The Portland daily press., 1880-09-09
BY TELEGRAPH.
IRISH REPUBLICANS.
A Good Meeting at Lewiston.
CAPT O'FARRELL ANSWERS MR.. DON
AHUE AND JUDGE" BLAKE.

Especial Despatch to the Press.l
LEWISTON, Sept ga large rally of Irish
Republicans was held here tonight. Captain
O'Farrell of Hartford Conn.,, spoke.
After some preliminary remarks regarding
our present prosperous financial condition,
showing how our bonds are selling at prem
ium of II per cent, in Europe, which is a suffi-
Gent contradiction to the charge of misman-
agement so often made by the Democratic
party, he reviewed the tariff question briefly
as follows:
And now my fellow citizens let US pass from
this hasty glance at our present financial
condition to the consideration of the tariff
question and see what our Democratic friends
have to say about that. You will find in the
Democratic platform two planks relative to
the tariff The third plank favors tariff for
revenue only, and the tenth commences with
a declaration in favor of free ships
Now a tariff for revenue only is the same
kind of tariff they have in Great Britain, in
Turkey, and had in Canada until within few
years, and had in this country during the good
old days of Democracy, when we imported
most of our goods from the workshops of
Great Britain instead of manufacturing them
ourselves. The Republican party gave us a
different kind of q tariff, protective tariff,
which shut out the product of the pauper la
Dor of Europe and enabled our infantile,
struggling industries to grow into successful,
large manufacturing concerns, employing
hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens,
furnishing US with our home made goods much
better and cheaper than we were able to buy
them from the foreigner.
What does the Democratic party mean by free
ships? That means that the capitalist in Bos-
ton or New York will be permitted to send
over to the Clyde in Scotland, and purchase
his ships ready built (from the same builders
who used to supply the rebel blockade run
Il.
here by an American register. Now you have
in this State, up in Aroostook county, timber
enough to supply the naves of both England
and America. You have iron enough in the
mines. All the raw material you have for
nothing 30 that it costs but the price of the
labor to build the ship. Democracy therefore
means the transfer of this labor from America
to Great Britain. Nay, more, it means the
transfer of ingenuity and imprOveme Mt, to-
gether with our ship yards, from our own
shores to those of the foreigner. The same ar
guments that holds good regarding ships ap-
plies equally to our cotton, WOODEN and iron
Industries, all of which have grown and pros
pered since the Republican party came into
power.
1t is by these great industries that we are
able to find employment for the immense
number OF emigrants who are landing con-
stantly on our shores. Should the Democratic
party succeed there should be posted at Castle
Garden, New York, and at the quays in Bos-
ton when the immigrants land, large notices
with the words, go back, go back" plainly
printed thereon.
And here let me say word regarding the
charges Nothingism made against the
Republican party, by blatant demagogues in
the interest of a party which comprises to-day
within its ranks, the worst elements of society.
The short lived Know Nothing craze took
place during Democratic administration,
which gave to this country free trade tariff,
flooded our stores and warehouses with goods
manufactured abroad, which naturally left our
mills, factories and foundries idle, and sent
the native American mechanic idly through
the streets. He wrongfully and thoughtless-
ly laid the blame of bad times on the immi-
grants who were focking to our shores by
thousands from famine stricken Ireland.
Democratic Maryland was the first State
carried by the Know Nothings, and Governor
Wise had all he could do to keep his Demo-
cratic friends in Virginia from following suit.
The Republican party gave Know Nothing
lam its death blow by giving us homestead
law and protective tariff, which gave homes
the Republican party from its formation in
1856 to the present consist of the very essence
of liberty. Liberty and equal rights to every
man of overy color, of every creed, of every
CLINE. say here, without hesitation, that I
brand those men as ungrateful wretches who,
even under the excitement of political can
vass, would try to stir up bad blood between
the Irish people and their best friends in this
country. L listened to two OF these lncepdiary
speeches the other evening in Portiand-one
by resident of that city, and the other by
gentleman from Connecticut. Both exclaimed
against waving the bloody Shirt yet both went
back thirty or forty years, ing before the Re-
publican party was born, for political capital
calculated to stir up bad feelings in the minds
of Irishmen against their employers and their
best friends in order to SEIZURE their votes to
bring party into power that short time ago
tried to destroy this country. If that party
could have had its way the United States of
America would be known to-day only in his
tory, and liberty on this continent would be a
failure.
Yes, listened to these gentlemen garbling
and misquoting history, and 1 thought of the
exclamation of the great Aboitionist, Daniel
O'Connell, that "Ingratitude is the worst of
crimes"
Our people come here in thousands every
month and find comfortable homes and honor
able and well-paid employment in the families
shops and factories of our American friends
They help us build our churches and sustain
our charitable institutions, and whenever there
is contribution to help poor Ireland our gen.
erous, big hearted, liberty loving Republican
friends are always to be found in the front
rank.
Capt OFarrell concluded with stirring APP
peal to his countrymen, asking them if they
were going to sustain the free trade allies of
England.