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About The American. (Omaha, Nebraska) 1891-1899 | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1895)
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER. "AMERICA FPU AMERICANS." We hold that all men are A oerloans who Swear All. -glance to tho United States without mental reservation in favor of tho Pu. PRICE FIVE CENT NCMBKK 10 Volume V. OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FMDAY, AI'KIL 111, ls;.'. r NICKERSON AMERICANS Turned Out in Force Tuesday Even ing to Hear a Patriotic Lecture Which John C. Thompson Delivered From the 1'ulpit or the Methodist ( hun h In That (itj. Nickerson, Neb., April 17. Last Sunday Rev. Robinson announced that John C. Thompeon, editor of The Omaha American, would deliver a pa triotic lecture from the pulpit of his church Tuesday evening. This an nouncetnent was made at the request of a number of the members of Nickerson council of the A. P. A. who had in vited Mr. Thompson to come to the city and address their council, although tl.ey had not informed the editor that he was expected to address others than members of the American order in their lodge room. However, on Mr. Thompson's arrival in Nickerson a committee of two waited on him and told hiui of the arrange ments which had been made, and re quested him to make a public speech instead of one to members of the order only. This he consented to do. The church wa9 comfortably arrang ed, nicely lighted and held a large sized audience long before the hour for the lecture to begin. After "America" was sung by the audience, Mr. Thompson was Intro duced by Mr. J, M. Kreadcr, who acted as chairman of the meeting, and spoke as follows: Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle men. You have assembled here this evening to listen to a lecture upon the aims and objects of the American Pro tective Association and its toe,rolitieal Romanism. Before attempting to speak about the order which is and has been receiving so much attention from the press, from the politicians and from the pulpit, I shall ask you to bear with me while I read to you the principles of the A. P. A the initials by which 'he American Protective Association is generally known. These principles were adopted by the National Council which convened in Des Moines, Iowa, the early part of May, 18i4. By them the order is prepared to stand. And if you hear anything charged against the order that is not contained in these principles you can rely upon it, some body is attempting to deceive you an to injure the order. The A. P. A. has no hidden aims no sinister motives back of it; it believes in and practices what its principles teach. Therefore it is an association which any good Ameri can citizen can conscientiously join. The A. P. A. differs from the old Know nothing move in this: The former or ganization admitted only native born Americans to its secret sessions; the A. P. A. admits all men, regardless of the country in which they were born, who are Protestants and are of good moral cha.-acter. The A. P. A. ex eludes but one class the Rc man Catho lie and it excludes him for good and sufficient reasons, which will be ex plained later on. Now, as I said a few moments ago, the platform and principles of the A. P. A. were adopted last year by the national council, and by them you can learn what the order really believes and what Itopenly and secretly teaches They read as follows: Here the lecturer read the platform and principles as published each week in The American, commenting oc casionally! on what he believed the strong points. Is there anything in what I have just read that 1b objectionable to a single person here this evening? Have any of you fault to find with a single plank in that platform? If you have let us hear what it is, and let us see if we cannot answer it satisfactorily. There never was an organization con ceived by the mind of man which had a greater" work to perform. It came just in the nick of time, because the country; was fast passing into Rome's hands. This was realized by Henry P. Bowers, the founder of the order, when he called seven faitbtul friends into his office in the Toll block in the little town of Clinton, Iowa, in 1887, and or- ganlzed the first council cf the A. P. A. From Clinton the movement was taken to Chicago, and in 18')0 it crossed the Missouri and entered Nebraska. The first council organized in Nebraska was l.tescue council j.no. i, wnich at one time was the largest council in the world, having a membership of nearly 2000. Soon after members withdrew from old No. l,and organized neweoun cils. These new councils did some ef fective work during recent campaigns, and