San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-23
SECRETARY SMITH ANSWERS.

/ SAN ANTONIO, March %, 1896.
l notice a "Like a Fish Story
in the SUNDAY LIGHT, by a promi-
nent citizen, who, both attacks
and defends the position OF the A.
| p. A. We wonder why the full
name is not used, American Pro-
tective Association, and he wishes
that great body Of mixed citizens
answer as to where we are going to
get men for office. He, in his arti-
Gle, shows he knows nothing OF the
aims and methods OF the A. p. A.,
why they were organized, nor their
purposes, now as organized.
First, he says he does not believe
in mixing religion with politics.
One of the very reasons the A. P.
A. was organized, was to totally
separate church from state, and its
members consists OF Jews, Theo-
sopish, Free Thinkers, Deists and
all people who believe in a
Supreme Being, with no infallible
being now living, as an interme-
diatory; nor does it comprise in its
members anyone who holds his
primary allegiance to a foreigner,
in preference to the United States
| Constitution and laws OF the Union
I-(United States Of America), as we
take it all do, who go to confession
and kiss toes, worship images and
idols, but all who protest against
ecclesiastic rule, are welcome.
Second, the man who receives
the support of the organization
will not do so as an infidel, as we
have no infidelS as members, as he
claims, but because he is opposed
to union of church and state; be-
cause he believes the American
flag is good enough to fly on pub
lie buildings; because he believes
in the American public school; be-
cause he believes in free speech
and free press, not gagged one,
as we now have; not man who
says one sixth of the population
shall have seventy per cent of the
offices, but man who comedies |
with Blackstone, especially in vol
ume 2, book 4, chapter 4, of Black
stones Commentaries. A man who |
says he wants to see Catholic |
children educated in the public |
schools; wants to see them get their |
religious training from Sunday
schools, and from the mothers |
knee. He must want them to know |
as much about theology as these
priests. He must want them to be |
good, loyal, free American citizens,
owing allegiance to God and coun-
try alone, with no intermediary.
Such man, be he Baptist, Metho-
dist, Christian, Episcopal or any
other denomination, is perfectly |
eligible to the votes of the Ameri.
can Protective association, be he
republican, democrat, peoples
party or any other party; but he
must be an A. p. A., in thought,
word and deed.
He says of the 1900 A. p. AS in
town 100 are Catholics. L suppose
there are more than that, say near
ly 200. Any Catholic is eligible to
membership who believes in edu-
cation, who believes in our prin-
ciples. There are many American
Catholics who are good, loyal men,
who cannot swallow the pope or
his doctrines. We have many L. O.
O. F.s who are Catholics, who the
papal ban did not affect. The same
can be said of the X. P's and F. |
Ms. Also some American Catho-
lies will take an oath on the Bible |
without mental reservation) and |
hold same to be sacred.
Now as to the coming elections
from the A. p. A. side, | also say
look out for the land slide, we
know how our members will vote,
never mind what their religion is.
Further, he says, the new Amer
lean Protective association alias
the old Know Nothing party, show
ing how much they are alike. 1
would refer him to the first article
of the platform, which, his COM
municatiOn shows, he never has
read.
1t reads: "Loyalty to true Amer
icanism, which know neither birth
place, race, creed or party, is the
first requisite for membership in
the American Protective assOcia-
tion."
And to further my side OF the
argument, the English Protective
association in England, the Mexi.
can Protective association in Mex.
leo, the Canadian Protective asso-
citation in Canada, the German
Protective association in Germany.
The formation OF councils is these
countries shows not only the peo-
pie Of America are awake to the
encroachment OF the Catholic