Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-17
COMMUNICATIONS.
Attention, Irishmen.

| To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER: I wish to enter a most solemn protest, in
 the name of liberty, of conscience, morality
 and common decency, against the shameful
 manner in which my countrymen are treated
 by the Democratic press and politicians. No
 amount of abuse seems suficentsin the minds | of these political bummers for man who
 dares to assert the right to vote as he pleases, 1 to think as he pleases, and to belong to any
 party he pleases. They cherish the delusion
 that the Irish vote belongs exclusively to the Democratic party, and no means are left un- | tried to convince us that it is rank heresy to | vote any other ticket
 Why the psuedo Democracy should pre- sume to own and control the Irish voters,
 and why the latter should 8 class, cling SO
 tenaciously to that party, is matter which has often surprised thinking men. We have l been forced through a melancholy combina- | tion of circumstances, exercised against us 1 by the most perfdious most corrupt, most | tvrannical government that ever cursed Gods l earth to leave our native land and seek the | blessings of liberty in republican America. We believed that we could here enjoy un- | tramelIed the freedom of conscience that
 here we could think for ourselves; that here l our belief and judgments would not be con- | trolled by others I will not insult the intel | igence of the reader with a recital of the many | contrivances, tricks, schemes, t'ways that are dark" which are resorted to by the Democratic politicians to entrap the unwary | foreign voter, and to keep him in his normal condition-ignorance of Ameri- l can politics. The managers of this corrupt party, among other inducements, make very l extensive use of intoxicating drinks in their | manipulation of voters. Their caucuses, clubs, processions, etc., are interlarded with many | ''treats' by expectant candidates, and the rank and file of this party are so accustomed | to this sort of thing that temperance man
 stands very poor chance of getting nomina- | ted for any office, or if so is morally certain to be defeated if the drinks" not ''set up" to the satisfaction of the constituents. It is a lamentable fact that these cursed demagogues make of this hellish method,
 knowing, as they do, that it has been the means of utterly running our aspirations at home, having been employed by our enemies there from time immemorial to cause dissen-
 sions among us, and urging us on to our pres ent slavish dependence.
 Again, we are told, with the most reckless
 disregard of truth, that the Republican party is opposed to the enfranchisement of the for eigner, that party being prototype of know nottingham, which would E'put none but Americans on guard" This may be called one of the ''dead issues" but I can assure the reader it is still rung in our ears as strong argument against the Republicans forgetting, perhaps, that the most violent outrages against nation and creed were
 perpetrated in Louisville and Baltimore, in the Democratic States of Kentucky and Mary land.
 The writer wishes it distinctly understood
 that he belongs to neither of the old parties,
 but would respectfully, and at the same time
 firmly, suggest that voters be allowed to ex-
 ercise the right of franchise without being
 fattered, bribed or drugged. My country
 men, class, are 6 people who cherish the
 most profound attachment for any party or
 creed to which they give their support, and
 unfortunately are too often bhndly zealous in a wrong cause. Many of them are so welded to party principle that have heard a man declare that if the arch-enemy of mankind
 himself were put upon the Democratic ticket he should consider it his duty to vote for him.
 This blind attachment to party is not the
 result of 8 mercenary desire for office. There are fellow-countrymen of mine who have act
 cd with the Democratic party for the last thirty years, and have never got any higher office than vice president of some great demonstration where the t'utmost enthu- siasn was manifested!'' Nevertheless they
 would go home with an honest determination
 to do all in their power for the success of the party, and will speak in glowing terms of the
 respect, esteem and love in which the
 Irish people are held by the Democratic
 orators. The innocent dupes never
 fleet that those same 's orators"
 would prefer the company of their most
 bitter opponent; they would rather associate
 with the ''blackest Republican, the day af-
 ter election, than with an IrishmanI We are
 the tools in the hands of these aattering,
 oiy-tongued knaves, whereby they secure
 for themselves the coveted offices after which