today there is a revival of intei est I in the A. P. A. question In every part of the country. I have given you some idea of why the A. P. A. was organized. Now le us see what Rev. Scott F. Heohey, one of the leading Baptist ministers of Bos ton, and of the entire country, has to sav was the re ason for the cohesion of patriotic sentiment. In a very inter esting work entitled ' Errors of the Roman Catholic Church," which published by J. H. Chambers & Co. Saint Louis, Mo., and which Is on sale at our office, Rev. Hershey is quoted as follows: "The sentiments of patriotism in our country are crystalizing. Cohesion has strongly set in. The samesplrit which led the people over a century ago to re buke the insolence of foreign rule has returned, and seems ready to resent a second instance of foreign interference, which in many ways is more galling than was that of one hundred years ago. "Foreign priestcraft is as bad, if not worse, than foreign kingcratt. We might as well have the kingcraft of England as the priestcraft of Rome. We have found the kings of England quite as honorable, just and righteous, as the popes of Romo America might as well be under kingcraft as priestcraft It would be no worse to be ruled over by a George the III., from the banks of the Thames, than by a Leo tho XIII.. from the shores of the Tiber. "It is believed by many among the most sober students of American events, who have carefully observed current movements, and studied them in the light of the history of other nations, that the most terrific and ho'ly con tested struggle for human liberties, constitutional rights, free institutions and religious privileges, which the world has ever known, is to be fought in the early years of the twentieth cen tury. It is believed by some that the first swell of those coming waves is upon us now. We are in immediate dangsr in this country of becoming sub servient to a foreign potentate, whose throne is on the banks of the far-olT Tiber. The pope of Rome claims the right to hold and exercise temjwral power wheresoever he can secure it. To the end thereof b it- entire hierarchy are subject to his will and command. The Most powerful organization at hii dispos-al, is bound by oath, to subvert the constitution and laws of all countrie to the word of the pope. "Hundreds of thousands of the most intelligent, just and patriotic classes : our people believe they see many proofs of the determined policy of political Romanism to radically change the laws and institutions of the country. They believe, and in proof they point to facts to show that this change is now going on. To argue that this growing class, now perhaps including nearly ono-ha of the entire population outside of the Roman Catholic, and in fact including many among the latter, is made up of ignoranco and bigotry, is only a confes sion of weakness in any argument that can be made against them. They are not only not ignorant, but they include the most intelligent and best informed, and especially do they include those who are familiar with the history of the world during the last four hundred years. Nor can it be said they are led by bigotry. Among their leaders are many distinguished for their deep sense of liberty, and their outspoken words in behalf of equal rights, under the con stitution, of all citizens. In their ranks are mostly those who want fair play, and seek a disinterested administration of the laws, without liny particular favor to any special church organiza tion. They are found largely in the Protestant churches which have mostly championed political liberty and relig ious freedom. No church in all the world has made a finer r cleaner record in the championship of religious liberty and the rights of prl'ate conscience, than has the Baptist church. In this church are to be found, Immense num bers taking a front ran in the growing columns of organized American patriot ism, demanding the overthrow of politi cal Romanism. j "The elements of detion to country, and attachment to our tree Institutions are by general consent and natural law cohering and settling iitoorganization. To decry this, does no! answer it. To abuse it, Is not to shot it wrong. To declare It an evil, is to run counter to the lessons of all histif-y. We should not forget that there as a period in our earlier history when the political toryism of the countrjj which was in sympathy with a foreign rule for this country, first laughed,.then sneered at the patriot? of the cMony, and then conspired against ana finally fought them. So it may easily be understood how the ecclesiastical toryism of the Roman stamp wanting the rule of the pope to be supreme; over this land, should decry this pairiotic