Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-29
4. p A ISM IN NATIONAL Politics.

4. r. 4 ISM IN NATIONAL PDLfJICS.
The grand secretary Of the American
Protective association announced II few
dnys ago through the Associated press
that II Is The design OF the order to enter
national politics In The impending prcsi-
dental campaign. Whether this an
nounccmeut Is made Ivy authority or Is
volunteered by an ambitious leader who
desires n wider field Of political activity
Is immatcrial. This is Il free country.
and In every free country any group OF
men Is ut liberty to constitute Itself into
q new political party aud TO enjoy all
the rights accorded other political par
ties. provided always its methods and
objects conform to the spirit and letter
of the federal and state constitutions.
ON the other hand. even In n free
country no organization should receive
~countcnance or support from law-abid-
ing and reputable citizens If its
methods tend to undermine re-
publican institutions and 70 de
stroy the political equality Of all citi-
zenS. There are rules of war which
no civilized nation can violate and re-
tain recognition among the powers of the
world. For example, the use of poi
soned arrows or copper bullets, the
poisoning of wells and springs. the
spreading of contagious disease by in
rcctcd clothing. are regarded as bar
barian and beyond the pale of modern
warfare. The Same principles must oh
tain in politics.
\ political party composed of oath
bound members who profess allegiance
to other parties cannot be tolerated
under our political system. 1t is no
better than would he an organization of
spies and dcscrtcrS secretly landed 10
gether willie holding positions in The
military or naval service. According Ia
its grand secretary it is the purpose OF
the new A. p. A. party TO operate III
the domain of national politics just rs
it has been operating in the field o1
local politics. 1t proposes to get Il FOOT
hold In all parties and endcavor to con
troll and dominate them under cover
from within. In states where the re
publican party is in the majority The
new A. L. A. party will center all iti
energies to control republican caucuSe
and conventions. although every mem
Der is sworn to bolt any republican can
didate who belongs to the class pro
scribpd by reason Of his creed or hi
opposition to the proscriptive methods o
the dark-lantcrn order. In democratic
and poDulist states the same policy Il
TO be pursued within the democratic
and populist lines. The spies. mutineeri
md boilers are to be banded togethel
TO manipulate and control those par
ties.
Here we have a political party pro
claiming publicly its purpose to pla!
the part of the rat inside of the cheese
to feed. fatten and multiply on the sub
stance of other parties while at al
times ready to desert and destroy them
Such base and cOwardly tactics hay
never been pursued by any politica
party in this or any other country
Even the defunCt k~now-nothing part.
had the manhood TO enter the p%oliticn
uEtlli uiu 'oh''S' 'l'ih' "'h WI
parties for public favor. 1t did not al
tempt the ignoble role of hypocrisy tina
A. 7. A.ism imposes upon its members
The know-nothings did not pretend t
affiliate with any other political bod
either secretly or openly.
In commenting upon the recent utter
ance of the A. p. A. grand Secretar!
the st. Louis Globc-Democrat. the leat
ing republican daily of the Mississippi
valley, very pertinently says: "'rhe pee
pie of this country dislike dark-la ntcr
politics. Parties that work on the kl
kiux-klnn plan in the United States wi
always die young. When the know
nothing order was ut the height of il
power Horace Greeley said of it that
was as devoid of the elements Of pc
sistence as an anti-cholera or anti-p,
tato rot party would be Yet it is ell
tirely safe to predict that the A. p. !
will never gain any such triumphs i
its predecessor Won"
THE COLORED RACE IN EVIDENCE.