
discharge of their political duties in or out
of party lines, because it believes that all
problems confronting our people will be
best solved by conscientious discharge of
the duties of citizenship by each individual.
3. While tolerant of all creeds, it holds
that subsection to and support of any eccle-
siastical power, not created, and controlled
by American citizens, and which claims
equal. if not greater sovereignty than the
United States, is not consolable with Ameri-
can citizenship. 1t is, therefore, opposed to
the holding of offices in national, state or
municipal government by any subject or
supp )rter of such ecclesiastical power.
4. We uphold the constitution of the U nit
ed States and believe that no portion of it
is more important than its guaranty of re-
ligious liberty, but we hold this religious
liberty to be guaranteed to the individual,
and not to mean that under it's protection
any un-American ecclesiastical power can
claim absolute control over the education
of children growing up under the stars an
stripes.
We consider the non-sectarian free pub
lie chools the bulwark of American institu-
tions; the best place for the education of
American children. To keep ITEM such we
protest against the .emplyment of subjects
of any un-American ecclesiastical power as
officers or teachers of our public schools.
IS. We cgndemn the public support out of
the public treasury by direct appropriation,
or by contractor any sectarian school, re-
formatory or .other institution not owned
and controlled by public authority.
7. Believing that exemption from taxation.
is equal to grant of public funds, we de-
mand that no real or personal property be
exempt from taxation, the title to which
is not vested in the national or state gov
ernments or any of their subdivisions.
We protest against the enlistment in
the United States army or navy, or the
militia of any state, of any person not an
actual citizen of the United States.
We demand for the protection of our citi-
zens laborers the prohibition of the import
alton of pauper labor, land the restriction
of all immigration to persons who show
their ability and honest intention to be-
come self-supporting American citizen.
10. We demand the change of naturali-
cation laws by repeal of the act authoriz-
ing the naturalization of minors without
previous declaration and by providing that
no aliens shall be naJuralized permitted
to vote in any state in the Union who can
not speak the language of the land and who
canont prove seven years continuous resi-
dence in this country from the date of his
declaration of intention.
IL. We protest against the gross negli-
gence and laxity with which the Judiciary
of our land administers the present natu-
ralization laws and against the practice, of
naturalizing aliens at the expense of COM
mittees or candidates as the most prolific
source of the present prostitution of Amer
lean citizenship to the basest of uses.
IL. We demand that all hospitals, asylums,
reformatories or other institutions in which
people are under restraint be at all times
subject to public inspection, whether they
are maintained by the public or private
corporations OF individuals
Is. We demand that all national OF state
legislation affecting financial, industrial
or commercial interests be general in char
aeter, and in no instance in favor of any
one section of the country or any one class
of the pople.
The council tabled every motion attempt
ing to commit the order to any distinct line
of policy on the money, labor, suffrage,
temperance or other party questions, and
also adopted resolution declaring that no
committee Or other authority in the order
could bind the members to any public action
beyond their negative obligation. The
council approved of the draft of bill for
the suppression of immigration which will
be sent to congress and also adopted resolu-
ton for legislation, subjecting converts and
similar institutions to public inspection.
It was resolved that Washington, D. c., be
the permanent meeting place after 1896, and
that all meetings be held with open doors,
the public to be invited to witness and lis
ten to all resolutions. rs