Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-10-20
IRISH-AMERICAN REPUBLICANS
How IRISH CITIZENS SHOULD VoTE-
WORDS OF A Non PARTISAN SHEET.
From the New York Tablet

From the New York Tablet
The lrish-American Republican or
ganizatlon seems to be making rapid
headway throughout the country.
The Republican papers are full of re-
ports OF large and enthusiastic meetings
held by it's members, and of the formation
of new clubs.
The Democratic organs, on the other
hand, try to throw cold water on the
movement, as ifit were of no Importance,
though at the same time they cannot re-
frain from showing their alarm and con-
Germ by making frantic appeals to the
Irish to stand by their party, and not ig-
nobly desert their colors in front of the
enemy. They further add the gratuitous
information that the Democrats have ever
been the friends of Ireland and the Irish
people, while the Republicans have ben
their bitterest enemies; in fact if we are
to credit them, Republicanism is only an
Othername for knownothingism. These
charges are only food for mirth and
laughter to intelligent Irishmen, who
know the reverse to be the case, but then
they answer their purpose as so much
clap trap to capture the votes of the cred
ulous and ignorant.
Speaking of knownothingism, we hold,
and we can support our assertion by facts
and names if demanded, that there are
more bitter anti-Irish knownothings
to-day in the Democratic party than in the
Republican, and that fully one-third Of
the prominent Democratic leaders in this
city and State graduated as knownothings
of the first magnitude: but when they
found that burning churches and hound
ing down the Irish did not pay, they grav-
tated into the Democratic ranks, and
were, on the principle of a thief crying
stop thief, the first to denounce what they
had so lately practced themselves. We
dislike reviving old sectarian issues which
should be hidden out of sight, but when
silly Democratic editors and bombastic
orators viciously insist on deluding our
fellOw-citizens by false statements and
lying misrepresentation, we feel it duty
incumbent upon us to speak the truth and
to expose the shame of political tricksters
and mountebanks
Why the politicians should select the
Irish any more than the German or Ital-
ians, to operate upon, we are at loss to
know, unless it be that their estimates of
the intelligence and independence of the
former was of so low standard that they
felt confident that he would be a plant
victim in the hands of political knaves
and tricksters.
We would ask those spouters and writ
ers who would have the Irish citizen as
orthodox in his political as in his reli-
gious faith, what has the Democratic
party done for the Irish that they should
bow down in allegiance before its chiefs,
and la,4shly vote at their behest, even
though their nominee should be notori-
Gus blackleg, political swindler or a
worthless puppet, simply used as de
signing tool to carry out the behests of
his corrupt masters? Have they ever
given them the recognition that their
numbers as numerical influence entitle
them to? Have they ever elected an Irish
citizen to city, state or national Office of
trust or dignity? They have not, and
when driven to put Irish-American citi
zens on their ticket for such offices, they
themselves assassnated them in the dark
by voting for Republicans in their place.
If we go back to the early days of the
late war, we find that while the gallant
Irish soldier was fighting for the preserva-
tion Of this glorious republic, and attest
ing his faith to the land of his adoption
by the sacrifice of his very life, the cop
perhead sympythizers with the South,
chiefly in New York, were secretly urging
the unthinking portion of our impulsive
countrymen into riots and other seditious
acts, which have tended much to lessen
the esteem and respect entertained for US
by the American people. Again during
the reign of the corrupt Tweed ring, the
unthinking Irish voters were used by
their designing countrymen who aspired
10 a nomination, or who held some fat
sinecure, to aid in perpetuating system
OF robbery, fraud and perjury on most
gigantic SCALE
These are not very pleasant reminis-
cences, but they have been forced from us
by the dictatorial tone Of the partisan or
gans of the Democratic party and by the
sneering manner in which they prescribe
to the Irish citizen as to how he shall cast
his vote. We tell them that the Gay for
such assumption is gone, and that there is
a healthy spirit growing among the Irish,
particularly among the intelligent rising
generation, that will not brook this ser
vile degradation of voting at the beck of
any man or party.
We care not whether our fellow Irish
citizens vote the Democratic or Republi-
can ticket, for there is no great national
issue at stake; but, for honor and reputa-
tion as iberty-loving, independent peo-
pie, we earnestly appeal to them to cast
their votes free and untrammeled as their
consciences dictate, and not to suffer
themselves to be driven to the polls like a
set of soulless serfs, with perjured ballot
the emblem of their slavery-in their
hands.
| If we Irish-Americans do not prove
ourselves worthy of freedom here we new
er can achieve the liberation of Ireland,
for the men who abuse the blessing of
free government and prostitute the bal
lot, the most sracred of institutions, will
not command the support or sympathy of
Americans in their struggle to get rid of
oppression in the land of their birth. AS
we have said, we do not presume to die
| tata f0 anV mon xyb ~ bor ho oh oil vote fo,