In the telegraphic news items on page one our readers can find a very interesting article.

In Washington, District of Columbia, the highest officials of the A. P. A. (American Protective Association) an anti-Catholic political organization, are holding a conference. At this conference, the pronouncement of the president of the A. P. A. has been already accepted.

From this pronouncement some very interesting information is obtained.

1. According to this report every member of the A. P. A. must renounce his personal opinion regarding Papists (Catholics) and be absolutely subservient to the dictates of his superiors.

2. No Papist can be a good citizen of the United States unless he renounces his Catholic faith.

This is sufficient to pass judgment on the A. P. A., not necessarily from the viewpoint of the Catholic, but of a citizen of the United States respecting the Constitution of this country and willing to defend its freedom.

The judgment is simple and brief: The A. P. A. sect is violating the principle of personal opinion among its members, thereby violating the Constitution of the United States, which for over a hundred years has assured all citizens full freedom of opinion.

The A. P. A. sect condemns a certain class of citizens and considers them bad because of their religious beliefs. Again this violates the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees freedom of religion to everybody.

What, then, is this horrid sect?

It is a sect inimical to the government of the United States and seeking to destroy the foundation of our Constitution. It is a sect of revolutionists 3against American freedom.

As such, it cannot be tolerated.

Every citizen of the United States should fight such a sect with all his strength. That is his duty. And to fight not only the A. P. A., but all its allies, open and secret.

Such are the Republicans.

The Republicans openly defend the A. P. A., and A. P. A. the Republicans. One supports the other. This was publicly proclaimed at the conference. All of the members sported in the button hole of their coat lapels a button with a picture of McKinley, and alongside a button of their apostle and prophet, Linton.

The moral lesson and the deductions to be made therefrom are easy to arrive at.