The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-18
THE Patriots of America" !"

The Chicago Chronicle, one of the bolt
ing Democratic papers that have deemed
II expedient to join the regular organiza-
ton ard its allies, discusses d report from
Indiana that secret organization 10 pro-
mote the election Of William J. Bryan TO
the Presidency has been discovered in
that State The Chronicle says sit is re-
garded by Republicans as a reasonable
or semi-treasonable conspiracy" And
with that for a text our Chicago contem-
pOrary proceeds to cauteriZe the protest.
ing Republicans with interrogation marks
and exclamation points. 1t says the sin
lister name OF the new political organiza-
;ion Is The Patriots of America" and
asks. Gould a name be a greater men
ace?"
ls there any Eeed-indeed, is there any
excuse-for a secret political organization
in the United States? Does not oath
bound secrecy in politics always beget
suspicion? Where in this republic IS
there a locality in which publicity as TO
political action is dangerous 10 honest
men or injurious to an honest cause?
Where is the State. county. or township
in which the supporters of Bryan, or Nc
Kinley. or Woollcy. or Barker, or Debs,
or any other Presidential nominee have
occasion 10 resort 10 oaths, passwords,
signs, grips, &c, IN order TO enjoy all
their rights? The Chronicle continues It's
comments in this fine vein of satirical
humCr:
branches Of the order will be organized through
out the United states The fell purpose and object
o, the organization Is to defeat the reelection Of
Mckinley. Could conspiracy and treason 20 far
therf
The Indiana order OF Patriots o. America have
a watehSoFd that is rank with reasonable hayors
It IS. Save the republic" Gould there be more
treasonable watehword for secret political organ
/ izatiOn' Especially If the Organization is Demo-
eratIe9
/ 1T is solsmnly declared that the tenets Of the
ordsr are illustrated BY emblems one Of which is
flag surrounded by portraits Of Washington, JET
/ feFsoa. Jackson. AMI Lneoln.' Could anything be
more treasonables
"A csnd!ds;e for admission 70 this order is told
that jackson defended the United States from the
money dealers who sought to establish here a
/ duplicate Of the Bank o, England that would have
fastened the SANE hnsneial distress that has snes
/ conc upon Us in another form More treasoai
The candidate also that be will not rest
tin the e0uEtEy is free from the m0nzrehioGl ia
fucnoss Of EHTOps' That elhehss H. Plat bar
ElAry. as poEhery would say and no,hiag else.
is there any one Of those objects which
requires secrecy for its accomplishment
Indeed. is there any one OF them in which
I secrecy will not be a handicap: And
when did the national Democratic party
become an advocate or defender OF or an
spologist for such political methods? II
certainly was not in the Know-nothlng
ere. Tha, intensely proscriptiye order
wss fought 10 an early End deserved
death by Democrats. And IL those days
I Democratic newspapers and the states
men OF that party were unsparing IN
/ their denunciation of any ahc al attempts
20 hide political work behind bolts and
/ bars and lock II out Of sight and hearing
with oaths and passwords.
The Post does rot believe that branch
es Of the order viii be organized through.