, 1879-03-21

FceIut4uA luhs tuo tf19hpAcKorS Will oct to-
getller Independently mud fairly In nil qnes.
tions outside Of their special hobby; but
they will scarcely bc a factor III legislation,
for. III few days, tho Democrats will l,avo
unseatod ono'tgh Republicans to render their
own minority alnp'o aud roliable.
THE IRISH COLONIZATION CONVENTION.
Thero was Convention hcla III this city
during the early partof tho week to consIdo.
tho subject of moving, or inducing portions
Of tho Irish population of tho lnrgo citios to
move to tho fnrming districts of tho Western
States. There hayo boon humorous efforts
Of this kind made IN past yenrs, and, to tho
extont TINT they have boon successful, they
hara proved blessing TO those who havo
boon ailod.
The course adopted by tho mass of lilo
Irish immigrants to this country in settling
in tic cities has boon WILDLY different from
TINT ndoptetl by the Germans, Scaudinavlaus,
md Hollanders. There nro thousands Of
Irish scattered nll over tho Western States
who nro thriving and successful farmers, but
there are fur fowor Of thom In proportion to
thcir aggregate number than tIero are of otl-
or nasionalitios. This is duo so,uowhat to tho
fact TINT tho others hayo migrated in
groups of families, ,-nvo, ton, twenty, aud
per1aps as n'any as forty, familiar together.
In these hitter casca the immigrants Ind
taken tho prccaution to DO thoroughly ill.,
formed before leaving home. Acting through,
some Intelligent agont, thoy had solicited a
location, md had picked out tho land, mr.
ranged tho prico md tonna, mud know before
leavlng homo tho route by which thoy woro
to srayol, tho cost Of transportation, md tho
tino whom they would nrriyo. BY moving
IN bodies they could oconomizo their means.
aud gouerally they brought with then, money
mud substance to euablo them to entoy Of,
their now life comparatively FREQ Of t1obtx
Tl,fa Lns mover bnon possible among t,o
IRISH. 1riRh families to n worry great o1tont
migrate singly. Sometimes mn, md l,s
wife mud ono or Two young children como Mt
thu sanio timo; but Genorally tho l,,ybaud or
grown son or daughter comes first, nntl ont
Of lis or hor earnings another is brought out,
until IN timo tho whole family IL unitod,
This las tended to keep tho Irish in tho
cities aud towns, where ready employment
aud wages woro to 10 had. Tho Irish in-
migrants ri clqas nro poor, ltayo hut
ama1l accumnlations, md, indeed, the
race can hardly claim tltat thrift.
economy, or saving ID n nntional trojt.
THIS lnan whoso solo mcans liz the passauo
tickot purchased for him by friend or rcln-
tive must nocsaH upon hts arrival get work at
once mud in the city wllero lo las 1antlod,
tn NIL tho great works of internal i'm.
proyenonta-tho construction Of buildings.
railroads, md cannls-tho arl.lies of laburors
who llavo wrought tlleso achievements
havo boon rocruitoa mainly from tho Irish
Immigrants who Layo landed III tho sco-
ports, aud under tho necessity Of gotttnv
labor that they might 1.-Two hayo followed tbo
linoa Of these improvements. Thepo peoplo
havo not boon nblo, il disposed, to pusl. for
ward Oh their arrival to the farm lands; at,d,
onco locascl aud planted III Tie cities and
large towna, there thoy llavo taken root md
remaincd. Tho construction Of tho Illinois Il
Michigan Casal iu tllis Stato resulted III br,nu.
Ing lltlier nlany thousands Of Irtsh lnborery.
Of whom, in tinlo, n considerable uu,,,bcr aat.
tied OIL land, aud thoy and their descendants
nro now prosperous lnud-ownora in tl.is sta.o,
In lflso manner many Irish found tl,er way
into lnliana and Ohio; tho opening Of tho
lcatl.n'hos carried others into Iowa; aud tho
lutMGur.forcsss Of Michigan and Wisconsin
offering employment to laborers Aayo
planted many Irish on the lnnda of thoso
Statos. II may DO said t,,ut all tucso layo
done woll, mud, with their lesccndauta> aro
nj intelligent, On respectable, md ~ pyos-
Porous as any other portions Of tho popula-
tion.
It, however, rcmaina an uudoubted fact
TINT tho ynat bnlls Of tho Irish immigrants
lsnyo remained i'll tho cities, wl,cro tl.otr yory
bust qualities Of hoart, their generosity, hospl.
tatlty, spondshrift habits, md lovo of good
clsoor haye exposed thonl to temptations mud
oxcesses which they Ut all others could loust
roaist. Tho man who drinks to oxoega
naturally becomos lazy; and to II lazy mai,
tho koepiug OF q saloon otfers sort OF
olyslum. It is n sllcltar, home. furnishes
food and liquor, makos tile proprietor petty
oracle to his tlr',nk.n CUSTOMERS draws to
lis acquaintance tho detnagogues and tho
corrupt iu local politics. laatla him daily away
from all honest, manly labor, aud reduces
him not only to degradation h;u.solf
but to bo nm instrument for tho
degradation Of others. 1n tho polluted
aul poisonous atmosphere OF tho drinking.
houses families grow up, honest labor tinily
no encouragement thero, vioo IN al its
forms Is sproatl out, mud the largo oitica bo.
conao mammoth colleges Of oriu,o. We need
not repent tho story OF tue de,uoralixing IT,
feeta Of large cities upon thia olass. Urlmo,
wherever brud, sonda its followers 10 tho
cl1ies, aud thora poverty swalls tho ranks
aud learns thu most fatal Of all loHsons-
that labor and thrift aro 1T only for fools,
while idlouoss aud liquor, fine clothes anl
display, ase the ends Of lilo. to DO bud by
those who will reach after and tnke thum
without la6or.
Tue object OF this recent Convention ID to