The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-04
=. THE HERALD'S e.
Home Study Circle.
copyright. tsss. By Seymour Eaton-y
Directed by Prof. Seymour Eaton


single IDEA not vitality connected with
broad political principles.
Americans or "Know-Nothings."
A unique episode in our political his
tory is the career of the American, or
Know nothing party. It was a secret,
oath bound, namelesS order-nameleSS
even to it's members until they had
reached the higher degrees in the lodge.
It's nominations were made by conVeB-
tions Of delegates from the various
lodges, secretly held and of absolute
binding authority upon all members or
the order No public announcements
were made as to the candidates. Some
times they were chosen from the most
acceptable names on the tickets OF the
great parties and the calculations OF
the party managers were often mys-
teriously brought to naught, and cleo
tons were decided in a surprising man
aer by an unknown, incalculable force
dreaded b. both Wings and Demo-
Gratis.
The causes OF the rise of this curious
order nav be traced back almost to
the adoption of the constitution. TO the
time when the line Of division between
FedeTalistS and Republicans began 10
be affected by the character and tenn
per Of the immigrants who came from
Europe. Many of these were eXiles
from their own land as unfriendiy TO
it's government. They were naturally
attracted most strongly to the Repub-
lican or Democratic party, and natur-
, ally also a disposition to resent alien
influence in American politics gained
strength among the Federalists. The
alien and seditiOn laws PASSED in 1898
+ by q FederaIist congress illustrate this.
In 1885 20 1887 a revival Of the feeling
+ against giving political place and power
I to foreigners was attempted in New
/ York city, where the foreign pOpula-
ton was growing rapidly. For some
/ years the idea of nativism as opposed
to alienisTn figured more or less in
state and local politics in several states
and led to occasional violence and even
/ bloodshed st the polls
But it was not until about 1852, when
the sectional slavery agitation was be-
coming serious, that partisan Jealousy
/ Of foreign political influence, having
assumed a new form began to take a
decisive hand in party struggles. The
: secret order was VariOuSly designated.
It's real name is said to have been Tine
Sons Of '76, or the Order OF the Star
Spangled Banner" but it has come
down in history as the American"
party. or more Familiarity the know
nOthings," because its members, when
questioned, gave the inVariable reply,
| 4 don't know" The ends sought came
ere long to be known as the placing and
keeping Of all political power in the
hands of native Protestant Americans,
and the making of opposition to Roman
Catholicism an issue in American poll
ties. Advocacy of these principles was,
of course, the strongest in the Wing
party, for the Democratic ranks were
constantly swelIed by newly naturalized
immigrants, many of whom We're Cath
olics.
In the formation of the Republican
party in 1856 those Wings who were
unwilling to go the length proposed by
the leaders of the new party in hostil-
ity to slavery saw nothing left for
them but TO unite with the anti-alien
party-which had by that time accept
ed the name American.
It was only in the middle and south
ern states that the Americans ever
acquired much strength. In the south
where native feeling was strong and
the foreign element almost nil, IL prac-
tically took the place of the Wing
party. Its first appearance as d ma
tional party was In 1896, when a secret
convention adopted an imposing plat
form and an open convention nominal
ed Willard Fillmore for president. In
the election which followed the eight
electoral votes of Maryland were al
that went to the ambitious American
party, though the popular vote was
S74,534. Once more, in 1850, the Amer
leans" went into the presidential cam
paign and then disappeared. having
shown, as Horace Greeley said, about
as many of the elements OF persistence
as an anti-chOlera or an anti-potatC
rot party would have.
The Liberty and Free Soil Parties
The American Auti-Slavery society
became divided about 1899 into two
sections over the question of pol1tlca
action. The Garrisonian abolitionist:
refused to recognize or to have any re
lations with a national government
whose constitution made compromise:
with the iniauitOus system of slavery
The more moderate wing favored pOllt
icaI methods of working against the
evil, and urged the nomination and sup
port of abOlitiOniSts for Office. A con
ventiOn of these seceders, as they were
called met at Albany in 1910, named
themselves the Liberal party, and nom
mated James G.. Birney for the presi
! dency Though he declined the honor
some 900 votes were, nevertheless, cas-
for him at the election. In 1874 Brine,
was again the nominee of the Liberia
uarty, and received $1,000 votes
enough, it will be remembered, to de
feat Clay and elect Polk.
, Though the Liberal party held con
vention In 1S47 and nominated canGi
, dates, the political conditions of tn
, next year induced the leaders TO aban
don the organization and join with tn
; barnburneTs to form the F'ree-Sol
, party. The new party held a conven
ton at Buffalo. Their chief principle
as promulgated in the preamble to thei
long platform. was declared to be tn
> securing of free soil to a free people,
and they avoWed determined hOStilit
to any further expansion of slavery
: The vote cast for the Free-Soil candi
/ date was 291 ,263, nearly all being fror
9 the free states. Both of the old partie
were more or less surprised and de
/, moralized, and the Wing candidate wa
elected.
! The compromises of 1850 were rejecte
: by the Free Sellers, and in 1852 the
took the name of Free Democracy,
and nominated John P. Hale an
George W. Julian. Their platform de
= nounced both Wings and Democrats a
4 each one wing of the great slave com
2 promise party Of the nation" The vOt
: Dolled was but a little more than hal
S that of the preceding campaign.
= Before another presidential electio
: both Wings and Free Sellers, or FIRE
e / Democrats, had disappeared from cor
= Sress. The party has a history of onl
/ about FIVE years. At the end of tina
/, time i helped TO form the ReDublica
4 party.
! A~<Ax No~z