Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-08-18

Ootne TWO years ago the Iammany
wide-pullers set afoat a similar story
They aimed for the .Catholic vote p
and they said in the ears Of the un.
thinking: The Republican party is
the enemy of he Catholics--avoid it!'
This is what the pious Tammanyites
said. At the same time the New
York Democratic Convention, ''bossed"
by the Tammytrnites, was making out
the State ticket; and though fully a
third OF the Democratic vote cast in
the Empire State is Catholic. not one
Catholic was put On the State ticket
Now, did the members of that Demo
cratic convention cherish an anti
Catholic bigotry? Most assuredly
they did not The jugglers we're on
ly playing at the game of politics 81
the mysteries of which are, and always
have been, nexplicable to the unin-
ltiased -
The Irish World is not here defend.
ing the Republican party at the ex-
pense of the Democratic party. Let
this be understood. In neither party
have We any special personal interest.
and to neither party are we under any
obligations whatever The Democrats
and the Republicans are both legiti-
mate organ cations, and as such com
mand our respect; bat we respect our.
self, also, and are determined to assert
our independence. Let the reader Pc
rnse this article with discrimination.
The trick here pointed at is, as we have
said. merely the work of unscrupulous
Democratic wire pullers. The Demo-
cratic party itself cannot be charged
with 1t. That would not be fair or
honest. The wire-pullers in the Re-
publican party are just as unscrupu-
Ious; aud they play tricks, year after
year, quite as despicable. The scamps
in both parties are equally deserving
OF contempt But what vexes us most
Of all is to see the unbushing lmpu
dence with which professional pohti-
clans. ostenibly in the Democratic inter
est, talk Of the Catholic vote" They
speak as if they were our masters. Men
OF other races and other creeds are at
liberty to vote as they please. They
are full American citizens. But our
Democratic Ring Masters, with lord
~ disdain, whose altitude can be meas
ured only by the depth of our servility,
look down upon US Catholics as upon
their bond servants-as upon men who
have no tree action-but are bound by
the very condition of our being to walk
always in the path which they point
out, and to vote only for the men whom
they may select. If we are contuma-
clous they crack the whip over our
heads. If we resent the insult they
call us traitors and renegrades-traa-
tors! as if we owed them eternal allegi.
ance. The simple ones they frighten,
as children, by talking mysteriously Of
those horrid monsters the Black Re-
publicans." Such is the way in which
the /" Catholic vote" is abused! Is
there spirited Catholic in the land to
whose cheek the hot blush of shame
does not come at sight of this humiliat-
ing spectacle? !? Is there sensible
Catholic, In the land who believes this
sort of thing will advance the interests
OF our faith ?owill command for us the
esteem Of non-Catholics? or will even
stregthen our own sense of self-respect?
Others may talk and act as they will !;
but as for US We Indignantly protest
against the insolent pretension. It
strikes at our manhood. It strikes at
the purity of the franchise. 1t strikes
at the very foundation-stone of demo-
cratic principles. Every man who has
the right to vote at all--every man who
is fit to vote-should have the right to
cast that vote as his judgment directs.
1.-The thinks fit to vote the Democratic
ticket, let him so vote. He has per.
feet right to do so. IF he wishes to
vote the Republican ticket, let him so
vote. He has equally as good right
to do so. Every honest and intelligent
man in the land, of either party-every
man who believes in the principle of
self-government-will re-ecbo and en-
dorse this sentiment, and will, with us,
put the seal of disapprobation upon all
these despicable artifces and set his
stern face against electioneering intim-
idation In any form. Our own pro-
cilvities-save on the slavery question
have ever been with Democratic
party. The only vote ever cast by us
in our whole life was for the Democrat
ic party. But that vote We threw as
freeman, not slave. That vote was
ours. It could not have been claimed
in advance by any ring OF by any par
ty. A sense of duty similar to that
which directed ourself in the exercise
Of the rights of citizenship impels us
now to battle for the rights of others.
to battle for what may truly be called
manhood safnage-and to wage vigor-
GUS war for the abolition of that sla-
1arv whioh bol1slft III ,tL,nll ~