Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-15
What the President of the A. P. A.
Supreme Council Said.
INTERESTING REMARKS ON POLITICS
What Must Be Promised to Re-
ceive the Votes of the Order.
MARRIAGES WITH CATHOLICS


situation.
Mr.. Traynor says that the order is ito
day a recognized factor in American poll
tics" and that "its favor is openly courted
by political leaders. who, a few years ago,
ignored, treated i. with contempt or de-
nounced it." He asks if these eleventh
hour converts love US any better than they
loved US three years ago?" and lis it not
prudent to distrust them?'
Mr.. Traynor warns the order against at
temptS to capture it in the interest of any
man or any party. and says the order
should not support any party on promises.
Ii should have written pledges, and an an
nouncement of what the party will do in it's
platform The political portions of the ad-
aress. which are of interest are as fol-
lows:
1t Is only within the past year or so
.hat we nave discovered now many old
TN republicans. and even democrats.
Pcpuiists and prohibitionists are in SYM
p&thy with our cause, ard are now more
or less active members in our order. The
pity CT It is we cannot today give Gre
dence 10 proteStations that were wanting
When We most needed them. We can be-
HeVe either them, those who utter them
i-or tEcse IN whose interests they utter
ed. We &C mot believe that they mean
anything but harm to us and aggrandize-
ment to the utterers by reason of their
allartes with the corrupt rings of parties
whose interests are opposed to our own.
Standing Menace.
Inc A +. A. Is standing menace to
the perpetuity of every party, being COM
posed. as it is, CT the members of every
party. So long as it remains unmoved by
threats. impervious to unsubstantial party
protestations. unyielding to the pressure
or party machines and uncompromising in
its adherence to it's own grand declaration
il he hat ad h1t
ed, by every party which dares not incor-
porate the platform of the order in its own
nave waited. the great majority of our
order Rave waited patiently during the
past year for some sign from one or other
OF the political parties that it has received
a change Of heart that it is honest enough
10 publicly express. True. there are a few
republicans, such as Linton of Michigan,
Gear of Iowa, Bradley of Kentucky. Stone
Of Missouri ct al. who have been fearless
in their Endorsement of our principles, and
while 1t may be fortunate that they are
republicans, 1t is more than unfortunate
that they are not either the republican
party or representative of that body and
the question should be asked and answered
here and rev that while the A P-A.-ism Of
these men is tolerated by the party for the
A.P,A. votes which each of them carries
behind him. what assurance have We that
this liberation will not cease the moment
am no pessimist. but 1 am bound
to weigh probabilities in the scales
Of experience and common sense. I
am bound to tell you what fear as we'll
as what l know and hope for. We have
had some bitter experiences in the past. of
party pertidy and reputation. experiences
which have cost us the banner state of
the order, loss that has wrung my heart
as it has that of every loyal member of
the order, and which it will take years of
hard labor and unqualified good admins
tration to repair.
Between Two Courses.
''One party. at least. has come to the
&C Inclusion that to succeed in the presi-
Dental campaign it must receive, either
directly or indirectly, the votes Of the Or
der, or divide the association against IT.
self. Which course is the most politic?
Which promises the largest amount of
power to that party? To come out
squarely and join hands with our order
and offend that powerful section of the
party which antagoniZes us or to use the
political diplomatic and immense pecu-
mary resources at its command to divide
and disrupt US? Let me further ask this
question of the loyal and intelligent men
who surround me: Which course is most
party will repudiate a section of itself,
which it controls, for the minor considera-
ton of joining hands with the A. F. A.
that it well knows it can never control
and would ultimately absorb?
Between the two courses-between am
ity ard hostility-the preponderance of evil
dence. gagged from the standpoint of ex-
pediency, is dangerously In favor of the
pursuance of the latter course.
Method to Cause Disruption.
1--WE would do we'll to ask ourselves the
following questions: In case any particu-
lar party decided to adopt the plan most
consistent with it's safety, hostility to our
organization, what methods would be en-
ployed to achieve our disruption? Not
md tn
cples, for that would be suicidal, forcing
us to the alternative of either throwing
in our lot with some other party or or
ganizlng a new one, which in either case
would mean defeat for the party SO declar-
ing itself. The first step would be TO in
wade the sacred ranks of our order. to
either disrupt 1t or convert 1t into
party machine, in whole or in part. This,
I regret to state, has been done in various
cities and states as many state officers
now present can testify to their sorrow and
chagrin. To con3t inmate such a scheme as
this no money would be spared, and the
venal members of the order and those most
susceptible to either personal or party
interests would be the instruments which
the wire-pullers of such a party would
use for our demolition. This failing, Or
only partially succeeding, the next attempt
would be to capture the A. P. A. vote at
the natic nal party convention. What would
be the modus operandi n this regard?
straigh. out and out declaration that the
order must vote for this or that candidate
Independent of the patriotic standing of
such candidate? Undoubtedly not. for such
declaration would drive the A. p. A.
delegates to the extremity of bolt.
Would not one or other section of the
party by an apparent show of friendship
for our cause and an ingenious exhibition
of dsinterestedness urge upon our men,
bership the selection of a nominee Of our
order from their own ranks, in order that
the votes of our delegates might be concen-
trated against the opponents of any par
ticular candidate and in sympathy with
the section evincng this friendship for
US? The result would he the nomination of
the nominee Of this sec ton and the party
candidate would be elected by an enormous
majority; in short. by the united vote of
our order. But there is not an Intelligent
member upon this floor who cannot see
through the hollowness and insncerity Of
such an arrangement; there Is not mem
Der of this council who does not realize the
significance of such a plot to make our
order the catspaw of party, and save the
party from a bolt of dangerous proper
lions. There is not u member upon this
floor who does not know that no member
of our grand organization could ever re-
ceive within a hundred votes sufficient to
make him the nominee of either one Of the
great parties, even though that member
were the Immortal Linton himself. Do
not let US delude ourselves upon this