T
AMEBIC
0t four Fnna to
ubecrib For
THE AMERICAN.
BOo lo Jan. 1. 1897.
THE AME-ink Dr jtM
Cheapest Paper in Aratm,. .
-l.no
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER.
'AMERICA FOR AMERICANS" We hold that all men are Americans who Swear Allegiance to the Uaitod State without a mental innervation in tavor of the Pope.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
VOLCMK V
OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY. MAY 8, 189G.
NOMBEH 19
!
AW
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 opinions which
follow are offered without any com
ment: St. Louis, April 12, 1896. In sub
mitting this circular to the councils
and to the patriotic orders and citizens
fact that when the question of appro
priations for Indian schools came up in
the senate, of the eleven Republican
sanators who voted for the appropria
tions seven of them were managers of
Mr. McKluley's campaign, or were on
record in interviews as favoring his
candidacy. These were: Thomas Henry
Carter, Stephen B. Elklns, Senator
Hansbrough, Senator Hawley of Conn.,
j- Senator McMillan, Senator Pettlgrew
and Senator Sherman. These gentle
men, therefore, are on record as oppos
ing Congressman W. S. Linton's
amendment to the appropriation bill,
and by Indirection, owing to their sup
port of Major McKinley, place him
more than ever in an unfavorable light
before the American people, the bul
wark of whose institutions is the total
separation of church and state, mean
ing that this government shall not sup
port directly or indirectly any ecclesi
astical institution wholly or in part
under ecclesiastical control. In its
canvass of the sentiment of the organi
zation, your' advisory board has- seen
with sorrow, a few members of the
order alienated from it by the insidious
influence of our enemies, or in several
instances by promises alleged to have
been madej'byf Mr.a.McKinley'B man
agers, or oin a few other instances,
through the personal political ambi-
1sn t9 o.ma ef Ifal mATntarfl. which'
- have causedja few of the members to
attempt to create a schism in the or
ganization and to oppose its movement
against MajorJiMcKInley, a movement
which found its-inception in the desire
of the advisory board, which repre
sents the entire organization, to do
that which was forjthe best interests of
the order, and' what it was obliged to
do by its obligation to the principles
on which we stand. It is hardly neces
sary to state in'vlew of the affidavits
which are. .hereto attached, that the
advisory board was led to take such ac
tion against Major McKinley wholly
and entirely because of his unworthy
record, and because the advisory board
could not otherwise 'find against him
and remain true to the obligation put
upon its members by the organization
and its principles.
In prior circularslwet have explained
the fairness with which our investiga
tion of the candidates has been con
ducted, and f.how a majority of the
members of the 'advisory board were
not unfriendly to Major McKinley, but
were compelledVbecause of the allega
tions made against him, which in view
of these affidavits no one can contro
vert, to find"againstlhim and to advise
the organization to oppose him at the
St. Louis (convention, and if he be
nominated, atithe polls. The advisory
board was influenced by no other con
slderatlonjthanjtoiact so that the order
might be strengthened and its princi
ples upheld. The affidavits which are
herewith lepeak'lor themselves. They
are regularly subscribed and sworn to
before, notaries public, and it will be
seen at once ,by the patriotic societies
that in (view of these facts they cannot
give their support to Major McKinley.
We urge "you to -stand by Linton as
your Ieader;oa man who is in harmony
with every actoof this organization; a
man whose patriotism and whose cour
age has been J tested and not found want
ing; a man, whom !we should support
loyally and faithfully, giving him that
additional 'strength of purpose which
comes to a man (when he knows that
friends'are back of'him, massed ready
for the fray,Jwilling and anxious to be
led by hlmj along right paths to vic
tory. Theloyalty of the members of
this order cannot be questioned. Their
Americanism and patriotism are above
reproach,- and with the submission of
these affidavits, the first of which your
advisory board has promulgated, we
are confident that everyone, irrespec
tive of former prepossession for Mc
Kinley or any other candidate, will
work unitedly for victory.
Beware I Let members of this or
ganization give no heed nor credit to '
i .... r J fFED 1
j f ....-.. . - -.
