Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-02-27
TO AMERICAN 1RIsHMEN.

TO AMERICAN IRIsHMEN.
An Open Letter from Fifty Prominent
{M 49, sv,,;c,, 9.3s;,r,e .eSss ~
Received at the Hands Of the Demo
cratic Party.
=. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, Jan rs, 1879.
BROTHER FRESHMAN: We earnestly
entreat you to read the following plain
and unvarnished narrative of our treat
ment at the hands Of the Democratic
party. "- -:
One of the most true and tried Of the
Irish citizens of Youngstown, man
who had ever been stalwart in the sup
port of the Democratic party, was a can.
didate for the insignificant place OF
guard in the penitentiary, position fol-
which he was eminently qualified. He
was recommended and Endorsed by host
of his fellow citizens, and the appoint,
ment was under the sole and absolute
control of the Democratic party; yet he
was ruthlessly, aye, insultingly thrust
aside to make room for man who had
never identified himself with the party,
who was almost a stranger among us, and,
above all, who was not All Irishman.
A few years since the Democratic
party in this city nominated an Irish
man, entirely fit and worthy, for city
marshal, and this is the way the party
supported him: In the First ward he
was 81 votes behind his ticket, in the
Second ward l vote behind his ticket, in
Third ward % votes behind his ticket,
in the Fourth ward 50 votes behind his
ticket, and in the Fifth ward 80 votes
behind his ticket. 1t is superfous to
add that the Irish candidate was de-
feated.
There was in this city military COM
pany composed entirely Of Irishmen,
and known as Company A Of the Tenth
regiment, o. N. G.. Its record was Sec
ond to none in the state.
At the rifle contest of the regiment
for a silver medal, this Irish company
carried off tue prize. Well, such was
the company whose term of enlistment
would expire in short time, and for
whose disarmament no good reason
could be assigned. But, mark what was
OOAC. ACCO1uADf, w WIG LlAl1l1d AW VI
Ohio, companies are apportioned through
out the state according to population,
and when any particular section of the
state has its quota of companies no
more can be organized. The aristocrats
of a neighboring city wished to form
company, but the quota Of companies
allowed within tie section Of the
state to which the two cities belonged
was full, and hence these aristocrats
could not form a company unless some
one of the existing companies was dis
banded, and so the Democratic governor
OF Ohio disbanded the Irish company of
Youngstown, the only Irish com pany in
this whole section, to make room for
the aristocratic company.
To 60 outside our city: The Demo
cratic party of the city OF New York,
without the Irish vote, would be in q
hopeless minority; yet who can mention
the name of an Irishman who has held
the Office Of mayor or any other of the
chief Offices Of that city during the
whole period of Democratic sway?
The name of General Shields, an Irish
man who carries upon his body the bat
tie scars OF two wars in which he fought
for the American Republic, was broug ht
before Democratic congress as a candi-
date for an Office within its gift. Ad-
vsnsing years and poverty were weighing
down the shoulders of this noble patriot,
but this Democratic con gress kicked him
out to make room for rebel brigadier.
Captain Condor, an American citizen
oF Tr;ob h;rrb md 1>rovo co16:or
several others, was incarcerated in a
British bastile, in felon' cell, for words
spoken in the United States. The
American ambassador to the Court of
St. James refused to interfere in their
behalf, and the Democratic party of
Massachusetts Endorsed his base and in
famous conduct ty nominating this
recreant ambassador as it's candidate for
governor.
Let us change the scene. The Hon.
John Welsh, the minister to England of
the present Republican administration
Of the United States, had no sooner
landed on British soil than he demanded
the release Of the Fenian prisoners. He
entered their cell, God bless him, and
gave them the first words Of cheer and
they had heard during
their long and weary confinement, when
be assured them that they should have a
speedy release. And when they reared
our shores on their homeward voyage,
the Republican president Of the United !
States, whom the Democratic leaders
lad sought by every device of fraud and
of intimidation and violence,
If riot and outrage, to defeatat the polls, !
his Republican president, whom these !
same Democratic leaders had sought |
70 cheat of his honest election
~ bribery and. threats of revo-
ution-this Republican president or
Tered "a revenue cutter to meet !
;hese humble Irish prisoners, to fire !
| salute in their honor, and to land ,
hem on Our shores. And when they
anded this same Republican president
greeted them with hearty dispatch Of
Welcome home to the land of their
adoption. This Republican president
lid this, God bless him, against whom,
llmost without exception, the Irishmen
If America had voted.
Brother lrishmen, far be it from US to
BRING nationality into politics, or to
make Office the price Of our suffrage and
upport, but when the leaders Of the
Democratic party misuse and abuse
Is, when they place Irishmen in nomi-
'ation for Office only when the fight is
hopeless, or simply to trade on and
when they openly assert as
hey do in this city that 1rishmen will
Ilways vote the Democratic ticket, and
,e hewers of wood and drawers of water
or that party for evermore, we
hink it is high time for us to
rise and leave that rotten and traitor
JUS party, which, were it not for the
IRISH vote, would die of its own mean-
less and insigniGcance. For ourselves,
We solemn!y declare that we will be the
7assals and slaves of the Democratic
,arty no longer, and we call upon our
IRISH fellow citizens here and everywhere
n this glorious land of ours, to march
us to political freedom: