Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-07-22

committee appointed yesterday, wa:
presented, the burden of which were
many reasons why Irishmen Of the
United States should swear allegiance
to the Republican party, as that party
he'd appointed and elected a very
much larger number of Irishmen to
positions of trust than the Democratic
party.
THE ADDRESS.
The following address was issued to
the Irish voters of the United States:
Fellow Countrymen: With high
sense of necessity of placing before
the world in their true light, and the
motives which actuate US in ayowing
our support of and cooperation with
the principles Of the Republican par
ty by distinct organization under
the title of Irish-American Republi-
cans, we feel called upon to state briefly
the reasons which prompt US thereto.
For many years in this country the
support Of the Irish for any cause or
party was sought through the chan
mel Of prejudice or affection. In
struction was out Of the question and
thus an unreasoning adherence was
given to the Democratic party for a
period of years long numbered with
the past With the advent and rise
of the republican party in American
politics new era was reached. In
telligence and a critical examination
into the arguments why the other
party should receive manly support
became the guides of political action,
and the Irishmen alike with his fell
low-citizcns of other nationalities no
longer give in his adherence to party
because Of the leadership of those
whom they had
PREVIOUSLY TRUSTED AND FOLLOW
ED.
This convention therefore has for
its object the initiatory action which
with frmness and energy followed
by promptness and industry in sustain
ing the course, principles and policy
of the republican party shall show to
the world that the Irlsh Of to day are
capable Of something more than being
treated as mere political slaves, and
they are capable of independent and
intelligent thought and action, and
that they are friends of that party
which most truly represents that liber-
ty, equality and equal rights which
they have only found in the land of
their adoption. The claim of the
Democratic party that it is the only
true friend of foreign born citizens is
not susceptible Of proof, as all stu
dents of American history are well
aware; that during the entire admin
istration of the Democratic party it
utterly failed to compel the acknowl-
edgement Of those rights which the
constitution guarantees to all who
swear to support and maintain it.
The infamous and despotic doctrine,
once a subject, always subject, was
permitted to exist as a principle Of
international law until the accession
to power of the Republican party.
Then and not until then England was
compelled to recede from that insult
ing assumption, and thus the adopted
citizen fer the first time was clothed
with all the rights and guar anteed the
same protection outside the United
States as the citizens born on Ameri-
can soil. So also, to the Republican
party do we owe the enactment of the
most beneficial law which has thrown
open he public domain to actual set.
tiers, thus furnishing free and happy
homes to thousands of our oppressed
countrymen who are fleeing from
the
HORRORS OF BRITISH OPPRESSION
You are aware, fellow-countrymen,
of the successful ingenuity with which
the English government labored tl
destroy the manufacturing interest Of
our country, Ireland, which hac
grown up in the midst of our desper
ate and persistent struggles of free
dom. You cannot have forgotten the
heroic effort made for their preser
Walton by the great and patriotic
statesmen Of the last Irish parliament
under whose fostering care these in.