Uncle Sam "Well, for the Lord's sake! I've got so many "Favorite Sons" that I feel like Brigham Young at his family
family reunion; I reckon some of these make-believers will feel tired when they come to read my will.
any denial of the truth of these affida
vits coming from our enemies. Such
denials will be made undoubtedly in
the same form, but the men who have
made these affidavits have been and
are members of the A. P. A. in good
and regular standing, and their word
should be taken in preference to that
of any outside of the organization, no
matter what his reputation may be,
nor how high he stands in public life,
influenced as he would be by promises
of official recognition or by a partizan
ship which recognizes no solemn obli
gation so strong as his personal pre
possession and prejudice and his own
personal ambition. These affidavits
undoubtedly will be discredited in cer
tain newspapers and by the newspa'
pers, a large part of which we are sure
have been subsidized by our enemies
and are under their direct control.
The known opposition of some of the
public press is a fact which cannot be
controverted. They have fought this
organization from its inception because
it was for their financial benefit to do
so, and for this reason, if no other, the
members of this organization should
take absolutely no notice of what may
appear in denial of these facts, which
are subscribed to under oath before
notaries public. Let the members of
this order beware of another danger.
The millions in the coffers of our ene
mies will be used against us. Attempts
will be made to buy the allegiance of
members of this organization, and to
defeat its purpose. More than ever
should we beware of men whe believe
that patriotism can be overthrown by
gold, or that love of country and its
institutions can weigh In the balance
against money. Men who fight for
principle are not for sale, and it would
be wise if any instance of any attempt
to bribe by any promise of patronage
or by money, which shall come to the
knowledge of the members of the order,
shall be given at once to the members
of this advisory board, to be used for
the safety of this organization.
If after the submission of these affi
davits to the councils it shall be found
that Individual members, no matter
what their standing, shall persist in
their advocacy of Major McKinley, or
of any man whose record is not con
sistent with our principles, let the
members thoroughly Investigate the
records of all such men, find out the
strength of their patriotism, whether
they are recent converts to our cause,
using the organization for their per
sonal aggrandizement, or whether
they are enemies in disguise, attempt
ing to create discord within our ranks,
or whether they have been purchased
to do the work which the enemies of
the organization see must be done to
save them from defeat. Members, be
on your guard. Watch the Jesuits in
the organization. See that they are
undone. Work for our cause, and suc
cess is assured. Let the watchwords
be AMERICA, LINTON and VIC
TORY. The Ohio state executive board are
compiling additional affidavits which
will be transmitted to the councils by
the advisory board as rapidly as re
ceived. The executive board of Ohio
are unanimously opposed to Mr. Mc
Kinley, and the information herewith
presented was the result of their work.
J. H. D. Stevens,
Chairman National Advisory Board.
C. P. Johnson,
Secretary Campaign Committee.
Franklin County,
State of Ohio, j
ss.
Personally appeared before me, a
Notary Public in and for Franklin
county, state of Ohio, Alfred S. Wood,
who being duly sworn according to
law, deposes and says:
On or about , 1894, soon after
Gov. Wm. McKinley was inaugurated
governor of Ohio for his second term, I
was appointed by A. P. A. Council, No.
10, of this city, a committee of one to
call on Governor McKinley relative to
a number of matters relating or affect
ing cur order in this city and state,
one of these matters being relative to
the possibility of he, the said governor,
exercising his pardoning power in the
release or parole of one Patrick J. El
liott, then confined in the state peni
tentiary for the brutal murder of A. C.
Osborn, on a crowded street of Colum
bus; said Elliott being a member of the
Roman Catholic church, and a personal
friend of Bishop Waterson, the Catho
lic bishop of this diocese. During one
of the Interviews I had with Gov. Mc
Kinley, I was speaking with him in re
gard to some appointments, I objecting
to some appointments that it had been
rumored that Gov. McKinley might
make of Roman Catholic applicants,
he, Governor McKinley, replied: "We
are bound to cater to the Roman Cath
allc church. I, your governor, have
personally no use for a Roman Catho
lic, but the Roman Catholic church Is
the strongest and most perfect political
organization In this country and any
one who opposes it will go down to cer
tain defeat." I replied: "Governor,
if we convince you that we have an or
ganization that is four times as strong
in this county and state, that is di
rectly opposed or antagonistic to the
Roman Catholic church, would it not
be wise to cater to the strongest or
ganization?" "We have no assurance
that your order is the strongest, and if
we had, we have no assurance that
your order has come to stay." And
tljen he referred me to the old Know
Nothing organization that had flour
ished for a time and then died (I had
informed Gov. McKinley that I was
representing the A. P. A. early in the
interview), and he said: "Everyman
who is publicly known to have belonged
to that organization (the old Know
Nothings) is politically dead."
