The Anti-Catholic Crusade Comes to Rake's Hall

Rake's Hall was crowded yesterday afternoon for a meeting of the American Protective Association, and many who came were obliged to stand during the services. A musical programme preceded the address of the afternoon, which was delivered by W. T. Fleenor, pastor of the Market Street Baptist Church. The programme was introduced with a piano solo by Miss Myhre. John Bunirail, who presided, made a few introductory remarks, saying among other things that the meeting was the anniversary of the death of Lincoln. Mrs. Martin, wife of the evangelist, sang a solo. Rev. Mr. [—] offered prayer, and a quartette of young children known as Mrs. Rockwell's juveniles sang 'The Women of Washington.' Miss Minnie Fleming played an instrumental solo. All of the selections were received with applause by the big crowd in attendance, and the principals were compelled to respond to encores.

The address by Mr. Fleenor was a very strong one, and the meeting came to an end shortly after 4 o'clock. His subject was 'American Patriotism Affirmed, or Some A.P.A. Philosophy.' The speaker scored Romanism in particular and Romanism in general. He told of a rebel spy who had been captured during the rebellion and on whose person was found incriminating evidence. It was suggested that he be made to take off his boots. The crowd laughed at the idea, but when he was forced to do so, concealed away in his boots were found papers which established his guilt beyond any doubt. It was just so with the pope, the speaker said; he must be made to 'take off his boots.'

The fact that one boasts of his country does not improve it. The jingo may boast of his adopted country, but that does not better the country. The Jesuit may boast of his devotion to the pope, but that does not redeem the dark history of the Catholic Church. The speaker told of one of the cities of Colorado which was a great resort for those afflicted with asthma. As soon as they arrived at the resort it was impossible for the afflicted to tell whether the climate would prove beneficial to them, and many left on the first outgoing train after realizing that they were not to have the desired relief. Every foreigner, the speaker thought, who comes to this country and cannot convince himself at once that he is going to be a patriot should take the first train back for home.

To be a good citizen one must have a laudable pride of country, Mr. Fleenor said. Foreign countries would always bark at the United States, as dogs always bark at the moon. Italy barked at this country when the people of New Orleans lynched her subjects because they had committed foul murder, but it was a very easy matter to take all of the bark out of them in a very little while. And so it is with other foreign countries. They will bark, but it does not require much to take the bark out of them.

Mr. Fleenor condemned the present naturalization laws, said they were all wrong, and remarked that if he had their reformation in power he would make it necessary for every foreigner before he could become a voter to enter a [Keeley] institute or some other institute for a period of twenty-one years. This is not the time, the speaker said, for idle talk. It was necessary for the people of this country to break away from the octopus of Romanism. It should not be done by bloodshed but by the ballot. The pope and his followers must be checked; they must be shown that this is still the land of the free and the home of the brave.