The Mayoral Candidate and the Secret Society
Lyman B. Andrews publicly renounces his attempt to join the American Protective Association following a scandal over his secret political affiliations.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Lyman B. Andrews, an aspirant for the Republican nomination for mayor of Seattle, issued a letter to the editor to clarify his relationship with the A.P.A. (American Protective Association). Andrews stated that while he was approached to join the secret society, he sought to withdraw his application after learning the organization's true nature through newspaper editorials. He emphasized that he believes public schools should be non-sectarian and that he opposes the dumping of criminal classes into the country, but he denied being an advocate for the society's exclusionary principles. He felt compelled to address the matter after members of the organization betrayed his confidence and used his failed application against his political candidacy.
“The facts connected with my application have been betrayed by members of the organization and are being covertly used in attempts to injure me.”
This 1894 incident highlights the era's virulent anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic nativism, which frequently manifested in Seattle politics through groups like the A.P.A. It serves as a reminder of how 'dog whistle' politics and secret organizations were used to enforce social exclusion in the Pacific Northwest's early growth years.
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