It is generally understood and be
lieved by those of this community who
are not favorable to the Roman Catho
lic church, that Gov. McKinley would
at all times favor a Roman Catholic
for any position, rather than a publicly
known member of the American Pro
tective Association.
Deponent further states that he Is 48
years of age, and that he resides at No.
Iu4 North Lexington Avenue, city of
Columbus, and state of Ohio. Further
deponent sayeth not.
Signed, ALFRED S. WOOD.
Sworn to before me and signed in my
presence this 17th day of April, 1896.
seal. Chas. G. Smith,
Notary Public,
Franklin County, Ohio.
State of Ohio, )
Franklin County, f B8'
Personally came before me, a Notary
Public, in and for the county and state
aforesaid, David T. Ramsey, who being
sworn, makes the following statements
in response to interrogations:
I have lived in Columbus, Ohio, since
1882, and was born in Ohio, always re
siding there. I knew Gov. Wm. Mc
Kinley during his official life in Colum
bus, and called upon him several times
while running for his second term. As
an ardent admirer of his, I advised
with him some as to points of use in
his candidacy against Larry Neil, his
opponent. One day In a conversation
with the governor in the most heated
time In his canvass, I said: "Governor,
we shall give you 50,000 majority." He
said: "Oh, you are too sanguine. I
shall be satisfied if I get 30,000." Ire
plied: "We will show you, and then
you will know who your friend are;
mark my words aad remember what I
now tell you." I then said: "Governor,
I ask nothing for myself, but I want
you to remember some of my friends;
there is Joseph K. Pritner, a G. A. R.
roan, who with his good wife, want for
bread. I want you to know him. He
has for about twenty years taught in
the Sabbath school of the Ohio Peni
tentiary, He Is a layman preacher
down there; he has gone at his own
expense, wiaterand summer, to do this
charitable work, without pay, because
he loves the work. He Is full of char
ity. His wife and he are old now; he
wears the same badge as you do, and
belongs to the Grand Army. You have
so much in common you would like
him. I cannot say enough in praise ot
him. I want you to see him and have
something at the state house for him.
He ought to have Cavanaugh's place.
He can do more than janitor's duty in
the state library. He is able to act as
assistant librarian. He can catalogue
the books and he is a safe man to have
the keys." The governor seemed
pleased. He said: "I will Bee Pritner
Is taken care of." Later on after the
campaign was over one day at the
state house, the governor said to me,
after what I said to him: "Well, it
was not only 50,000, but we made It
over 80,000 majority." Isold: "You
know who your friends are now." He
said: "Yes, I did not expect so large a
majority. On leaving I said again: "I
as it nothing for myself but do not for
get Pritner." He said: "I will not,"
or something of that character. Again
when Pritner was still out of a position
and being very jealous then, I called
over and reminded the governor that
Pritner was out of work, and asked
him to do something for him at once.
He said: "I cannot do anything for
Pritner." I was surprised and said so,
and asked the governor "who his
friends were?" I reminded him of the
large majority and the censure of the
Tekgraph (R. C.) upon him during the
campaign and assured him that the
paper had caused him to get no votes
from that quarter, who made up that
loss If any?" No reason was assigned.
I construed It to be because Pritner
had been an active A. P. A. I said no
more, and have not since had an inter
view with Gov. McKinley. It Is true
that Cavanaugh remained. It is true
also that his son got some minor ap
pointment at the state house. It Is
true that Cahill, who had been very
intemperate for many years, held his
place about the state house. It is true
that Smith was appointed librarian,
and one of the last acts of McKinley
was to appoint him again to forestall,
it was seemiDg to be so, Governor
Bushnell, but since then Governor
Bushnell has caused him to resign in
place of a more acceptable man. It is
true that Harnett is an appointee in
the canal commissioner's office, and
Ewing of the board of pardons. Re
garding Boyle, his private secretary,
it is true that his daughter married a
Catholic. I was told that this was
against her father's wishes. It is true
that the press of this state has denied
that McKinley is an A. P. A.