movement which has gloriouslf come upon us during the last few yars. "There are more tltin a half hundred patriotic orders in this country, all of which have bien caile-d into existoi oo because of the un-AmericanUm of the Roman Catholic church. The over powering corruptions flowing in iixn us, brought in by Roman Cutholic im migration, is the significant tausii for patriotic organization. In every state and, in every town, one or more of these societies are eslahlifhcd. They are on guard, and are to lie upheld by every sincere citizen who understands their motives. They are growing as never before. They are determined as never in other years. "The society which is now receiving the most attention, and is under the heaviest fire, has beeome familiar under the letters A. P. A., i. e., the Ameri can I'rotectivo Association In name it appeals to tho just sentiments of patriotic people, and there Is no justi fiable objection to bo filed against it. "This now celebrated organization had its origin in an Iowa town, about a half dozen years ago. It was believed that the other patriotic organizations needed a co-ordinate society, which would push the battle for relief from political Romanism through the ballot. The other patriotic societies were mainly defensive; this was to be mainly offensive. Municipal rule In most of our cities had become Romo rule. City governments were too often under papal direction. The priest ruled the mayor, and the foreign church lorded it over the American school. The very origin of this oilier may be accounted for in political ringism, ruled by the priests In this, the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the United States may thank them selves for the most compact and deter mined organization ever founded to withstand the political machinery of that church. Any war against Roman Catholics, merely because of their religious faith s emphatically disclaimed. Roman Catholic citizens have the same rights, under the constitution, of religion worship and church operations, enjoyr by any other church. But when any church enters tho fie'd of intrigue to modify, change, subvert and overthrow existing forms of law, and proceeds to revolutionize existing institutions merely to serve an ecclesiastical pui JOMi,- which is at feud with rooder civilization, it becomes a foe. And when it directs its poi icy in tho dark and works in secret, it is cer'ain compel those who are opposed to such a course, to organize in secret orders, in order to battle against the secret foe. Romo has had this experience in several countries in Europe. She need no think it strange that it is repeated hero "The causes which have brough forth this most remarkable and mos' powerful, patriotic order, are plain to all. Principal among them is that the continued, uninterrupted, secret attack of the Roman Catholic church upon all the free institutions character istic of representative government. In the front of these free institutions is that of ihe public schools." Such is the opinion of Rev. Hershey He has alluded to the attitude of Rome towa-d our public schools. Let us see what her attitude is. She has denom inatea them as 'Godless, as "sinks of iniquity," as "hell holes" and has done everything she could to bring reproach upon them. Her priests and bishops have libeled them and her journals have never missed an opportunity to heap abuse upon them. The Catholic World said: "The public schools are nurseries of vice, and the future ot the Catholic re ligion in this country is bound up with the exclusion of all schooling not under Catholic direction and control. Let the public school system go to where It came from the devil." fo; 1 am mistaken, it was not the Catholic Worll that made that refer ence to them, it was the Fretmans Jour nal -but its a Roman paper, so it is good Roman sentiment just tne same Home does not believe in the public schools, and why? Because the better the people are educated, the less use they have for the Roman machine Was it not a pope of Rome that said all mui, was necessary ior tne laity was bread and the catechism. This is her belief, and the countries which are' es sentially Roman Catholic show that he hvtM up to her teachings for the in habitants of them are almost wholly il literate. Let us take eight Roman Catholic countries and eight Protestant countries and compare thtm: l'rtt-,lKiil ( 'mititrit" Victoria hmi'tlvn wUi-rlnm! . Ni-lti-rlioitl . lo-rtiitiiiv I li-MitiKrk , . . . ir. Il in, ii n I lilt. Ml S1, To! ill Average 1 r ?? It S7.SM i . I.' I-4-J 1 1 1 1 H l.'l I '.It M.' :i .'ml l 1 - !." "VI 4 t.iii'' 2 "Hi I".' 4 in.' 4ii ! ni l.iMi.-iJi ;fcui-i).Mti, yt .'