Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-05-13
FIGHT OVER M'KINLEY.
Presidential Matters will Warm Up
the Meeting of the A. p. A.
Supreme Council.

Washington, D. c., May 9.-The an
nual convention of the Supreme council
of the American Protective association,
which will be called to order in Wash
ington on May Il, will be the most
important to the organization of any
meeting in its history. Two questions
of policy are to be passed upon, one of
them relating to the part to be played
by the society in the impending presiden-
tlal campaign, the other the project Of
eSta bllShlng permanent headquarters IN
Washington to influence legislation. In
cldentally there will be an election of
officers, a declaration of principles for
publication which will be framed on the
lines Of last years announcement, and
the financial question, it is unprecedented,
may break into the deliberations as a
disturbing factor. Some $50 members
comprise the Supreme council of the or
der. They represent the various state
branches, the representation of each
state being proportionate to the A. ?. A.
members therein.
Presidential Matters to be Discussed.
Among the members who are now in
the city, discussion is forced upon preSi-
Dental matters. The action of the exc
cutive committee of the advisory board,
which met in Washington and New York
recently and published an attack upon
AAS1AAAl4CS, 10 IL US O1I0 VI COllGHllUus
Thirteen members constitute the exc
cutive committee of this board. Seven of
the committee is a quorum for the trans
action of business. Warm partisans for
and against Mckinley are numbered
among the councillors and those friendly
to Mckinley will endeavor to force the
Supreme council to diSayoW the executive
committees declaration. The platform
to be framed will have for its chief plank
the absolute separation Of church and
state, no government aid for church in
SutuuonS and more restrictive immigra-
ton laws. A strong movement has been
afOot in the Western branch of the or
der to secure a declaration advocating
the free coinage of silver as one plank of
the platform. How strong this will
prove remains to be shown, but it Will
be fought by the Eastern delegates and
by some others who believe the financial
question to be without the domain of the
organization. Nevertheless opponents of
TINS plank fear that it will be adopted.
The National Headquarters.
The national headquarters of the A.
L. A. is at present at Chicago, but the
removal to Washington is thought to be
assured. The establishment of head
quarters here means that the order will
take more active part in politics than
it has in the past. Its Representative
here Will be expected to watch legisla-
tlon Tor the detection OF measures Op-
posed to the A. 2. A. One requirement
to be imposed upon the candidates for
the positions of supreme president and
secretary is that they will reside in this
city. w. H. J. Traynor of Detroit, who
has served as president for three terms,
will not be a candidate for reelection.
The leading candidates are: Col. Bowers
of Iowa, the founder of the order; Judge
]. III. d. Stevens of st. Louis and DR..
J. w. Ford of Troy, n. Y. Supreme
Secretary G. L. Beatty Of Chicago will
be q candidate for reelection.