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Volume V
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OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FKIDAY. MAY 1, 1896.
Ndmbib IS
THE
Dispatches for and Against
the Advisory Board of
the A P. A.
Editorial Opinions Culled From
Papers In Various Parts of
the Country.
The dispatches and opinion which
follow are offered without anj com
ment:
Sajs the Butte Examiiter: The Wis
consin Patriot, in speaking of presi
dential candidates, remarked that If
the Republican party should name Lin
ton and Bradley as its standard-bearers
next June, there would be no neces
sity of any other parties holding a con
ventlon, as Linton and Bradley would
win hands down. We are inclined to
believe that there Is more truth than
poetry In this remark. There is no
doubt but what Linton is the choice of
the great majority of the members who
compose the patriotio organizations of
this country. While Linton is but
young In years, and In experience in
legislative halls, yet during the three
or four years that he has been in con
gress he has not only proven himself
the peer of the great majority of men
who compose the national congress, but
he has ever been the ready defender of
American principles and institutions.
His ready and fearless defense of these
principles and institutions, is what has
so endeared him to the minds and
hearts of all true Americans. There
are, at the present time, nearly fifty
different patriotic organizations in this
country, all of which, virtually, have
been organized for the same purpose.
that could, if they would but lay aside
all past party affiliations, and unite in
purpose is one party, elect any candi
date they so desired. Of the delegates
who will go to the Republican conven
tion at St. Louis, the A. P. A.'s will
unioubtedly Lave the balance of power,
and could, if delegates who are mem'
bers of other patriotio organizations
would" join them, elect Linton and
Bradley, or Linton and Cullom, or Lin
ton and Lincoln. We prefer Linton
first on the ballots for president and
vice-president. Linton is the man
for the hour. He stands preeminently
as the greatest champion of American
principles that the last quarter of this
century has seen. D We are afraid of
McKinley; we are afraid of Reed. The
A. P. A.'s of Ohio once regarded Mc
Kinley as their friend, and in proof of
this, thousands of A. P. A.'s who had
long affiliated , with the Democratic
party, voted for him, thus assisting in
swelling his majority for governor of
Ohio to nearly 100,000. But McKinley
has proven a traitor to our cause. He
is even afraid to acknowledge that he
is in sympathy with the principles that
we have so earnestly espoused. While
it is true that the states which are
booming Reed for the presidency have
incorporated in their platforms planks
for which the A. P. A.'s are battling,
yet Reed has not, and perhaps will not
publicly declare himself. We can not
afford to take any chances. Let us en
deavor to nominate Linton, and no mis
take will be made.
ST. Louis, Mo., April 25. Friends
of McKinley in this city claim to have
secured positive evidence of a deep-laid
plan of Chauncey I. Filley and his ad
visers to betray the Ohio candidate for
the Republican 'nomination for the
presidency and have sent the proofs to
McKinley and his managers. It is said
that McKinley 'b friend b will fight Filley
for delegate-at-large and will work for
R. C. Kerens In his stead. It is known
thatjKerens .recently called on McKin
ley by request and was later summoned
to Washington for a conference with
the Ohioan's manager.
McKinley's friende declare that the
fight HUbe1 taken to the St. Joseph
convention, and that they will contest
every Filley delegate in this city and
insist on the seating of their men.
This, it is'believed, will result In the
throwing out of Filley and his dele
gates. (The opposition has fully or
ganized with ex-Congressman Nathan
Frank,E. C. Hitchcock and C. H.
SpencerJ in control. A mass meeting
will be, call 3d to elect delegates to St.
Joseph.
Kerens said last night that he had
always been a firm friend of McKinley
and wanted to ' see Missouri unanimous
for him. Already six congressional
districts had instructed for McKinley.
He thoughtjthat the machine would be
outwitted in the Kansas City and St.
Louis districts and that the four dele-gates-at-large
would be instructed to
When she
vote for McKinley first, last and all the
time.
The Spirit of Seventy-Six, of Seattle,
Wash., says:
The matter published in this issue
concerning McKinley and the National
Advisory Board of the A. P.'A. is all
official except the press dispatch of
April 20th from Cincinnati, and that
is probably reliable. The lnvebtlgatlon
of the charges made against McKinley
were no doubt full and fair, and the re
port of the advisory board will be ac
cepted by the members of the order,
whatever their personal feelings may
have been. Romanists and their sym
pathizers claim that the opposition of
the A. P. A. will only add strength to
McKinley and insure his nomination
on the first ballot. We differ with
them to the extent of believing Mc
Kinley will never get the nomination,
as the Republican party would not be
so foolish as to force his nomination
under the circumstances, although the
"mlckies" might like to see it done.