.. i. !' i ,1 Mi 4 : in ;i I I II i V III 4 114 t I4!i.7"'i.,::l. '! , i li Roman lath olie Countries. rr. - s! .? i ' J . 4.-W.I-S' 2.11:5 24' HO 1 a'.!-: :w.,4..Mi' :. :i2. 2"4.i2. U2.!f; :.S 2.V 3.2i!i.im l!',!'-.,.'.;i;.') w. m. li'l.H'ii1 in '.i.i;s ik.i. ho. :i.n 4,;iw.i' w. f, ll.:Cli .'i..".'o.nihi, hi. 4. lUMl-Oi 2s 4.'iti.t2.s! W. H.i4 '--'"; iimismg: :;n.i k.-m i !...! m ;i I !mmsi Venezuela . Austri-lluii France Brazil Spain 1 Virtual Itel jiluni Italy wttHchown Fram lwo SaUdli, thu inw tolie delegate sent hero from the vati can.-' Io, It never did; and what in more It never will, for tho government at Washington has lovn for a quarter of a century dominated by the agents of the m)ni. I might say dominated by tho masters of tho mm, for it is said no one can ever hoe to ln-eMmie a cardinal and tho cardinals elevt the; Hpo who is not a memlier of the widely of Jesus, and tho members of that society have swarmed the government bulld- Ivome would Im) the schoolmaster of lugs for almost twenty-live years What the world, but In tho face of these fig the-y say has almost Ihooiho equal to ure4 do we want her to teach our child- law, for publie officials have long since ren? Most assuredly we do not. learned tho Kwer of tho priest In poll- I have suid enough to convince you tics; and many of you know they exer- that, Rome Is tho .lemy not only of our else unlimited power. Lot me give you public schools -ut also of education. a practical Illustration of Jesuit treael Now, let us see what sho lays claim ery. Jean Boylo, of Kearney, was an to which would conflict with our estab- applicant for tho Ksltlon of N)stmaster. lished laws tnd with our constitution. His oponcnt was said to ho a mcmlior In the first place the poe of Koine man of tho A. P, A. butastaunoh IVmo- eneyclical to the faithful in this conn- crat. Now, that was strange, wasn't try, under date of Jan. In, 1840, laid it? We're told only Republicans bo down tho treasonable doctrine that lonir to the A. P. A. Well Bovle whenever tho laws of the state conflict sought to weaken hixopHncnt'schnncori with the laws of the church, the laws for tho office in every conceivable of the church are to lie unhesitatingly way. Ho even got the priest and tho obeyed. What kind of an Amorlcan Is trustees or deacons or whatever they ho who would siit tho laws of his church call thorn to petition the first assistant up as binding above the laws of his IHtstmaster general against the apjKilnt- country? Do you believe that a man tnont of tho A. P. A. and they potl- who believes In such a doctrine can be tioned, In tho name of the church and a loyal American citizen? Indeed you Moylo fondly Imagined ho had tho do not! Yet there are professed Amer- game bagged. But a reporter, ono of leans who laid down that very doctrine those Inquisitive fellows who furnish years before it was promulgated by the news for tho dally papers, who have as jiopo of Romo. John Rush, the city good a noso for an I'.om of news as a treasurer of Omaha gave voice to it In mouse has for a piece of cheese, dls- 1887 while welcoming the bishop. He covered tho petition, and he wired his said: "We are Roman Catholics first paper that the Roman Catholic church and citizens afterward." Bishop Gil- had entered Into tho Kearney post mour gave exurossion to the same sen- office fight and would probably get the timenta few years before in his lenten scalp of tho Protestant applicant pastoral. Strange to say this information reached But Rome is not to blame entirely. Washington and was given credence, Her allies should bo censured with her, and the petition of tho priest and his for without their encouragement she laekeys actul as a boomerang. When would never have become so bold; and vlo saw what was happening he do- the greatest apologist lor Rome is the nied thc s,or.V In toto, accepting the press. In mv lulling as a newsp)er Jesuit. theory that the end justifies the man I have frequently seen (Jen. Grant mullr"- Mr. A nnin, thc-correspondent quoted in opposition Vj the present pat alluded to, was a relative of ex-Senator riotic wave that is all but engulfing Paddock, and had a way of getting at t,bh country, and which is denominated muh things that few other men had, so the A. P. A. when Boyle's denial wa-t telegraphed But tl; trouble with the cdiUin who U 0Vur tno country, It was promptly defend the political machines known as followed by proof positive that he, the Roman Catholic church Is they do IJly'''i had prevaricated, had been not quote Al.h of what General Grant ?L1"ty ' uttering a falsehood. As a said. Atrreeable to the custom which consequence Mr. Boylo Is still a privat; the Jesuit has attempted to establish in citizen while tho Protestant draws