The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-16
earn rRoM THE a. p. 4.
Its Nature and Purpose Presented by the
President OF n Massachusetts Council.

II. Nature and Purpose Presented by the
President or n Massachusetts Council
To Tug EDITOR or THE UN-Si In your
issue Of last Monday there appeared a very full
report of the opinions OF the Rev. f.. L.. Stoddard
OF Jersey City with regard to the American FRO
tectivo association. These opinions are similar
10 those delivered Ivy the Rev. Lyran Abbott in
a recent sermon. Now, | am unaware that any
member OF the American Protective Association
has any fault to find with the opinions OF either
Of these gentlemen, but they base their opinions
upon statements which are absolutely false. l
wrote q letter to THE suS recently asking Mr..
Abbott to give his authority for the statements
made by him, and, as l expected, IL was not
printed. The columns Of the newspapers are
open freely to any of those s~u-called liberal and
b~road-minded gentlemen who may wish TO at
tack the members OF the "A. Z. A., but he VINO
wishes to defend them and speaks from his
knowledge as a member must expect to pay for
his space or have his communication assigned
TO the waste basket. VIM THE Sun allow me,
as a member and officer of the American Pro-
tective Association. TO point out the false state
ments made by the Rev. MIR. Stoddard.
l.. 1t is false that - tho A. 7. a. claims TO be a
secret society whose members, under oath, are
bound to active opposition toward Roman
2. It is false that its members are oath-bound
10 NOlt NENAlrA NuNiAis WIN ek"'N' -
fuse to trade with them: in short, TO boycott
them socially and ruin them politically
Is 1t too much to ask that n minister OF Christ
q believer in the Bible, and a man who Is sup
posed to be familiar with the ten Cofnmahu-
ments shall make sure Of his facts. before max
ing such astounding charges2 The American
Protective Association has, certain principies
which have been widely published, one Oh tne
tain and defend the right OF free speech. Ihey
are to maintain and defend the right OF any
body OF men in this country " to found a church
and Worship without molestatiOn rs their con-
sciences shall dictate More than thar, the
members Of the organization will donounce and
tempts TO make IL impossible. or even unpleas-
ant, for the members to continue in the exercise
There is no oath given or promise eSacted
from the members that they are not TO employ
them or to attempt in any way 10 injure them,
but they are to treat them EXACTLY the same as
Stoddard or Mr.. Abbott TO point to one case
which contradicts this statement. On the other
hand they are not 70 refuse to hirs H9e RI shs
teachings of the order which makes them be-
lieye that American Prote:tants are nnnt TO
hold public office in Boston, New York, Chicago,
and almost all the large cities. from when they
have been, Y. a large extent, excluded: Ihere
the Puritans and hOneyed words at the Roman
Catholics OF the same day. They are not taught
umns Of matter with regard to the smallest
peccadllloes OF Protestant ministers and mar q
stickful In some obscure corher when a t r ! M
having playwriters continually depict Protes-
tant ministers as mountcbanks, hypocrites,
thieves, and immoral wretches ana Roman
Catholic priests, always, as pure and holy men.
To conclude, the principles OF tho order may
be briefly stated as follows:
/. No public funds for sectarian institutions.
@. No tiag except Old Glory" to fly from our
public buildings.
3. The churches TO pay their own way and
their share Of the taxes.
4. Restriction Of immigration.
o. Extension OF time for NATURALIZATION ana
uniform laws on this subject in all the States.
q. The right OF free speech, free opinion, and
privilege to worship God or not. 10 all men.
FRANK ii. FLAGG.
President OF Council No. l1o.
CHELSEA, Mass, Dec. :.