The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-05-21
A. ?. A. SUPREME COUNCIL
ADDRESS GIVEN TO THE
PUBLIC.
HIS POSITION As 70 CATHOLICS.
Consistent Citizen of the United
.States-Favor Curtailing Power
of the Advisory Board.

washington, May l4.-lne most nOtc
worthy feature of today's session of the
A. =. A. was the innovation made by
giving to the public the annual address
of President w. J. III. Traynor. While
,by special committee, the body of it
gives more authentic information as to
the purposes of the order than has ever
been made public before.
President Traynor deals at length with
the political phases of the A. Z. A. He
says:
"rhe American Protective association
is today recognized factor i'll American
politics, whose favor is openly courted
by political leaders, organizers and pos
tulants for public Office, who year or
two ago ignored, treated with contempt
or denounced it."
Then he warns the order against clev-
'enth hour converts and says:
"The A. l.. A. is standing menace
to the perpetuity Of every party, being
composed, as it is, of the members Of
every party. So long as it remains UNI
moved by threats, unyiclding to party
machinery, it will be hated but respect
ed by ever party which dares not incor-
porate the platform of the order in its
own. The great ma jOrity of our order
have waited patiently during the past
year for some sign from one or the other
political parties that it has received Il
change of heart, that it is honest enough
TO publicly express. There are n few
Republicans, such as Gear of Iowa,
Bradley Of Kentucky and Sloan of Mis-
souri,, who have been fearless in their
endorsement of our principles, and while
it may be fortunate they are Republic
cans, ii is more than unfortunate that
they are not either the Republican party
of representatives of that body, and the
question should be asked here and now
that while the A. L. Assn of these men
is tolerated by the party for the A. Il. A.
votes which each of them carries behind,
what assurance have we that this toler-
alton will not cease the moment the votes
have been delivered?"
The president expresses regret that
the A. l.. A. has in some states been used
by party machines. He discourages any
attempt to secure the nomination of n
member of the order for the presidency
by either party and says that no mem |
Der of our grand organization could ever
receive within hundred sufficient to |
make him the nominee of either one of |
the great parties. even though that mem |
Der were the immortal Linton himself"
created a sensation by its attack upon |
Mckinley, he says:
"A source of irrespective danger is the |
national advisory board as it is at pres
ent constructed, as in its present form
it is in danger at any time of coming into |
violent collision with the supreme exec
ntive board, which is the supreme coun-
eil of the association and undoubtedly |
the superior of all other boards.
AT present it recognizes no superior
but the supreme council in session and
may pursue one policy while the supreme
president and his cabinet pursue one en-
tirely opposed to it," and suggests that |
the powers of the board be specifically
named
lie recommends that no candidate for
a national political office should receive
the endorsement of the board until state
councils have passed upon him, that no
notifications of political nature from
state to supreme council be mandatory,
but merely advisory.
The only reference to church matters
in the address are the following:
"A well meaning and by no means UNI
important section. of the order has arisen
which advocates peace with the priest
and his subjects. Some would even go
so far as to negotiate with them polit-
ically, than which nothing could be more
dangerous to the perpetuity Of the Asso-
citation. Others go rs far as to take the
position that n member of the order pos
sesses the right to deerminc for himself
the question of loyalty or disloyalty of
papal postulant for Office and reserves to
himself the right to persuade others to
vote for said papist. Such n position is
not only absolutely untcnable but highly
The candidate voluntarily
renounces the right of private judgment
when he becomes member of the order.
1T is Il solemn compact which he can
neither modify nor amend. The keystone
of the A. Il. A. is the fact that papist
no matter how liberal nominally is not
u consistent citizen of the United States.
worthy of its SURFACES"
In the council today n motion was
adopted requesting the advisory board
to report tomorrow morning Mt $50
O'clock.
"A member of the board said tonight
that the body had not come to n conclu-
sion on the matters before it and would
not be able to report before Saturday.
Washington. MAY 14.-The Supreme
Council of the A. Il. A. continued today
to deal with routine matters of no inter
est to others than members of the order.
Many resolutions were introduced at
today's session and were referred to
various committees for action.
The council has not yet decided wheth-
er to give to the press an abstract of
President Traynor's annual message,
which is reported to he very spicy
document. Although the interest of the
delegates is centered upon the nolicy to
be purused by the A. +. A. in the coming
presidential campaign, it is exceedingly |
iifficult to secure any correct account of
the factions and undercurrents Mt work
in the council on account of the strict
secrecy which is being observed. There is
4 large faction urging the council to re-
frain from participating in the presiden-
bal campaign, unless some candidate |
purely obnoxious to the A. L. A. be nomi-
hated, and to confine the society to NUM-
lipal and state planks.
Last night the advisory board held a |
meeting to consider the action of its ex-
1cutive committee in blacklisting Nc
!Ninley. \ promise of secrecy is said to |
have been imposed on the board in rela-
hon TO the Mckinley matter. IL
Two reports are in circulation as to the
'ourse to be pursued. One has it that | ;
he advisory board will report its ac-
ion on McKinley's candidacy TO the ;
BOARD tomorrow. The other story is that
he board will be glad to have the declara-
ion it has made heretofore stand without
my consideration of the council and will
lot bring the matter forward. but ii will
let on the defensive if it be called to ac-
count for IFS nolicy