The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-07
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information, Bureau
FREDERIC ,. HAsKIN. DdreStoe.
Washington, D. q.
A DIP INTO POLITICAL HISTORY

ton for a new political party and the
various attempts that are being made
to inject religious differences into poll
tics make it Interesting to look back
ward some seventy-five years and re-
view the events of a similar move
ment in this country. A new party
flared up rocket-like then, and rocket
like it came down. 1t was the Know.
nothing party, and the days of its
brief existence Witnessed the most in
tense political conflagration the
United States has ever known.
Know-nothingism was the direct
product OF the immigration problem.
During the twenty years from 1925 TO
1916 more than a million foreigners
came to this country. That does not
seem startling number when 1t Is
recalled that we have since added
of aliens to our population in single
year, but it was sufficient in those
days TO arouse an America for Amer
leans, sentiment.
This feeling was particularly strong
in New York, where most of the for
eigners took up their residence. An
organization of native Americans for
political purposes was formed and in
1914 it succeeded in electing James
Harper mayor of New York City, on
a native American ticket.
Then came the great influx of Irish
and in the five years from 1845 to
1850 the immigration eeualled that of
the preceding twenty years. Most of
the Irish immigrants were Roman
Catholics. Native Amerfcanfsm famed
up hotter than ever, and the fires
In Philadelphia two Catholic churches
We're destroyed in riots between ma
tives and Irish, and in Boston a con-
vent was burned.
Immigration continued to increase,
almost doubling during the five-year
period from 1850 to 1855, but long
before that the Know-nothing party
broke into national politics, altho it
was not then known by that name.
In 1916 six native Americans were
elected to congress on that issue, four
from New York state and two from
Pennsylvania. Seven years later the
KnoY-nothtng organization, as such,
| mad6 its appearance.
Origin of Name,
1t was at first rather more of q Sc
cret order than a political party, as
| its members took a solemn oath not
| to~divulge its purpose or even its
name. To all questions, on these points
they always made the same answer
IT don't know" Their ~rallying cry
was Americans must rule America! !"
Relentless hostility to the Catholic
| church and what was characterized
as the church's eneroaching power in
politics and q demand that twenty-one
years residence be required before
aliens could acquire citizenship thru
naturalization were disclosed as the
main purposes of the new movement
as it gathered Roadway.
1n~1654 the Know-nothings carried
| the state elections in Delaware and
Massachusetts, and Polled a heavy vote
| in New York. ThG following year the
af he orafxF
bodied in the following propositions In
New York: "(1l The Americans shall
rule America; CD The perpetuatIor
of the union of these states; CD Nc
North, No South, No East, No West
ca The United States of America
as they are-one and inseparabie; (5)
No sectarian interference in our legis.
lation or in the administration 81
American law; (6) Hostility to the
assumption of the pope. thru the
bishops, ct cetera, in a republic sane
titled by Protestant blood; 90 Thort
reform in the naturalization laws; 81
Free and liberal educational institu
tons for all sects and classes, with the
Bible, Gods holy word, as a universe
textbook"
That year there was also formed al
opposition society which was known
as the Know-somethings. but it die
not attain the proportions of distinc
political party.
Governors and legislatures wer,
elected by the Know-nothings in New
York and four New England states il
1855, and in the West and South the.
were successful or were defeated b.
only the narrowest of margins in min
states. In 1856 eight of the the,
thirty-two states had native Americas
governors, but in the presidential
! election of that year the new part,
did not do so well, polling only abou
/ nT70 p Of he 10.
rying only a single state, Maryland
which gave 1t but eight electoral votes
In the thirty-fourth congress, 1856
the Know-nothing party had fiv
United States senators and forty-thre
members of .he house who were out
; and-out Know-nothings. In addition
Z there were seventy members of tn
house who called themselves Repub
icans, but who were known to b.
members of the Know-nothing coun
J ellis. Two years later there were fly
Know-nothinS> senators and fourteen
representative in the fhirty-fifth con
gress, and in the thirty-sixth congress
. this membership had dwindIed t
two senators and twenty-three repre-
sentatives all from southern states
New Party Peters Out.
Know-nothingism petered out o
died even more rapidly than it hal
come into existence as q real facto
III tIe Hdtlondl pOlltlcal arena 1t ma
, no representation in congress afte
the thirty-sixth and little was hear
of it from that date. The abolition o
] slavery and the preservation of tn
r union became the over-shadowing is
sues and religious prejudices O
church affiliations Were little hear
of in politics thereafter for two O
, three decades.
[ The real name of the secret so
ciety that was back of the Know
nothing party was i'Sons of rs, Q
5 Order of the Star Spangled Banner.
/. The countersign at its lodge meeting
: was an order said to have been il
sued by George Washington on som
memorable but unspecified occasion
Put none but Americans on guar
tonight"
a Its political program was somewha
similar to that of the farmer-labo
coalition of the present year in ths
t it never nominated candidates on ser
: Iarata ticket of It's OWL Instead :.