Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-12-13
A FAIR CRITICISM.
WHAT A GREAT DAILY NEWSPAPER
THINKS OF THE A. p. A.

gOgues PrOfIt-It is Un.ChrisIlik,
At Variance With American
Ideas-One Party IL Does Not Re
cruit From.
The following calm, cool and logica
criticism of the A. p. A. is taken from
the editorial columns OF the Record o
! Philadelphia. 1t is worthy of careful
perusal and preservation 10y every
intelligent reader, whether he bt
Catholic or Protestant:
Although it is quite possible that
the American Protective Association
may have within its ranks some hon
est men who conscientiously believe
the institutions of the country to be in
danger from foreign or sectarian mach.
nations, it is nevertheless true tina,
the movement is designed only to ere.
ate discords by which demagogues may
profit. No such danger as this asso-
citation processes to fear exists or can
arise under the conditions that prevail
in the United States. The population
OF the country is 80 vast, the sects and
nationalities of which it is composed
are so numerous and varied and the
love of political and religious liberty is
so impartially diflused that the appre-
| hension OF any one denomination be-
coming powerful enough to dominate
the rest is little short of a preposterous
| absurdity. Even if fanatical fraction
OF some particular sect should become
imbued with desire to overthrow the
well-settled principles OF equal freedom
on which American institutions rest,
their utmost possible efforts would lie
so inadequate to the accomplishment
OF such purpose that they could ex-
cite no other feeling than that OF ridi-
cule in the minds of sensible men.
They could make no advance against
religious liberty, no matter how insidi-
ously they might lay their plans, that
the intelligence Of the American peo-
| pie would not detect; and among the
first to oppose them would be their
own fellow believers. No combination
least OF all a secret combination, would
be necessary TO defeat q scheme Sc
manifestlv detrimental to the public
welfare; for the statesman, demagogue
or party that should give the least
sanction to it would be speedily and
openly voted out Of political existence.
There is not, however, particle OF ev-
idence that any denomination or ma
tionality entertains such reasonable
designs.
"The wisdom OF Christ's admoni.
tion, Whatsoever yc would that men
should do unto you do We even so to
them, is thoroughly understood and
appreciated by the people of the Uni.
ted States; and all intelligent citizens
wherever they may have been born or
whatever religious belief they may
profess, know that obedience to this
command is essential to the existence
OF polit Cal and religious liberty. Tol.
Grafton OF belief is characteristic OF
the American citizen, native or foreign
born. He knows that his own freedom
depends upon the continuance of the
freedom Of all; and there is not the
smallest reason to suspect that any de.
nomination or nationality desires to
subvert those institutions that have
hitherto guaranteed it, and the benefi.
cence of which is best exhibited in the
harmony and good will in which
friends and neighbors of every faith
have long lived side by side.
"But while none OF the religious
organizations, nor any of the people
who really make the teachings oI
Christ their rule OF conduct, are either
conspiriug themselves or uncharitably
assuming that their brother Christians
are Matching Infamous designs, YET
there are here and there so-called
Christians whose hearts are filled with
a rancorous hatred born of ignorance
and unfounded suspicion. For such
as these there is an Irresistible at.
traction in society that conceals the
identity of its members while encour.
aging them in the cultivation of senti.
ments they would be ashamed to ac-
knowledge in their individual capaci.
ties. Some of these, it is true, may be
more or less sincere in their ignorance
and fanaticism, but their very sincerity
makes them all the more dangerous
when they come under the influence
OF political knaves, as they almost in
variably do. The American Protect
i've Association is All organization oil
this sort. The fact that its roster OF
membership is guarded against public
scrutiny should be sufficient warning
to straightforward men that its objects
are not cemmendable.
Considered as political body, the
great majority OF the adherents oi
which are either afraid or ashamed to
let their connection with it be known,
it is, to say the least, open to suspi-
cion; ior while private societies may
without censure preserve their affairs
from the public gaze, no such right
belongs to those whose aim it is to in.
huence political action that may affect
the welfare OF the whole people. In