The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-07-05
1RIsH CATHOLIC VOTERS.

Their Proneness TO Vote the Democratic
Ticket-TheIr Mistake In soIidifying
Themselves in that Organization.
New York Tablet Catholic Paper.)
We have received circular signed by
a representative 1rish-American from each
State OF the Union calling a convention Of
their countrymen, to be held at Indiana
polls, Ind, on the 14th Of August next
Though the document contains good
deal OF political gush and spread.eagle
praise of the Republican party and its
candidates, still it tells some salutary
truths that 1t would be well for our
fellow Irish citizens to take to heart. It is
in many respects unfortunate for the Irish,
both in social and political point OF view,
that they have so closely allied themselves
TO one political organization. They have
been 80 welded TO the Democratic party
that their support is looked upon as GER
tain, and therefore they are treated with
little consideration when 1t comes to make
up the ticket.
It must be confessed that 10 local Offices
our Irish citizens are fairly represented,
but when 1t comes to State or national
matters the idea OF giving an 1rishman or
Catholic place on the ticket is sneered
down by the Democratic leaders. II Irish
men hold their own in municipal offices
1t Is simply owing TO the fact that by
their votes they can control the local eles-
tons, and therefore cannot be ignored.
As an Indication Of how deeply seated Is
this prejudice, even in the Democratic
party, against US, though the Irish vote In
The city Is about one half Of the whole
Democratic vote, still, II the name OF the
most worthy Irish-American citizen is
mentioned for the Office of mayor, II is at
once auashed on the ground that he would
not be supported, simply because he was
of Irish descent, and bore an Irish name (;
and should he be a Roman Catholic, there
was no chance for him at all.
Should Charles o. Connor, or some other
equally eminent 1rish-American Catholic,
be put in nomination for the mayoraltY
next November, these very same Demo.
cratic leaders who look upon the Irish
as the tail OF their political kite, would
combine in secret and vote for Repub.
lican in preference TO him.
Have we not had several instances OF
this? Have not our Irish.American cit.
zens been subjected to unjust discrimina-
ton by the Democratic partyH For exam.
Pile, in New York, the great stronghold OF
Democracy, no citizen OF Irish birth has
ever been permitted to fill the position OF
governor, mayor, collector OF the port, or
postmaster under Democratic administers.
lions, and only few years since, when
that able and pure man, Francis Herman,
was nominated for Governor Of the State
OF New York, his name was scratched by
sixty thousand Democrats, simply because
he was OF Irish descent and Roman
Catholic. This was Know.Nothingism
with vengeance, and 1t is q fact that can
not be denied that the most bitter Know.
who bounded on the Infatuated
masses TO burn churches and expel Catho-
lies and foreigners, grayitated into the
Democratic ranks when their bloody work
ceased to be profitable, and many OF them
are even to-day prominent leaders and
shining lights in the party.
We hear OF so much oil this clap.trap,
POLITICAL gush about all the Democratic
party has done for the Irish that we must,
In all sincerity, state that 1t has compare.
lively done nothing, for without the Irish |
votes the Democratic party would soon
cease to exist. In political sense, the
Democratic party owes US everything, the
nothing; yet, in all truthtul-
ness, II must be said that we have got
deCenter recognition from the latter than
from the former. Besides, when the Re-
publicans give nominations and offices TO
lrishmen, they do so as reward OF merit
and responsibility, while the Democratic
leaders, regardless OF the moral or social
Of parties, are influenced in their
choice solely by the nominees power In
controlling the votes Of the bar.room and
rowdy element.
live. go through the Government offices
IN Washington, or the pOstotfice and Gus
tom house In New York, we will find that
large percentage Of the officials and en-
ployes are Irish, and they are all men Of
education, sobriety, and intelligence.
As an instance OF the liberality OF the
Republicans towards Irish Americana wa |