The San Francisco call., 1896-02-14

l.
lowing letter in answer to recent COM
munications from the pen of B. F. Hudel-
son, State president of the A. P. A:
To the Editor Of the Cau-DEAR SIR: The
Reverend Ben jamin Hudelson, State Presi-
dent OF the A. ?. A, has been marching up and
down before the public of California for the
past few weeks with chip on his shoulder.
He has addressed himself particularly to me
and with much grotesque gesuiculation and
wild waving OF his goosequin has invited me
10 come on.
must confess, Mr. Editor, that 1 have not
put myself to any particular trouble to crafty
the impatience of the Rev. Benjamin Hud-
elson. There are certain things which age
cannot wither nor custom stale. The verdant
freshness which assumes that your readers are
stone blind to the nature of the A. P. A. is one
of them. Mr.. Hudelson will keep and can
afford &c hasten slowly. Moreover, the contro-
versy was already so mixed that did not wish
10 ado another thread to the tangle Now,
however, since the Rev. DR.. Wendte has given
me the marble heart and the stony stare, as
this morning he bowed positively his last
farewell over the footlights, have an oppor-
tunity TO attend to the Rev. Benjamin Hudel-
son, State President of the A P. A
/ must, however, express my surprise that
the Rev. Benjamin Hudelson should be so
anxious for a controversy. The ritual of the
order which was used in the initiation of can
didates in this City during the summer OF 1894
contains a STRINGENT nroyision against suSh
proceedings. AS the candidate stood before
the chaplain, with his right hand on his heart,
down the power of the Pope, 81 will not enter
into any controversy with Roman Catholic
upon the subject of this order"
As the oath binds the supreme president as
well as the inferior members l am now more
than surprised that the Rev. B. Hudelson
should be SO dreadfully anxious to enter into a
controversy on the subject of his order with g
Roman Catholic priest
The Rev. Mr.. Hudelson opens his communi-
cation with the statement that "the principles
OF any individual largely if not wholly deter
mine his character" This statement is very
true if we are dealing with an honest and q
consistent individual; it is very false if We are
dealing with hypocrite or a fraud. The ad-
vertised principles of Uriah Heep were far
different from the principles on which he
acted, so the advertised principles of the A. P.
A. may be far different from those which ami
mate its member. When man comes before
us with set OF maXims and with the claim
that he lives up to them we test his claim by
his deeds. When society appears before the
public and asks for support because it pro-
iesses certain principles II is the FIRST duty OF
are put In practice by the society.
THE A. P. A. PLATFORM.
Hence it is that the A. P. A. platform cuts
but little figure in such discussion as this.
The assertions in the declarations OF principles
are so loosely constructed that they may mean
anything or nothing. AS they lie there is very
little 10 distinguish them from the platforms
of the two parties TO which the great bulk of
the citizens OF this country, Protestant and
Catholic, give their adhesion. Hence there is
no need OF answering the multitudinous ques-
tions which the Rev. Mr.. Hudelson tacks on to
the A. P. a. platform. To many of them
would give assent, and to none OF them am l
compelled by any principle OF my religion to
answer no. However, though the operation is
perfectly needless, it may be just as well to
take up the questions one by one and say my
say about them. .
QUESTION L.
Does Nj. Yorke deny that politics need puri-
tying, or does he object TO their publication?
have not the slightest objection to the puri-
fication of politics, and believe that pure poll
ties should be the ideal OF every good citizen.
TIL he extent of the need is a matter on which
not competent to judge. know, however,
that secret political society can never bring
about pure politics. know that wherever the
A P. A. has come into power its politics have
been a stencil in the nostrils OF decent citizens.
Because believe in pure politics / with every
thinking American am opposed to the A. P. A.
QUESTION 2.
Does Mr. Yorke object to our alta cking any
religious organization attempting to become
factor in politics?
I object 10 no one attacking any religious
organization which attempts to become q
factor in politics. / am firmly of the opinion
that no religious organization should meddle
in politics. believe that such meddling will
produce bad politics and worse religion, and
because the A. P. A. is religious organization
directed and controlled by reverends like Mr.
Hudelson, am opposed to 1t root and branch
QUESTION 3.
Is Mr.. Yorke hostile to our aim to preserve
and maintain the Government against all for
eign influence?
Mr.. Yorke believes in the Monroe doctrine
for the United States, as well as for Venezuela
/ believe, however, that the Government is
perfectly capable of maintaining itself without
the aid OF gang OF foreign conspirators, whose
foreign aggression is still fresh in our memo.
ries. Because the A. P. A. is foreign influ
ence, devised by the ancient enemies of this
Republic TO divide our people, am hostile TO it.
QUESTION 4.
Does MIR. Yorke regard religio-poiitical or
ganizations as friends to civil and religious
liberty?
organizations as hostile to the American
spirit as they are to the plain provisions of the
constitution. And it is precisely because the
A. P. A. is religio-political organization that
consider it not only wrong, but even treason
able.
QUESTION s.
Is 1t not in Mr. Yorke's opinion unsafe and
unw1se TO put in Office men who owe allegiance
10 a foreign power?
think this country is strong enough to hold
that such policy might not be unsafe, but /
am decidedly OF opinion that it is unwise and
unnecessary. Because the hungry horde oil
ofice-seekers, of which the A 2. A. is com.
posed, is mainly made up OF those whose first
allegiance is TO Queen Victoria, her crown and
dignity, believe that the A. P. A. is both un.
safe and unwise.
QUESTION 6.
Is Mr.. Yorke enemy of the free public
school system and does he favor supplariting II
with a sectarian Institution?
He is not and he does not. believe in a free
phpllc-SSHOO4 system ana am not IN favor oil
supplanting II with q sectarian system be-
lieye that the schools TO which the members OF
all sects contribute should be entirely non.
sectarian. Because the A. P. A. has tried sue
cessfully to introduce into those schools such
sectarian practices as Bible reading and thus
destroy their non-sectarian character / con
slider the Rev. Mr.. Hudelson's followers the
most insidious enemies the public schools
have.
QUESTION z
Does Mr.. Yorke oppose protecting our citizen
laoorers from Euro rean pauper and Criminal
labor, and is he hostile to honest and educated
immigrants who propose becoming Ame rfcap
citizens and will f0rswear allegiance TO every
foreign power?
/ strongly favor protecting our citizen labor
ers, not only from European pauper and crimi.
nal labor, but also from Canadian paupers and
New Brunswick defaulters. Because the A. p
A. by its boycott and labor bureau is trying to
oust our citizen laborers and put in their
places unnatuIalized immigrants am opposed
10 the A. P A
am not hostile TO the incoming of honest
and educated immigrants, but am hostile ia
the influx OF i'm migrants who form the main
strength of Mormonism, as they form the main
strength of the A. p A.
QUESTION 8.
Does Mr.. Yorke oppose putting into Office