Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-26

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22.-Agita-
ton for a new political party and
the various attempts that are being
made to inject religious differences
into politics make it interesting to
lcok backward some seventy-hre
years and review the events of a
similar movement in this country. A
new party flared up rocket-like then,
and rocket-like it came down. 1t
was the Know-nothing party, aad
the days of its brief existence wit
messed the most intense political
confiagration the United States has
ever known.
Know-nothingism was the direct
product of the immigration problem.
During the twenty years from $50
to 'S45 more than a million foreign
ers came to this country. That does
not seem a startling number when 1t
lis recalled that we nave since addId
considerably more than that NUM-
Der of aliens to u population in a
single year, but it was sufficient IN
those days to arouse an America
for Americana sentiment.
This feeling was particularly
strong in New York, where most of
the foreigners took up their resi-
dence. 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 Ameri-
can ticket,
Then came the great influx of
Irish as q result of the famine ~
Ireland and in five years from 1S45
to 1850 the immigration equalled
that of the preceding twenty years
Most of the Irish immigrants were
Roman Catholics. Native Americans
famed up hotter than ever, ana the
fires were famed by religious preJu-
dices. In Philadelphia rwo Catho-
lie churches We're destroyed in riots
between natives and Irish, and In
Boston a convent was urned
Immigration continued to increase
almost doubling during the five-year
period from 1850 to 1855, but LONG
before thai the Know-nothing party
broke into national politics, although
it was not then known by hat name
In 1S45 six native Americans We're
elected to congress on hat issue
four from New York state and two
from Pennsylvania. Seven years
later the Know-nothing organization
"a such, made its appearance.
Origin OF Name
1t was at first rather more OF q
secret order than a political party
as its members took a solemn oath
net to divulge its purpose or ever
it's name. To all questions on these
points they always made the same
answer-'I don't know Their raj
living cry was Americans must rule
American" Relentless hostility tc
the Catholic church and what was
characterized az the church's en-
croaching power in politics and
demand that twenty-one years resi-
denco be required before aliens
could acquire citizenship through
naturalization were disclosed as the
main purposes of the new moVemtn
! as it gathered Roadway.
In 1854 the Know-nothings car
ried the state elections in Delaware
and Massachusetts and polled
heavy vote in New York. The fol
lowing wear the principles OF th'
new party were embodied in the FOL
Lowing propositions in New YORK
"(1l Tho Americans shall ruiz
America, CD The perpetuatlon o
the union of these states; NJ
North. no South, No East no west
ca The United States of America
MS thev are-one . and i~nseparahle
, 60 No sectarian interference IN oul
/; LEGISLATION or in the administrator
OF American law; CO. Hostliltv u
!, ihe assumption of the Pope, throuS
the bishops, ct cetera, in a repub!l.
, sanctifed by Protestant blood; g.
Thorough reform in the naturailza
ton laws; (S) Free and liberal eau
cational institutions for all sects ah'
classes, with the Bible, Gods hot
word. as a universal textbook
That year there was also torhie'
! on opposition society which wa
known as the Know-somethlnss' gu
ia did not attain the proportions o
| a distinct political party.
Governors and legislatures were
elected by the Know-nothings In New
: York and four New England state
in 1855, and in the West and Sour
they were successful or were defeat
, ed only by the narrowest OF mar
= gins in nine states. In 1891 el%h
LOT the then thirty-two states had ma
ltive American governors, but IN n
. presidential election of that yea
the new party did not do so well
, Trolling only about one-fifth OF TIL
2 popular vote and carrying only
single state. Maryland, which gave
$ but eight electoral votes.
In the thirty-fourth congress
l1s55, the Know-nothing party ha'