The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-08-24


means the misery of millions whom they would wish to
So we feel towards that small country and its
contemplate concerns where the most infamous and
dangerous conspiracy against human liberty, that
yet cursed the EARTH has its headquarters and its home.
They have begun to reform themselves in England
it appears One thing certain they had great need of
it. Up to the present. out of the twenty twentyone
millions of individuals, who constitute the population of
England and Wales about six hundred thousand were
entitled to vote in electng the members of the House
of Commons. The remaining twenty millions and
half had no more voice in making the laws which they
were and are compelled to obey than had the Negroes
of Central Africa This was English freedom For
we all know-having heard it SO often-that Brtons
never will be slaves Of course not They are free
men who live by permission of their q superiors"
Some of the better sort of them, such JOHN
BRIGHT began to get little ashamed of this style of
freedom" They set to work, Or rather to talk and
after great deal of bullying all Sides the arstocratc
Wings and Tories have pretended to YIELD and bill has
been passed. enacting something which, they tell u.s.
equal to household suffrage, because it will enable
almost any who pays rent or taxes to vote.
1t certainly will, in all probability, add about million
so to the entire constituency of the country. The
gain seems great But is it real? Let us see.
There is no vote by ballot in England. They tell us
that it is altogether "un-English" They are SO fond
poor darlngs, of doing everything openly and above
board with all the publicity and fearlessness which per-
feet innocence nspres Hence they never use the ballot
Except their oastoc,utc Clubs It is good there for the
patrician goose but it would never do to intrst such
dangerous weapon secret voting to the keeping of the
plebeian gander So the people have ballot in Eng
land. The e mere mob" must be trotted out to the
polls and watched by armies of policemen and lawyers
and rascals of all Sorts while it performs its political
functions. What is the consequence?
Just this The people hare to cote to please their mas
ters. Take the counties. Everybody knows that the
tenantry driven by agents and bais like so many
hocks of Sheep to the pols to vote according to the
landlords pleasure And they do it, rather than be
destroyed Hence it is not the people, but the land
lord interest that really represented in England
makes the Government and pockets the money and that
performs the wholesale robbery and murder in Ireland,
and all over the earth The larger cities and towns may
have small amount of independence which OCCASION
ally, in times of great excitement asserts itself But
they are very few and the voters-in the smaller bor
oughs, which very numerousare, generally speak
ing fully dependent the favor of their patrons for
custom and business the tenants their land
lords for leave to exist The consequence u.s. that SO
long open voting prevails in England to multiply
voters Is simply to multiply slaues. You just add 50
many to the wretched list who compelled, on
pain of social ruin to themselves and their families to
do as their masters order them And right well the or
ganized hypocrisy of yrant autocrats who constitute the
government of England understand that it is so.
Such is the boasted reform of England concern
ing which much bosh and baderdash has been lately
poured into It simply makes matters in many
vital respects, worse than they were before
There are-and few on earth know it better or rejoice
more heartily it than we do-powerfu! and extern