the thiscjuntry they take no much of what 8 llary a postmaster at Kearney. (Jraid 1,01h on trill xwttrin their position I could cite numerous instanced where and OMIT what completely annihi- I priests have dabbled in politics. And Lates their whole argument. To I may ask, why should they not? Do show you what I mean General Grant they not claim to hav.i tho supreme i in his "Personal Memoirs,'' Vol. I, right to decide as to malt rs of faith page 21.3, says: and morals? Has not tho popi- declared I have no apologies to make for hav that politics Is a part of morals? Then, ing been one week a member of the if they have the supreme right to decide American party; for I still think na- what is right in faith and morals and tive-born citizens of the United States politics is a part of morals have tbey should have as much nrotection. as not a riirht to decide for whom the laitv many privileges in their native coun- shall cast their votes? most assured try, as those who voluntarily select it they have, and what is more the; txer for a home. But all secret, oath buund ci (iat riyld'A political parties are dangerous to any Have you ever stopnel to think how nation, no matter how pure or how pa- Rome work 4 in politics? Take your triotic the motivesand principles which county tickets. Have you ever seen first bring the n together. No political one Roman Catholic pitted against an- party can or ought to exist when one other for an office? Very seldom. They of its corner-stones is opposition to free- generally place a R man Catholic on dom of thought and to the right to wor the Republican ticket opposite a Prot ship God 'according to the dictate of estant Djmocrat and a lMnvtcrtt Roman one s own conscience.' or accord inir to Catholic against a Protestant Reuubll- the creed of any religious denomina- can. Why? Sj as not to lose any votes! tion whatever.'" Tften, when election day comes, everv That much our opponents quote in I torn in in the county is at the polls, and order to convince the public that the A. the returns show that every Roman A. is wrong, and that such men as Catholic runs ahead of his ticket! Hve General Grant were against it. But yu ever stopped to consider why those they fail to publish a very intnestiag Romanists are so much more popular sentence which follows immediately after than thj gentleman with whom they the part they use in their argument, are associated on the tickets? Well, I Why dont they give it all? Why do I will tell you why, Itorranists vote for they leave this out: Romanists. They ara taught that a R "Nevertheless, if a sect sets up man Catholic must (it is mandatory) its laws as hinding AiiovE the that they must always vote for a Roman STATE LAWS, wherever the TWO Catholic regardless of the ticket they come in conflict THIS CLAIM are running upon. MUST BE RESISTED AND SUP- So much for their political work. Let rut-b&r.u a I VV hlATEV Elt COST, me now show vou something of th in . v - n - jw A few moments ago I made reference u'ti who is often the tutor of Protestant to the teachings of a body of men who children. are at the head of the educational in- We will go a little into detail as to etitutionsof the Roman Catholicchurch the teachings of the society of Jesus. tne Jesuits. A more infamous, law- And I will state, before I goanv farther. less and murderous crew never dis- that jesuits are not always Roman graced any country. They have been Catholic priests, they are not alwavs xpclle-.l from every country in Europe teachers of theology in thecolleires.thev for plotting against the state, and the are often lawyers, doctors, merchants. good order of society, and were last politicians and labor leaders aye they year expelled irom .Mexico. ct they have been found in Proiestant puloits come to America -to the United States gradually leading the people away from and are received with open arms God and over to the pope of Rome the aye, our government sends out war anti-Christ, the man of sin referred to hip to convey them into port. Did by John in the book of Reverations, re- ever hear of the government at ferred to in the hiviU- of llum.,1 a.i Total.... A veratte . ... i VI. M 1 ?1 ( T lin Gn,IIHn .. c t. J , . . 4 l. .. I ... 1. m. c,.u,.ig u snip iu uieei iue i cicewuere in me uiDie. I nese men are enerahio Bishop Newman of the Meth- infamous creatures. Their doctrines odist church on his return from Egypt, are atrocious. They teach that the end or on his return from South America? justifies the means, that if their suwr, ior says black is white they are bound o, you never aid. Did it ever meet the gifted A. Cleveland Coxe of the Episcopal church, or the Rev. John Hail, with tho pomp and honor that to believe it. Ihey are taught and teach that they are to have no will of their own; they are to be as a corpse; as a stall in an old man's hand, and a- tho clay in the hands of tho xtt.