The Irish standard., 1894-09-29
Unpopular Issues.

| lS6uoSs Ahe VIC a. e "A. - A0'oA
says the Catholic Journal of the New
South, fourished long in this country
They have grown up in a night ane
persisted in q night. They can have al
the best but q momentary existence in
lend of universal federation and freedom
but they have more than once existed
long enough to astonish politicians and
upset party calculations.
The old Federal party was the first
anti-alien party. 1t enacted the celebrat-
ed alien lew which gave the president
the power to Danish any foreigner who
lande., here, and it also raised the period
of residence necessary for naturalization
from five to fourteen years. When jeff
erson came into power in 1900 these laws
were repealed. and with the decadence
of the Federal party there was no more
agitation on the question for neatly forty
years. In 1885 some attempt was made
to organize native American party, but
it did not succeed.
The feeling was growing, however, and
in 1874 James Harper was elected mayor
of New York on the native American
ticket. The movement spread to New
Jersey and Philadelphla and in the lat
ter city led to great riots between natives
and Irish citizens. Several elections
were carried by the natives and they
elected few representatives to con-
gress, but the party soon died away.
In 1862 nativism again appeared, but
this time in new form. A secret oath
bound order was founded. styled "The
Sons of '76; or, The Order of the Star
Spangled Banner" It was only when
members had reached the highest de-
gree that the objects and name OF the
order were made known to them. When
questioned about it their answer was
II don't know" and this gave the popu-
lar name of Knownothings to the party.
Its main tenents were hostility to the
Roman Catholic Church and to immigra-
tiop, and it's principle was that Ameri-
cans must rule America. It's nomina-
lions were made by secret conventions
of delegates from the various lodges, and
every member had to vote this secret
ticket under penalty of expulsion.
At first it made selections from the
candidates put up by the other parties
and naturally caused much surprise to
the politicians the day after the cleo
ton. In this way it held the balance of
power between the Democratic and Wing
parties.tor two or three years. In pro-
portion as the Wing party became dis
integrated on the slavery question the
Knownothing party grew, and in 1855
came out from it's secret ambush and
made strong race for supremacy with
the Republican party.
Tt spread into New England and the
South and was strong in the Middle
States, but 1t gained little foothold in the
West. But it did not possess those
abiding principles upon which parties
must be founded. Greeley said Of it that
it had "about as many elements of per.
sistence as an anti-cholera or anti-potato
rot party2would have" But in 1854 and
1886 it carried many states and sent
strong delegations to congress.
Knowthingism entered on a national
campaign in 1858, nominated presiden.
tial ticket headed by Willard Fillmore,
and in the..election carried the state OF
Maryland. This was it's elimination,
though it existed in struggling way
four years longer. In the North ite
members largely took refuge in the grow
ing and triumphant Republican party.
In the South it fingered long enough to
put up Bell and Everett as candidates in
the presidential campaign of 1860, vain
attempt ia stem the agitation of the
slavery question. It did not survive that
election.
For years afterwards certain Repub-
lican politicians were kept quite busy
denying they had ever belonged to it.
for to the large foreign element in the
Republican party the flavor of Know
lnothingism was extremely distasteful.
After the interval of generation an
other effort is being made to organize a
native American party. It cannot pos
sibly succeed, but, like it's immediate
forerunners, it may produce for mo-
| ment some skyrocket effects.
Co. r C,.a