The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-10-14
GARFIELD AND THE IRISH.
Some Interesting Reading for Irish.
American Voters.

GARFIELD AND THE IRISH.
Some Interesting Reading for Irish
American Voters.
Gen. NJ. R. NJ. Wallace, of Chicago, recently
delivered stirring campaign speech to the
Democrats of Indianapolis. He gave his
reasons as Union soldier for preferring Han
cock to Garfield, and made many telling points.
But the feature of his speech was his denuncia-
tion of Gartield's hostility to Irish aspirations
for liberty, of Garfeld's bigotry toward the
Little Sisters of the Poor, and of his niggardly
opposition to placing the late Gen. Shields on
the pension list. The following is the portion
of Gen. Wallace's speech relating to Gen. Gar
field and the Irish 9f3
\ l come now to a novel feature of the canvass
the attempt of the Republicans, in their last
desperate effort, to win the friendship of class
of people whom they have always treated with
contempt-the Irish-Alneficai1s. E59
The appeal of the radicals to the Irish-Amer-
leans to save them or they perish would be su-
premely impertinent with any candidate. But
with Garfield no language can justly describe
the degree of insolence which the appeal i'm
plies.
Let us see what claim Garfield has upon the
Irish. Mr.. Garfield was Representative in
Congress in 1867. During the first session of
the Fortieth Congress, On the 9Th day of March,
1867, the Hon. Fernando Wood, of New York,
asked unanimous consent to offer resolution
of sympathy with the Irish people. Mr..
Broomall. Republican, objected. Mr.. Wood
then moved to suspend the rules and adopt the
resolution. Upon this question there were 104
yeas and IA nays.
OF these fourteen there were thirteen Repub-
icans, and of these thirteen two are now Re
publican candidates one of them is James A.
Garfield, Republican candidate for President;
the other is Shelby NJ. Culom, Republican can
didate for Governor of Illinois.
read the resolution. SO that all fair-minded
men may judge whether or not any lover of
liberty could consistently vote against it, and
whether or not any American Congressman who
remembered the loyal sacrifices of Irishmen in
the Union army-the countrymen and comrades
of Sheridan, Shields, Corcoran and MulGgan-
should have opposed it. Nay more, strike out
Ireland and substitute Cuba, Poland, Zululand
any other struggling and oppressed nation
ality, and ask, What honest lover of liberty
should vote against it Z The language of the
resolution was this
"Resotued, That this House extends its SYM
pathy to the people of Ireland in their pending
struggle for constitutional liberty. If the des-
putic Governments in Europe shall be allowed
to establish monarchical institutions in America,
SO should the United States foster and promote
the extension of republican institutions in Eu-
rope"
During the Fenian invasion of Canada, a
number of prisoners were captured by the
British authorities Among them was priest,
Rev. Father Mcmahon. This priest probably
remembered the centuries of wrongs which his
country had suffered at the hands Of the British
Government and sympathized with the inva-
sion. But his purpose in accompanying the lit
tie army was to do a priests duty-to minister
to tine spiritual wants of his countrymen. With
a view to securing the release of this Irish
American clergyman and all the other prisoners
then held in Canada, on the 18th day of April,
1871, Mr. Kinsella, of New York, offered the fol-
lowing resolution, and moved the suspension of
| the rules and its adoption:
"WHEREAs, A conference is now being held
between joint high commissioners representing
| the Government of the United States and that
of Great Britain and
y "WHEREAs tits sexpected and desired that the
| several questions which keep up unkind feeling
| between the people of the respective countries
shall be settled through the labors Of such joint
| high commissioners and,
| "WHEREAs, The prolonged Incarceration in
| the prisons of the Dominion of Canada of per-
sons accused of violating the neutrality laws is
| q source of irritation to a large number Of
| American citizens; therefore,
' Resolred That the President of the United
States be respectfully requested to have the
! case of such persons presented before such joint
high commission, to the end that their release
| may be effected"
James A. Garfield objected to the suspension
| of the rules, and then voted against the resolu-
ton directing the President to use his inf1u-
| ence to secure the liberation of non-combat-
| ant clergyman, and few poor men who had
been in prison several years. And now Irish
Americans are asked to support him for the
Presidency!
l come TO another event in Mr.. Garfelds
| Congressional life. The Sundry-Civil Appro-
Priatlon bill of the first session of the Forty
third Congress was sent back from the Senate
to the House with certain amendments, includ-
ing one appropriating $4,000 to the 'Iittle Sis
ters of the Poor" The ''Little Sisters of the
Poor" need hardly say is an organization of
charitable ladies whose lives are devoted to the
care OF the aged poor, and who never inquire
have any creed or not. Mr.. Garfield opposed
the appropriation on the fllmsy ground that it
was for a sectarian institution. Gen. Butler
called Mr.. Garfield's attention to the fact that
there was also an appropriation, of $25, GOO
which had received his sanction for the Wom-
ans Christian Association" of Washington.
MIR. Garfield replied that no woman, not a
Catholic, could be corporator in this charity
managed by the "Little Sisters of the Poor. y
Gen. Butler replied that no woman not Prot
estant could be a corporator in the "Woman's
Christian Association" Yet Mr.. Garfield per-
sisted in his opposition and voted against the
appropriation, notwithstanding twas defended
by such leading Republicans as Gen. Butler,
Mr.. Hoar, of Massachusetts, Mr. John Cessna,
of Pennsylvania, and Mr.. Parker, of Missouri.
I say that only the most relentless fanatic, the
most intolerant bigot could have opposed this
tenn especially when he favored an item giving
: the same sum, at the same time, to another
charity merely because it was under the control
OF ladies who worshiped the same God accord
ing to the rules of a different creed.
say, also, that if James A. Garfield had not
deserted his comrades on the field of battle to
60 to Congress at time when even Rutherford
B. Hayes said that man who left the army tC
go to Congress ought to be scalped, he would
have forgotten the creed of the "Lttle Sisters
of the Poor and all the other charitable bands
of sisters who fitted over the battle-fields tC
minister to the manned and the suffering. Ha6
he remained to fight down the rebellion instead
of coming home to talk it down in the safety
and comfort which surrounded seat in Con
: gress, he could have borne testimony to the fac
that the sisters who do charity never asked tn,
wounded or the dying what their creed was, o.
whether or not they had any creed. Had h
waited on the battlefield to do more than smel
powder, had he been shot down lik
Hancock, had he incased his sword onl,
when the enemy surrendered, h
would have favored this appropriation
as Grant did, for you will remember Grant wa
: President, and approved the appropriation
about Grants course at other times he was
soldier in the hour of his country's peril
} Grant then faced the danger of Lee on hi
front, and kept facing the danger until LIE
surrendered. Garfield was then facing tn
temptation of rotten paving fees and Credi
!, Mobilier shares, and kept facing them until h
surrendered. am not Irish. | am not
! Catholic. / am an American and Protestant
l say, in no beastful spirit, that was soldie
during the war of TIE Rebellion. 1t was simpl