-r. This diabolical amx-ialIoii was condemned by Pope Clement XIV of the Unman Catholicchurch, and was cxjicllt d from Franco a I toman Catholic country: and of their vt pulsion Paul Feval says: "Teaching men to Ilvo as b-a-ts, and christians to live as pagans; offending chaste ears; eluding tho divine law by fall"" sales, simulated societies and other art iticcs and frauds of that class; pal Hating usury; leading judges to pre varlcution; apt to foment dlalxillcal arlillees; troubling the peace of famil ies; adding the art of deceit to tho In iquity of theft; shaking tho fidelity of domestics; opening tho way to the vio lation of all laws, whether civil; eccles iastical or apostolic; offensive to sover eigns and to government, and making the life of man deiend on vain reason ings and systems: excusing revenge and homicide; approving of cruelty and of personal revenge; contrary tothegooond commandment of charity, and stifling even In parents and children all feel ings of humanity; execrable, contrary to filial love, opening tho road to avar ice and to cruelty; tending to produce homicides and unheard-of parricides; openly opposed to tho decalogue; pro tecting massacres; threatening magis trates and human society with certain loss; contrary to tho maxims of tho gospel, to the examples of Jesus Christ, to the teachings of the apostles, to tho opinions of tho fathers, to the decisions of the church, to tho certainty of lifo and honor of princes, their minis tors, and their magistrates, to tho re(H)so of families, to the good order of civil society; seditious, contrary to natural law, to positive law, and to the law of nations; smoothing the way to fanata- clhin and to horrible carnage; disturbi ng tho society of men; creating an ever-present danger to the life of kings; doctrines, w hose poison Is so fearful and so well attested by their saorel'glous eftects that they cannot Le viewed with out horror." Such has always been their history and such It will continue to bo as long as they are allowed to exist. The oaths the.-o creatures and their duped take are something simply awful. With your po-mlssion I will read the bishops oath found on page fiG7 of "Th",, Papal Con troversy" by Rev. 1). B. Ra, of St. Louis, Mo. Here the lecturer read an oath simi lar to the ono published in The Ameri can each week. Tnink of a man who professes to bo a gool chrlntlan swearing that he will do all in his xwer to persecute and oppose men who do not believe as he happens to believe. Yet that is the custom of the: Roman machine, and the laity hon estly believe they are doing right; that they can sin and bo absolved by tho priest; that a little money and a little holy water will wash the Btaln away. Hut I shall not detain you much longer, just long enough to quote a few prophesies made by some men whose names now adorn the pages of our na tion's history. Listen to what they have said: Mirqulsde La Fayette said: "You have a great nation, but beware of tho Roman clergy. If the liberties of the American people are ever destroyed, It will bo by the hands of the Roman clergy." Abraham Lincoln said: "I do not pretend to be a prophet; but though not a prophet, I see a very dark cloud on our horizon, and that cloud is coming from Rame. It is filled with tears of bliKxl. The true motive power is secreted behind the thick walls of the Vatican, the colli ges and schools of the J. suits, the convents of the nuns, and the confessional 'wxes of Rome." Henry Clay said: "This government will pass through two wars, one over slavery and the other with the Catho lics." U. S. Grant said: "If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's, but it will be between patriotism and Intelligence on one side and superstition, ambition and ignor ance on the other. Let us all labor for tho security of free thought, free speech, free press, and pure morals; unfettered religious sentiments, and equal rights and privileges of all men, irrespective of nationality, color or re ligion." G.iorge Washington said: ''Place none but Americans on guard." And now, friends, lotus follow Wash ington's advice; let us place none but Americans on guard not as our ene mies would have the public believe by that expression but as we understand it for we believe all men are Ameri cans, regardless of their birth-place, who owe primary allegiance to this country. The word American with us does not signify a native-born citizen. Let us settle this question with ballots and not with bullets as our enemies Continued on Pajie s.
