Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-25
elected by the Know-nothings in New
BY 7. EAsKIN.

elected by the Know-nothings in New
York n -four New England states
In 1855, and in the West and South
they We're successful"or were defeat
ed by, only the narrowest Of margins
in nine states. In 1855 eight Of the
then % states had native American
governors but in the presidential
election OF that year the new party
did not do so we'll, polling only about
one-fifth of the popular vote and car
rying only a single state, Maryland,
which gave It but eight electoral votes.
In T~hirty7fourth congress, 1866,
tho Know-nothing party had five
United States senators and 43 mem
beers Of the house who were out-and-
out Know-nothings. In addition
there We're 70 members, Of the house
who called themselves Republicans,
but who were known to be members
Of the Know nothing councils. Two
years later there were five Know
nothing Senators and IA representa-
tives In the Thrty- fifth congress-, and
In the Thirty-slxth congress this
membership had dwfndled to two
senators and 20 representatives, all
from southern states.
New Party Peters Out.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS petered- out or
died even NOSE rapidly than IT. had
come into existence as a. real factor
in the national political arean. It
had no. Representation in congress
after the thirty-slxth and little was
heard OF It from that date. The abol-
ition Of slavery and the preservation
Of the union became the over-shad-
owing issues and religious %prejhdicee
or church affiliations were little heard
Of In politics thereafter for two .or
three decades.
The real name OF the secret society
that was back Of the Know-nothine
party was "Sohs OF ,76, or Order nj
the Star spangled Banner" The
Ecountersign at its lodge meetings was
an order said to have been issued by
George Washington on some memora.
Bile blu u~nspecifisd occaaion-"Put
night"
Its political program was somewhat
similar to that OF the f%arIner-labor
coalition of the present year in tina,
It never nominated candidates on a
l4epArate ticket Of its own, Instead
it adopted the policy OF end rsinp
candidates chosen by the parties al.
ready in the field. This action wa.
taken in secret convention Of dele.
gates from the various lodges Of the
society, at which every member had
to vote or repder himself liable to ex.
lpulsioh. Inasnuch as there was
never n public announcements te
the candidates that were favored b,
1.-THE Know-nothings, all the plans anS
calculations Of the old-line partie,
were knocked galley-west. It han.
tponed that the candidates of tn.
American party which came into tht
open field in 1854 were almost in,
vAriably SUPPORTED by the Know.
nothings, and some historians class.
IfX It as the real Know-nothing party
That is not 80 Important, however
as the facts as to the nature Of til,
political movement, the momentum
liti Eainsd 2 the suddenness witt
Horace Greeley was one Of III,
most vigorous opponents of Know
Enbthlngish and salds5of that 1T con.
Etaifed about ~ much Of the element,
lot perTnanShce a. an anti-cholerA q,
I'm anti p~otAto-rot society" Herr,
Ward BSacher wal another Of liz,
mqteS prominent opponents Of tn,
Tst1s beginning OF the movement
hoYevss,, was not without it, jlsti
Ncation: In h earliest days 9th,
Kepubiiq immigrants who had LEI
Europe bScANse OF too free inddlkenc;
lin freedom OF speech, thought. mn
action, showed a decided disposition
70 take possession OF ana .yrun IN,
~9overnment Of the country that ofer
20 them sanctuary. This resulted /,
1875 IN change in ths 3naturaiisa;
ton term from two t olive years, ant
In 1898 it was increased to fourte6i
~yeafs.-only to be placed again on tn,
fiVe-year basis In 1907.
n New York city there deyeiope,
i With the passing years q cornpact AMI