The Boston American-Citizen says:
The report of the National Advisory
Board on presidential candidates leaves
the American Protective Association
in a very unsatisfactory and thoroughly
dissatisfied condition. There is a vast
amount of questioning as to the wisdom
or the reliability of the report as it has
been presented. Since last week's issue
of the Citizen much light has been
thrown on the subject. It is pretty
generally conceded that the evidence
against McKinley comes wholly or
very largely from disappointed office
seekers from men who are not of the
highest standing. Suspicion is also
aroused by the sweeping endorsement
of all the other candidates Reed, Quay,
Harrison, Allison, Cullom and Morton
We think it would be fou that if Mc
Kinley Is to be rejected because he has
appointed Roman Catholics to office,
then surely Morton should not be en
dorsed; for if this be guilt, then is the
New York governor much more culpa
ble than McKinley. Strange it is, too..
that Matt Quay should receive the en
dorsement of the A. P. A. advisory
board a professional political "boss" of
the most questionable character.
If the records of the men are to be
considered, why is Harrison endorsed
the man who sent Pat Egan to Chill,
and gave Kerwin, O'Meagher Condon,
and others of the dynamite Fenian
stripe, the highest offices In his gift?
The fact that General Harrison kept
General Morgan in office against the
protests of Priest Stephan, may or may
not be to his credit it depends upon
whether it was done from patriotism or
pig-headedness.
The whole thing appears to be de
cidedly unfair. McKinley has been
governor of a great state. As governor,
be could not justly discriminate against
every man because he was a Roman
tries to carry two kinds of water
Catholic if the man was better fitted
to fill the position tK'twas the Protes
tant. The fact that the disappointed
aspirant was an old soldier would cer
tainly be in his favor in the mind of
Governor McKinley himself an .oldi.
soldier if other things had been equal.
But we must remember that there is
an immense difference in "old soldiers"
some were volunteers; some were
drafted or went for the bounty that
they got; others enlisted while intoxi
cated, or were "shanghaied." And
there is also an immense amount of dif
ference in the "old soldiers" as they
are to day some are noble, high
minded, patriotio men; some are dan
gerous cranks; others are anything but
a credit to the Grand Army. We im
agine Governor McKinley knows all
this and acts accordingly.
What has Reed ever done to merit
the endorsement of the American Pro
tective Association? Has he ever
voted or spoken on the patriotic side
when great measures were before con
gress? Are not his sentiments mir
rored in the Portland Press and the
Lewiston Journal the two most viru
lent slanderers of the A. P. A.? Is not
Dingley his acknowledged henchman,
and is not Joe Manley his acknowledged
generalissimo? And do not both these
men openly proclaim their hostility to
the A. P. A.? Who among the Reed
leaders in Massachusetts the Republi
can machine are favorable to the pa
triotio orders?
The comparison between McKinley
and Reed and some of the others is un
fair, because McKinley, as governor,
has had the appointment of many men
to office, while Reed and the others
have held no position which required
them to choose men to fill public posi
tions. We do not know what they
would do under similar circumstances.
The record of these other men, ap
parently ,was not carefully investigated
while in the case of McKinley several
disappointed office-seekers sprang to
the front immediately. Why was Mc
Kinley singled out as unfit, while the
others were bunched as all right?
We believe the Supreme Advisory
Board has acted unwisely. They al
lowed the Investigation to go by default
until all the delegates to St. Louis had
been chosen, and then they sent broad
cast a condemnation of McKinley and a
virtual endorsement and recommenda
tion of Reed for that is what the re
port evidently means Reed being Mc
Kinley's chief opponent.
They have acted unwisely in letting
the matter go so long, and then not al
lowing it to go longer. If McKinley Is
really undesirable, they have played
right into his hands. He has his dele
gates, all pledged; now his managers,
If they are shrewd, will work the op
position of the A. P. A. for all it 1b
worth among those who are first of all
enemies of the A. P. A. It is a case 1
on one shoulder, she is bound
of "heads I win, tails you lose." If they
had been wise they would have held
back the report now that it Is so late
until it was too late for McKinley's
managers to work it to advantage.
