Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-10-16
History Repeats Itself


fs similar to that deugng the land swept over the
nation preserve" it. 1t known the American
party but commonly termed the "Know Nothing party
the attitude of its members who when quered profess
ed ignorance of the subject
The party took the form of secret oath
bound organization and avowed hostility to the political IN
fuence of foreigners and Catholics in the government
demanded the selection of but native born American
Protestants office The society known the Su
preme Order of the Star Spanged Banner and exercised
the secrecy mysticism practiced by its
the Ku Kux Kan which has added the negro and the Jew
to the list of the banned.
Starting in 1852 the KnowNothing party had rapid
growth and aided materially in the disintegraon OF the
Wing party In 1855 the and majority OF the leg
isatures of Massachusetts, New Hampshire Connecticut
York, Rhode Island California and Kentucky were
elected by the party and in 1856 it nominated Mard
Fillmore for president and while ne carried but one state
Maryland the electoral collage he received popular vote
of 875000 But the subsidized rapidly as it had
the majority of its members going into the Repub
lican party.
Political movements having similar objects have been
sporadic in the United States from the first and it to
aay the dscord and dissenon they engender as well as
the constitutional guarantees enacted similar pot
zeal agitation swept over tne country IN ene ~ aia Was
socaon which also secret and centered It's opposition
est in states where there the lease for them
states in which the Catholics in hopeless minority
Such state is Oregon The Know Nothings had rapid
growth here but were routed by Bush opened
strong attack and through the Of his paper
Nothngs he most ridiculous piece of bigotry ntoler
and stupidity grown persons were engaged in and
prominence influence belonging to the damnng conspir
acy in Oregon, but is doomed politically"
Similar movements have fourished since. In the sos
the 81" W. A." independent Workers of America) aimed
against foreigners but the Chinese particular aided
teray in the election of Pennoyer governor but their
attempts regulate matters by direct action brought them
into conflict with the courts and prison sentences evaporaed
their patriotism In the COS the "A. p A.. cut wide
swah and the old antiCathoic spirit had political revival
in Portland decade which eliminated in the organza
tion of the Federation of Patriotic Societies with the
Orange lodges backbone followed by the organization
Of the Ku Kux Kan the controlling influence in the fed
Grafton.
With the so-caled compulsory school bill which slip
ped the Scottish Rite Masons at the instance of Ku
Kux members of the lodge (but which there record of
its having been endorsed by the Grand Lodge of A. f. and
"A. ND ralyng point religious intolerance is again be-
ing capitalized by unscrupuous politicians effort to ride
to prejudice though there state in the union
which less threatened by foreign domination by Catho
lie control than Oregon and schools anywhere
der state regulation and private schools of better stand
ing
There is unfailng result from sporadic efforts to
commercaZe fanatcism, and that is that the common
of America later asserts itself and damns to
political oblivion the false prophets who have led the people,
astray The old members of the KnowNothng party, ke
the leaders of the A p A. spent the balance of their ves
trying to live down their part in the appeal to intolerance
and the fate awaits those today leading the hosts of he
secret societies and trying to destroy religious liberty de-
prive of inaenabe rights and make children the
wards of the state that the unscrupuous ride to