The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-14


Our dispatches this morning state that
the American Protective Association CON
ven,lon. now in session in Washington.
VIII remove. in all probability, the boycott
recently placed upon Gov. Mckinley by
the association.
The placing Of a boycott on Gov. McKin-
ley illustrates TWO things. namely. the
danger there is in a secret political or
ganization and the ease with which such
an organization is led away from its orig
inal purpose.
A secret political organization is almost
certain TO be manipulated by a few am
bilious and designing men. 1t is an easy
matter to have a few controlling men in
each lodge and these men. acting to-
gether. do with the organization pretty
much as they please Before they are
aware OF it the great majority Of the
members find themselves committed to
policies and a course Of action widely
different from anything made known TO
them when they Joined the organization.
They are so dominated by the controlling
minds, however, that they have neither
the courage to protest against what they
know to be wrong nor the will power
to sever their connection with the or
ganization. Consequently, things are done
that are against the general welfare, ana
a bad result is achieved even where
good result was aimed at.
The avowed purpose Of the American
Protective Association. when it was or
ganized, was not to control city. county,
state and national elections and put its
members into office, but to prevent polit-
ical power being used for the aggrand-
izement of any ecclesiastical power But
that purpose has been Interpreted 20
mean many things, and now the organi-
cation, according to all reports is an ac-
tive political factor in many parts of che
country.
1t was announced that the association
would boycott Gov. Mckinley, would op-
pose his nomination, and if nominated,
his election; and for what reason? Be
cause. as has been stated, he refused,
while governor. to appoint to Office GER
tain men recommended to him by the
American Protective Association, and did
appoint instead men connected with the
Catholic church. The circumstances con-
nected with the appointments may have
been totally different from those reported
to the American Protective Association,
and if they were not Gov Mckinley may
have had reasons that would have salts
fed the whole country for taking the
course he did in making the appoint
ments. If the whole matter had been
openly discussed it would have been thor
oughly understood, and public sentiment
would have settled it satisfactorily, but
it could not be openly discussed. because
it was in the hands of a secret organi-
cation. If the organization rescinds its
action it will practically admit that it
did wrong, and will furnish a practical
illustration of the danger of a secret po-
litical organization.
All public matters should be handled
with open doors. They belong to the
public. If they are dealt with in secret
trouble of some sort is sure
TO follow. A secret political or
ganization is likely to do what
an open political organizat ton would no,
do. Public opinion is the great safeguard
of free country. a political organiza~
ton that avoids it has doubts about the
wisdom of its own acts and policies.