The foregoing statements are within
my personal knowledge and refer to
matters taken from the circular letter
sent out by the National Advisory
Board of the A. P. A. to which my In
terrogatories have been directed, and I
an able to speak from personal knowl
edge only, so far, except on one occa
sion in company with a gentleman, I
called upon Gov. Wm. McKinley, after
Ilelamy Storer had failed to be nomi
nated again for oong rots, and reverting
to the same, Gov. McKinley said: "I
am sorry you defeated my frinnd, Bel
amy Storer," adding his comment of
some nature, I do not recall the lan
guage, that the A. P. A. showed 1Mb
erallty In so doing.
Signed, David T. Ramsey.
Sworn to before me and signed in my
presence this 17th day of April, 1890.
seal John M. Timiitts,
Notary Public.
In and for Franklin County, Ohio.
Frank un County,
State of Ohio,
ss.
Joseph K. Pritner, being sworn duly
according to law, deposeth and says:
I am 57 years of age, and reside at
No. 327 North Lexington Ave., city of
Columbus, state of Ohio, that I am an
honorably discharged soldier of the
late war, a member of Z. C. McCoy
Post, No. 1, G. A. II., and the past and
present chaplain of the poet; that I
have been a member of the American
Protective Association for five years
past, having served two years in the
capacity of state deputy, and am at
present president of Columbus Council,
No. 16; that about February, 1894,
there was In the employ of the stats.ln
the capacity of laborer at the state
house, one Cornelius Cahill, a devout
member of St. Patrick's church; that
about tin time mentioned above, the
said Cahill was suspended for drunken
ness and disrespectful conduct to his
superiors. I made personal applica
tion to Gov. Wm. McKinley for the
position, my application being backed
up and my appointment urged by
prominent G. A. R. and A. P. A. men,
but instead of my being appointed, the
aforesaid Cahill was reinstated after a.
lapse of about two weeks from the time
of his suspension; about this time,
March, 6th or 7th, in a personal Inter
view with James Boyle, the then pri
vate secretary to the governor, the
said Boyle informed me that I seemed
uafortunate in being so prominent a
member of the A. P. A., and assigning
this as a reason that I could have no
place. The said Cahill made his boast
that the Influence of Bishop Waterson
wm stronger than all the A. P. A., and
that he would be there when the A. P.
A. were dead. IIo was retained until
the end of McKlnley's term, and I am
Informed that there was no pay de
ducted or withheld for the time of his
suspension; and further deponent
sayeth not.
Signed, Joseph K. Pritner.
Sworn to before me and signed in my
presence this 16th day of April, 1896.
seal. Chas. G. Smith,
Notary Public,
Franklin County, Ohio,
Says the Boston American Citizen:
The A. P. A. made a moat unfortunate
If not suicidal move, when it voted to
create a National Advisory Board; or
at least when it placed the board under
the control of the men who compose It.
Some of these gentlemen may be very
estimable and useful in certain spheres,
but when they were clothed with or
rather assumed the power to say who
should be the next president of the
United States, without consultation
with their their superiors and without
regard to the desires of the vast body
composing the order, they took the
position against which many are
warned in the adage "Children,"
etc., and "edged tools."
The whole organization is in the
gravest peril through the presumption
and hot-headedoess of a few unwise
men. A board of men selected to In
vestigate and report to the councils of
the order, has actually taken upon It
self the unwarranted liberty of sending
broadcast through a hostile press cer
tain information that was intended
only for the fraternity, and this, too,
before the Information was given to the
councils And not only so, but the
chairman of this advisory board is
actually traveling over the country,
using the name of the order to defeat
one of the candidates, and thus to throw
the election Into the hands of another
who Is anything but friendly to the
A. P. A.
Every few days we are regaled
through the Boston Herald and other
papers on what Chairman Stevens of
the advisory board says, and we are
told that Juilge Stevens has committed
the order to a destructive warfare
against McKinley while the fact re
mains that Judge Stevens and his ad
visory board had no authority to com
mit the A. P. A. to anything.
Here Is a sample of the matter given
out In a St. Louis dispatch to the Bos
ton Ilcrald of April 27, to the indigna
tion and mortification of tens of thou
sands of good and true men:
(Contained on page 5.)