Editor Morrow, of the Cleveland
Daily Leader, which Is acknowledged to
be the most outspoken patriotic dally
in the United States, says that Mc
Kinley is Bound on patriotio lines. And
this is echoed by Rev. J. L. Brandt,
Rev. J. W. Hamilton, D.D., and scores
of other" patrlotic'men. To offset this
testimony we have the word of a few
obscure men who sent their reports to
the advisory board.
The complaint is made that McKin
ley's managers (not McKinley himself)
Grosvenor and Hanna treated the
advisory board discourteously refusing
to see them. This is to be regretted,
perhaps; but we do not see what bear
ing that has on McKinley's fitness for
the presidency. There was a question
of political acumen here; they probably
reasoned that if it became known that
they were conferring with the A. P.
A., Mr. McKinley's enemies would use
it to the utmost to injure him. Hanna
and Grosvenor, are not wise, judged by
A. P. A. standards. They doubtless
would have received and conferred with
Cardinal Gibbons or Archbishop Ire
land. But we must remember that
they are imbibing wisdom at every
pore, and before McKinley is elected
president of the United States they will
be just as obsequious to the A. P. A. as
they are to the Roman hierarchy.
They will be in the condltton of the
colored brother who was kicked by the
mule "not so handsome as he used to
be; but he knew a great deal more."
That's what's the matter with Hanna
and Grosvenor.
Dick Kerens has attached himself
like a barnacle to McKinley's boom;
O'Meagher Condon is for Morton;
Archbishop Ireland is for Allison; and
when the candidate is nominated they
will all be for that one man. That is
their usual course.
The Citizen is not for McKinley, or
Reed, or Morton, or for any of the
others until it knows more about them.
But we consider it decidedly unwise
and unjust in the Supreme Advisorv
Board to pick out McKinley as the tar
get for abuse, simply on the evidence of
a few obscure men; while the same ad
visory board gives a sweeping endorse
ment of Matt Quay, Morton, Reed, and
all the others. And this opinion of the
Citizen we know to be endorsed by many
of the wisest and best-known men in
the American Protective Association.
As we have said before, suspicion is
aroused by this condemnation of one
man, and the sweeping endorsement of
all others without investigation and
without regard to character. It sounds
like a revengeful cry of "Anything to
beat McKinley!"
to spill one.
Detroit, Mich., April 26. "The
name of Congressman W. S. Linton
will be presented to the Republican
convention in St. Louis." Colonel E.
H. Sellers, the president of the Na
tional Council of the Uelted Patriotic
Associations, said to-day:
"The organization of which I am the
president comprises some thirty pa
triotic societies throughout the coun
try, with at least 6,000,000 voters. Mr.
Linton, although not a candidate, will
do his duty if nominated. There is a
spontaneous demand for his candidacy,
In the St. Louis convention we will
have enough delegates to forcibly pre
sent his name, although he may not be
nominated.
"The Executive Council of the A. P,
A. organization, to which I and four
others belong, have drawn up a plat
form which we will urge to be em
bodied in the Republican platform.
Falling to nominate Linton, and also
in the adoption of our platform, we
shall insist that a candidate be nomi
natea wno is in Harmony with our
views, and shall be satisfied if we are
given second place by nominating Gov
ernor Bradley of Kentucky."
"Suppose you don't succeed In any
thing?" the Colonel was asked.
"We will repeat our demands before
the National Democratic Convention at
Chicago. And in case our appeals are
likewise Ignored by that body we shall
enter Into the campaign independently.
The American party will then be born
and a convention called at St. Louis or
Cincinnati probably the latter city
and a new ticket placed in the field
with W. S. Linton for president, and
Governor Bradley for vice-president.
This plan of action was decided on at a
meeting of the executive council held
In Washington last December. We
have plenty of money are fully
equipped. With such a ticket we
would sweep the country."
The colonel also said the association
was opposed to McKinley. It does not
favor Reed, although he has made con
cessions to it. Morton and Quay would
be acceptable, while Allison is being
conferred with. The association is
dead against Cleveland, as he has ig
nored the order and has refused to c on
fer with Its committee. Dispatch to fie
Cincinnati nquirtr, April S6.
Savannah, April 22. W. J. H.
