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The American Protective Association (APA) was an American anti-Catholic secret society established in 1887 by Protestants, especially Irish Protestants from Canada. It was strongest in the Midwest, and came under heavy attack from Democrats until its collapse in the mid-1890s.〔Donald L. Kinzer, ''An Episode in Anti-Catholicism: The American Protective Association'' (1964)〕 ==History== The order was founded at a meeting held in the law offices of Henry F. Bowers in Clinton, Iowa on 13 March 1887. This meeting drew up a constitution, a ritual and elected Bowers the groups first "Supreme President". Aside from Bowers himself, there were six other founding members. Bowers would later relate that this "First Council" was composed of three Republicans, two Democrats, one Populist and one Prohibitionist. The religious make up of the first Council was one each Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Lutheran and "one of no religion".〔Stevens, Albert Clark, 1854– ''The cyclopædia of fraternities; a compilation of existing authentic information and the results of original investigation as to more than six hundred secret societies in the United States'' New York city, Paterson, N.J., Hamilton printing and publishing company 1899 p.295 It is unclear why this does not add up to seven. Perhaps Bowers, who was reporting the religious composition, excluded himself from the calculation. Stevens says that Bowers was a Methodist〕 W. J. H. Traynor succeeded Bowers as Supreme President in 1893 and led the group during its period of greatest influence during the mid 1890s. Traynor was born 4 July 1845 in Brantford, Ontario. His father was a contractor who "met with reverses which curtailed the sons opportunities for education." Traynor nevertheless continued his studies and became a newspaper proprietor based in Detroit, Michigan. Traynor had joined the Loyal Orange Lodge when he was seventeen and attained the Scarlett degree within a year. By the time he was Supreme President of the APA he was also a member of the Royal Black Knights of the Camp of Israel, American Orange Knights and the Illustrious Order of the Knights of Malta. He joined the International Order of Good Templars as a boy, and was reportedly connected with the Order of the American Union, the Crescents, American Patriot League, American Protestant Association, Knights of the Maccabees, Royal Arcanum and the National Union.〔Stevens pp.295–6〕 The Association took an active part in the mid-term election of 1894 and off-year elections of 1895, in some jurisdictions running their own ticket, but more often supporting candidates from the main parties who agreed with their agenda. They were credited with the election of John W. Griggs to the Governorship of New Jersey, by bringing up his opponent, Alexander T. McGill support of a Catholic protection bill in 1875. They were also considered to be a factor in the elections in Upstate New York during the same period.〔 According to Traynor, twenty members of Congress were members of the APA, and one hundred members had been elected by it.〔http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01426a.htm〕 The A.P.A. took the lead in organising a Conference of Patriotic societies in Washington in Dec. 1895. Having already absorbed a number of smaller anti-Catholic groups, here the A.P.A. joined forces with the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, Orangemen, the Society for the Protection of American Institutions and other groups, having a combined membership of over three million. These groups adopted a platform which they intended to be presented to the national conventions of the political parties the following year that advocated restricted immigration, the equal taxation of all except private property, a constitutional amendment forbidding non-citizens from voting and opposition to public monies being spent for sectarian purposes. Their attempt to interjected themselves into the 1896 election, however, was eclipsed by the growth of the free silver movement and the sound money question.〔Stevens pp.297–8〕 A splinter group was formed in Illinois in February 1895 called the National Assembly Patriotic League.〔Stevens p.298〕 The Ohio APA still had enough strength in 1914 to contribute to the defeats of Democratic US Senate candidate Timothy S. Hogan and incumbent Democratic Governor James M. Cox. Its newspaper, "The Menace", depicted Hogan and Cox as puppets of the pope. The Ohio APA would disappear soon after the 1914 election.〔David Sarasohn, ''The Party of Reform: Democrats in the Progressive Era.'' Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 1989; pg. 177.〕 It was reportedly still in existence as late as 1923.〔Preuss, Arthur ''A Dictionary of Secret and other Societies'' St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co. 1924; republished Detroit: Gale Reference Company 1966; p. 27〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「American Protective Association」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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