The Portland daily press., 1895-05-04

sider the Project-Gathering to be
at Milwaukee-Delegat Will Repre-
sent 5000, 900 Members.
Milwaukee, Wis, Mas 8. Preparations
are being made by the local councils of
the American Protective Association for
the fourth annual national convention of
the order, which wi be held in Milwau-
kee next week. Every State and Terri
tory in the United States will be repre-
sented, except Mississippi, New Mexico
and the Indian Territory, where the Or
ganization OF the association has not yet
been perfected.
The convention will be held in the
Library Hall on Fourth street. 1t will
be opened Wednesday morning, May 8,
at 10 o'clock, and will continue until
Saturday. Headquarters will be estab-
lished at the Plankinton House, where
all committee work will be done. The
superintendent of delegates cannot be
| secured, as that is one of the things the
order desires kept secret, but the nation
! al officers estimate the attendance at be-
tween 400 and $40. They say the num-
| Der would be larger but for the financial
stringency during the past year. A the
last annual convention which was held
in Des Moines, Iowa, there were 200 dele
gates in attendance, and at that time
the order was only about half organized
throughout the country.
| According to the officers, the growth
of the American Protective Association.
has been remarkable. When the Des
Moines convention was held the assoeia-
| tion was organized only in the Middle
States. There was not a council south
of Kentucky, and the order was just be-
ginning to get foothold in the East,
as three weeks before councils had been
installed in Massachusetts, and New
Jersey. Its officers now claim member
ship of 100000 in the United States
1t is impossible to learn the exact num-
| ber until the convention is held and the
reports of the national officers represent
| ed
| Leading members of the order place it's
| membership in Wisconsin at 100000 and
| say that there are from 10000 to 25, 600
in this city. They say that new coun-
ellis are being formed in the State every
| wsek, and that some of the councils in
Milwaukee have a bership of more
than 1900 each. Some people may think
these figures are entirely too large, but
the officers of the association say that it's
- J. L. !
tury, and that in view of that fact they
are not in the least surprised at the great
additions to it's membership.
The coming convention will attract
more than usual attention, not on ac-
count Of the large increase in member
ship since the last annual gathering. but
because of an important question that
will come up for settlement. .nfuz ,
There is movement within the order,
headed by the national president, VI.
H Traynor, of Detroit, to abolish the
secrecy with which. the association has
been clothed since it's organization. Mr..
Traynor and number of others believe
the association is: now strong enough to
act publicly. He thinks by SO dong a
large amount of the criticism which has
been and is still directed against the
order will fall to the ground when once
it declares itself non-secret organiza-
tion. Mr.. Traynor also wants to take
more radical step. He believes the as
sociation would more speedily accomplish
it's aims and objects by the organization
of it's members into new political party.
He believes the proper time to accom-
plish this action would be during the
approaching convention. Mr.. Traynor
believes the time is ripe for the move
ment. Mr.. Traynor wants tie American
Protective Association to blossom out as
the American party, and as soon as this
is done he is in favor of establishing
permanent headquarters in Washington,
DC, from which to direct the cam
paign and the management of the asso-
citation with it's large membership.
On the other hand, it is claimed that
the rank and file of the order is not in
favor of Mr.. Traynor's movement and
that it will be strongly opposed in COM
mittee and upon the floor OF the conyen-
from the committee on resolutions to
which the matter will no doubt be re-. |
ferred. The outlook is for lively fight. |
Prediction as to which faction will be |
successful would be idle, owing Ito the
difficulty which stands in he way cf se-
curing definite information regarding
secret order.
The delegates to the convention are
elected by the various State and Terri
torial councils and their expenses will |
be paid by these councils. The expenses
OF the supreme council are met by per
capita tax, which averages about four or
hve cents. Upon their arrival i'll Mil
waukee the delegates will be met by
com mittse of the Wisconsin State coun-
cll and escorted to their respective hotels
or lodging places. Elf. Bowers, the past
supreme president of the order, who is
known among the memb bers as Father