Traynor, supreme president of the
American Protective Association, is in
Savannah, organizing the Georgia
state council of the order. Delegates
are here from different cities and towns
representing about 15,000 members in
this state. In Savannah there are 2,000
members. Discussing national politics,
Mr. Traynor said that the opposition of
the A. P. A. would defeat the nomina
tion of McKinley by the Republicans.
If McKinley should be nominated, said
Traynor, he would be defeated at the
polls in November by the A. P. A. vote,
if the Democratic party put up a good
man with a clean record, one who la
known to be true to American princi
ples and not a truckler to the Catho
lics. "Doyou charge Major McKinley with
being that kind of a man?" Traynor
was asked.
"I certainly do," he replied. "A re
view of his political career bring to
light many incidents showing that ho
has deliberately catered to the Catho
lic vote for no other reason than be
cause it was a vote that he thought
could be influenced in his behalf by
special favor. It was generally under
stood that, while governor, McKinley
was unduly under the influence of
Bishop Wattcrson of the Catholic dio
cese of Columbus. A leading citizen of
Toledo showed me a letter a few day
ago, received in answer to one written
to McKinley, charging McKinley with
allowing under hi administration the
use of public funds in buying Cathollo
paraphernalia for the use of priest In
the prisons, other churches furnishing
their own supplies. McKinley made an
equivocal denial of this, if I am not
mistaken, throwing it on others. While
governor he appointed more Roman
Catholics to office than any other Re
publican governor Ohio has had. In
other way he has shown a desire to
curry favor with the Catholics."
"Will the A. P. A. vote as a unit, ad
mitting that the facts are as you
claim?" Traynor was asked.
"The A. I'. A. will most assuredly do
so," he replied. "Any one who baa
traveled through the north and west
and talked with the hundreds of thou
sands of voter who are in this patriotio
organization know that they are In
earnest. They are not to be trifled
with. McKinley and his manager
will learn that the A. P. A. is a con
siderably bigger and stronger thing
than they are." Dispatch to ttc New.
York Sun, April SS.
The Central Star of Empire of Kear
ney, Neb., says: "No compromise
with Rome. No pope or papal army
wanted in this republic. For president
of the United State in 1897: That
good, true, loyal, popular American .
Republican, Hon. W. S. Linton of
Michigan. Be sure and talk for, and
write for, and vote for, that noble de
fender of your rights and your liber
ties, your homes and your churches,
your Bibles and your school, and all'
other free Institutions of America
W. S. Linton. Other mon are trading
off their country's liberties for votes to
get Into office."
Washington, April 25. It Is stated
on excellent authority that the Na
tional Advisory Board of the A. P. A.
will soon meet again to pass upon the
religious records of the men whose
names have been mentioned for the
Democratic nomination. The records
of Cleveland, Carlisle, Russell. Paul
son, Olney, Bland, Boles, Tillman,
Matthews, Campbell and others will be
gone over and the order will be notified
which of these men are objectionable
and which can pass muster. It is proba
ble, however, that the Democratic Na
tional Convention will adopt a plank
condemning the order, and if it does,
the order will have the whole party to
fight and not an individual aspirant for
the presidency. In the Massachusetts
Democratic Convention the principal
speaker condemned the order and his
utterances seemed to meet the senti
ments of the member of the conven
tion. Elsewhere Democratic orators
have taken the same stand.
The order's attack on "Silver Dick"
Bland would have been made at the
last meeting of the advisory board if
any member had had any idea that he
would be endorsed by any state a an
aspirant for the Democratic nomina
tion. It is claimed by the order that
he was one of its victims in the land
slide last year, the opposition to him at
that time being based on the ground
that he had voted for sectarian appro
priations while a member of the house,
the fact that Mrs. Bland was a Catho
lic and that she was rearing her chil
dren in that faith being apparently too
petty to be considered.
A member of the advisory board, who
talked with the Star correspondent
about the Bland family during the ad
visory board meeting, told the follow
ing story of the conversion of Mrs.
Bland to Catholicism:
"Years ago, when sho was living In
Washington with her husband and
children, she was taken seriously ill
and her life was despaired of. Among
the many visitors were a number of
Catholic ladies and several Sisters of
Mercy. Their attention to Mrs. Bland
was so assiduous, so unselfish and so de
voted that she was so Impressed, and
on recovering joineo. tne cauiouo
church."
From authoritative sources It is
(Contained on page 5.)