Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-03-16

before them the plank of the repub-
lican platform of 1892, renouncing
belief in the underlying principles of
the Bennett law, he rubs their lacerated
sides with political saltpetre, as fol
lows:
1--WE feel that it contains doctrines as
false as hell-and it does. What had
we done in 1890? We simply held to
the idea-we only speak of the cardinal
idea-that the state of Wisconsin had
the right to say that each child in the
state should be brought to understand
the language of his country. 1t was
only a defensive position that we then
assumed at best. Two years after
wards, by the plank above, we were
not only taken from defensive
position, but brought to an attitude
of apology because we had stood for
"One Language" as against those who
thurst the battle upon us-mark that,
against those who thurst the battle
upon u.s."
Mr.. Taylor continues in the follow
ing philippe:
"And now, in these days, many
would-be Republican leaders, and
Democratic also, are expressing in
whispers their wonderment at the ex.
istence of the A. p. A. organization in
Wisconsin. You fools, ye are the
reason! Think you that you can stat
Patriotism to death as Joab did
Amasa? Think you that the Ameri
cans of Wisconsin are your abject
vassals body and soul? Can you out.
rage Professionalism with impunity, be.
lieve ye? Think ye that all are
dastards co-equal yourselves in mean.
ness and moral obliquity 2"
"Avaunt, We men without country
and without conscience. The curse OF
a patriotic people be upon you now
and evermore.
"The A. p. A. organization is needed
in Wisconsin, but it ought to dis
tinguish between its friends and its
enemies-we mean those who should
be its enemies. 1t is wrong in its in
discriminate war upon Catholics. In
the highest, truest sense. in the present
aspect of things, A. P. A. men should
have no war upon those who, like
Gibbons and Ireland, are covered with
scars fighting the battle of American
ism. They are for the present-anC
we think for all time-the victors in &
contest that has made nightly fol
Americanism of the patriotic, elemen
tary kind. They fought on when ou1
crayens, more ANONYMOUSLY thar
Hull, at Detroit. surrendered. Theil
cause, dear reader, was that of "One
Flag, One Language, One Country"
The Democrat begs leave to differ
with Editor Taylor in the belief thai
the A. p. A. is needed in Wisconsin
1t is not needed in Wisconsin or any
where else. 1t is an oathbound secret
society which seeks to deprive ONT
class of citizens of their civil liberties
Its purposes are reasonable and i'm
moral and it must and will be pu
down. The assertion that its existence
in Wisconsin is due to the fact thai
the leaders of the republican party
when they found its underlying
principles to be unpopular, refused t.
stand by the Bennett law, we are no
prepared to deny; and if true it only
goes to show that in the main tht
advocates of the Bennett law were
more concerned about reconstructine
foreign born citizens-principally thu
"little German according to A
P. A. notions than they were for TIT
welfare of the "little school house
or the English language. We are no
going to deny that every republican
stump speaker, as well as every othel
republican politician in the campaign
Of 1890 endorsed and vehemently
defended the Bennett law, including
its underlying principles; nor tha
two years later they abjured the law
underlying principles and all. Tha
they now have an adherence Of it is
their concern not ours. But it lead!
to the inquiry whether republican
politicians are particularly noted TO
having the courage of their convic
tions: and to the suspicion that yer.
many of them, like editor Taylor, art
in sympathy with the American Pro
tective Association which is onl,
revived acknowledgment.
In the Easter number of Harper