Beginnings of the A.P.A.

Henry Francis Bowers says: The condition of the affairs in this country in 1887, and up to that time, was such that the institutions of our Government were controlled and the patronage was doled out by an ecclesiastical element under the direction and heavy hand of a foreign ecclesiastical potentate. This power became so influential that it stood as a unit in many places against the institutions of the country. Throught the legislature of Maryland at one time it destroyed the public school system of that State. Seeing these things, I felt that it was necessary that something be done. Gathering around me six men who had the courage of their convictions, we met in my office in Clinton on March 13, 1887, and laid the foundations of the order. That same day we formulated the ritualistic work and adopted a constitution. The chief idea we had in view in the constituion was this, that we had not the right under the Constitution of this country to oppose any religious body on account of its dogmatic views, faith, etc,. but we did believe we had a right to oppose it when it became a great political factor. We believed then, and we believe now, that every man in this country has a right to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience, but we did not believe that the Constitution intended to convey the right to any set of men to control and manipulate the political affairs of this country to the aggrandizement of any ecclesiastical power.

APA Statement of Principles, 1894

First: Loyalty to true Americanism, which knows neither birthplace, race, creed, or party, is the first requisite for membership in the American Protective Association.

Second: The American Protective Association is not a political party and does not control the political affiliations of its members.

Third: While tolerant of all creeds, it holds that the subjection to and support of any ecclessiastical power, not created and controlled by American citizens, and which claims equal, if not greater, sovereignty than the government of the United States of America, is irreconciliable with American citizenship. It is therefore opposed to the holding of offices in National, State, or Municipal government by any subject or supporter of such ecclesiastical power.

Fourth: We uphold the constitution of the United States of America, and no portion of it more than its guaranty [sic] of religious liberty, but we hold this religious liberty to be guaranteed to the individual and not to mean that under its protection an un-American ecclesiastical power can claim absolute control over the education of children growing up under the Stars and Stripes.

Fifth: We consider the non-sectarian free public schools, the bulwark of American institutions, the best place for the education of American children. To keep them as such we protest against the employment of subjects of any un-American ecclesiastical power as officers or teachers of our public schools.

Sixth: We condemn the support out of the public treasury by direct appropriations or by contract with any sectarian school, reformatory, or other institution now owned or controlled by the public authority.

Seventh: Believing that an exemption from taxation is equivalent to a grant of public funds, we demand that no real or personal property be exempt from taxation, the title to which is not vested in the National or State governments, or in any of their subdivisions.

Eighth: We protest against the enlistment in the United States army, navy, or the militia of any State, of any persons not an actual citizen of the United States.

Ninth: We demand for the protection of our citizen laborers, the prohibition of the importation of pauper labor, and the restriction of immigration to persons who can show their ability and honest intention to become self-supporting American citizens.

Tenth: We demand the change of the national naturalization laws by the repeal of the act authorizing the naturalization of minors without a previous declaration of intenion, and by providing that no alien who cannot speak the language of the land, and who cannot prove seen years continuous residence in this country formt he date of his declaration of intention.

Eleventh: We protest against the gross negligence and laxity with which the Judiciary of our land adminster the present naturalization laws, and against the practice of naturalizing aliens at the expense of committees of candidates, as the most prolific source of the present prostitution of American citizenship to the basest uses.

Twelfth: We demand that all hospitals, asylums, reformatories, or other institutions in which people are under restraint, be at all times subject to public inspection, whether they are maintained by the public or private corporations or individuals.

Thirteenth: We demand that all National or State legislation affecting financial, commercial, or industrial interests be general in character and in no instance in favor of any one section of the country, or of any class of people.