Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-05-10
THE A. ?. A.
The Supreme Council in Session at
Des Moines Adjourns.
THE DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES
The Order Not Pledged to ANY Policy on
the Money, Labor, Temperance
Other Party Questions-Of-
acers Elected.

DIES MONIES, Ia, May THE SUI
preme council of the a P. A. completed
| its labors here Saturday night, after
four days session The most important
| work was the preparation of the decla-
ration of principles for the order which
was drawn up during two days confer
ence, and is an important document in
every way. The statement that Supreme
| President Traynor had recommended
| twenty-one years residence for nat
uralization was in error. His recon-
mendation was ten years. and the SUI
preme council finally decided that sew
| en- years should elapse between an alien
declaration of intention and naturaliza-
ton The council passed resolution,
asking that this correction be made by
| the press. The declaration of princi-
| pies is as follows:
| First-Loyal to true Americanism. which
| knows neither birth place. race. creed or party
is the first requisite for membership in the a
P A
| Second-The A P. A. is not political party
| and does not control the political af1liation OF
| its members, but it teaches them to De intense
ly active in the discharge of their political du-
ties in or ont of party lines because 1t believes
| that all problems confronting our people VIII
| be best solved by conscientious discharge OF
the duties Of citizenship by every Individual
| Third-While tolerant of all creeds, it holds
| that subsection to and support OF any ecclesi-
| astical power not created and controlled by
American citizens, and which claims equal, If
| not greater, sovereignty than the government
| OF the United States OF America Is 1rrecon-
| c1lable with citizenship 1t Is, therefore op-
posed to the holding of Offices in national state
or municipal government by any subject or
| supporter of such ecclesiastical power.
| Fourth We uphold the constitution Of the
United States of America and no portion of it
more than its guaranty of religious liberty to
| be guaranteed to the individual. and not to
mean that under its protection anv un-Amer-
lean ecclesiastical power can claim absolute
| control over the education of children growing
| up under the stars and stripes.
| Fifth-We consider the non-sectarian, free
| public school the bulwark of American institu-
| tions; the best place for the education of Amer
| lean children To keep them such, we pro est
against the e ployment OF subjects of any I'M
| American ecclesiastical power officers
| teachers of the public schools.
| Sixth-We condemn the support out Of the
public treasury by direct appropriation, or by
| contract. of any sectarian school. reformatory
| or other institution not owned and controlled
| by public authority.
| Seventh Believing that exception from tax
| alton is equal to grant of public funds, we
demand that no real or personal property be
| exempt from taxation, the taxation, the title
| TO which is not vested in the ma tional state
| governments or in any Of their subdivisions.
| Eighth-We protest against the enis tment
| in the United States army, navy, or militia of
| any state, of any person not an actual citizen
| of the United States
! Ninth-We demand for the protection of our
| citizen laborers the prohibition of the importa-
ton OF pauper labor and the restrictions Of all
| immigration to persons who show their
ability ana honest intention to become self-sup
porting American citizens.
| Tenth-We demand the change of naturaIiza-
| ton laws By repeal of the act authorizing the
| naturalization of minors without a previous
declaration o. intention. and by providing that
no aliens shall be naturalized or permitted to
4 vote in eta 11T1nr IEhn
| speak the language of the land, and who cannot
prove seven years continuous residence in this
| country from the date OF his declaration OF in
| tention-
| hgence and laxity with which the judiciary of
| our land administer the present naturalization
| laws, and against the practice of naturalizing
aliens at the expense or committees or cand1-
dates as the most prolific source of the present
! prostitution of American citizenship to the
bs<eSt use
| Twelfth-We demand that all hospitals asy-
lums, reformatories other institutions in
which people under restraint be all times
| subject to public inspection, whether they
maintained by the peope or by private corpora
tions or individuals.
| Thirteenth-We demand that all national or
| state legislation affecting financial, CONNER
| cial or industrial interests be general in char
| acter and in no ms lance in favor of any one
| section of the country or any one class of the
| people.
The council tabled every motion at
tempting 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 political &C
ton beyond their negative obligation.
The council approved of the draft of a
bill for the suppression of immigration,
which will be sent to congress and also
adopted resolutions for Legislation, sub
jecting converts and similar institu-
tons to public inspection.
The following officers were elected:
Supreme president, w. j. Fl. Traynor, of
Detroit; vice president, Rev. Adam
Faucet, of Columbus, o.; secretary of
state. o. c. Jackson, of Boone, Ia;
chaplain, j. j. Gosper, of Los Angeles;
secretary, C. T. Beatty, of Saginaw.
Mich; treasurer, II. NJ. Stark, of Mil
waukee; past supreme president, II. f.
| Bowers, of Clinton, Ia; sergeant-at-
arms, E. H. Dunbar; guard, E. NJ
| Woods (colored), of Illinois; sentinel,
William Meel>er. of Kentucky.
1t 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 listen to ali reso-
| lutions-