The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-16
Better Government to Be Secured
by Eliminating Personal
SelhShness.
NO MONEY FOR ORGANIZERS
Success of the Movement Must Come
From the People and Be
Spontaneous.

CHICAGO, ILL, Dec. 15.-W. n. Har-
vey tonight gave out a statement explain
ing the details of his new order the Pa
triots of America.
Mr.. Harvey says the cause of free silver
is to be enlarged through the agency of a
new political organization. This form of
waging war upon the single gold standard
forces is his own idea. Mr. Harvey, as
sisted by many well-known public men,
has placed the plan in working form by
starting an organization known as the
Patriots of America. With tae parent So
ciety in Chicago and thousands of others
in every State and Territory in the Union,
1t is Mr.. Harvey's intention to make free
silver reality and a vital issue IN the next
National campaign.
while free silver is the piece de resist
ance OF the organization, Mr.. Harvey con-
tinues, sit is not the sole one. Back of it
is the spirit of humanity, which looks to
the accomplishment of better government
by eliminating personal selfshness from
the acts of private citizens and public Of
fcials. The new order assumes the exist
ence of evil influence which is consciously
or unconsciously exerted by wealthy cor
porations and individuals upon Govern
ment, executives, legislatures and courts.
To successfully combat this influence the
society will endeavor to arouse in the
public breast the latent fire of patriotism
and love for humanity.
''The Order of the Patriots of America
with National headquarters in the Fort
Dearborn building, Chicago. has issued a
prospectus in book form, giving the objects
of the order and the reasons which have
caused the organization of such move
ment. Its National officers are a first
National patriot. National recorder and
National treasurer. 1t also provides for
first State patriot in each State, who con-
stftute a congress of pa triots. There is
also tosbe a first patrio. for each county.
The plans provide for opening lodges
throughout the United States, and all
power is derived from the people voting in
their lodges.
"It is a non-partisan organization and
will put no candidates in the field. Each
four years its members by ballot will de-
eide by majority vote what political re-
lief is demanded and will then proceed to
select by a majority vote the candidate of
their choice for President and Congress in
each district from the candidates nom
mated by the existing political parties.
Its objects and aims are given the
widest publicity, but the lodge-meetings
will exclude all who are not members.
The promoters of the order say its policy
as to secret sessions is modelled after the
executive sessions of the United States
Senate, and are private only in the sense
that the members of firm might exclude
the public from their private deliberations,
,,1 0E
United States Senate, the public welfare
can be best promoted"
William H. Harvey, author of "Coin's
Financial School," is named as temporary
first national patriot; Charles Mcclure OF
Michigan, national recorder, and James
F. Adams of Chicago, national treasurer.
The constitution provides that there shall
be no salary for the National officers, ex
cept the national recorder, and Mr.. Nc
Clure, who will fill that office until the
first regular election, declines to receive
salary. Mr.. Harvey says he will, in addl-
ton to charging no salary, put his in
come behind the order. There is no men,
bership fee to the order except In the way
of voluntary offering. The monthly
dues are classified from 10 cents to 81.
There is coordinate branch to the order
known as the Daughters of the Republic,
charitable organization to look after the
poor among the Patriots OF America.
The First National Patriot, First State
Patriot and First Copatriot take an oath
renouncing political offices, either by elec-
ton or appointment. They also rencunce
for life the ownership OF property IN ex-
cess of $1O0, 900. These officers, one In the
Nation, one in each State and one IN the
county. are the censors OF the order ana
are gwen power not conferred on others.
The remuneration of offices ana wealth
does not apply to others IN the order.
The whole plan of organization ls dlrected
against individual selfishness being car
ried into the laws of the Government, ana
treats political questions as questions OF
civilization and proposes to settle these In
rotation as they arise. Mr.. Harvey IN an
interview to-day said:
There is no money behind the order to
put organizers into the field. LIS success
must come from the people. 1t must be
spontaneous. 1t is based on the theory
that the leaders don't reflect the opinions
of the people generally, and this organlza-
ton is to give expression to the Will OF the
people and to carry that will into the laws
of the Government. The success OF the
order depends on the people having an ap-
preciative comprehension OF the eVls
affecting the country and necessity for
the judgment of the plain people being felt
in its affairs. Wherever selfish interests
have furnished money to run political
campaigns, value received has been de-
manded in legislation. We are going to
have campaign based on the voluntary
and patriotic action of the people, free
from the influence of all selfish interests.
0h the one hand are the foreign money
uealers and their allies in this country.
with greed and vanity as their incentive to
acuon. On the other hand we are organic
ing the people with d love of country and
q IoVe o. humanity as the motives that in
spire them. Foreign influences, financial