New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-12
THE DENIGOGUES OPPORTUNITY.

Because there is no election just now pend
ing and the excitement of the last has en-
tircly disappeared, it by no means follows
that the political schemer is idle or the small
dcmagogue at rest. All seasons are theirs.
They SOW at every opportunity and reap wheh-
ever they can. At this moment the dema-
gogue-and he isn't confined to one party:
You find him pumping thunder i'll all OF them
is laclrymose over the unnumbcred woes OF
unhappy Ireland, while his Indignation ut The
tyranny of the British Government in suppress
ing the voice of the minority, and dcpriying
them of their rights under the Constitution,
passes all bounds. He is ranting mt Great
Britain on the platform introducing rcsolu'
tions of sympathy with the oppressed anc
scorn for the oppresSOr in Legislatures and II
Congress talking with owlish wisdom about
the usage, custom. precedent and Law OF Par
Lament. and adding generally TO mbtut
and din which, without clearly understanding
he hopes to make something out 0i for him
self.
Now Ireland and its woes have been the
dcmagoguc's theme these many years. Tie
country has undoubtedly suffered from mis-
government and been made tho victim Of IT,
Justice and gross political abuses. lis condi-
ton is Il disgrace to the Briti.h Government.
But il that the reason why Republican,, Dem
ocratic or Grrenback politicians are pound
ing the public ear with unnirlII:cnt rant
from the platform, or introducing pop
py-cock resolutions on the subject in
State Legislatures and Cor clcs- Why
cannot We he uufasliou blc onlu Ii and
courageous enough to sneak the truh al ~
# nj In a ftf "a
who deeply feel the WRONGS under which tlrir
counrymcn suffer, ana are cuItcd by an
honest desire TO do them service in some Wy,
i, beyond question. Bat that Your mou,lng
politician WHO Grams himself lah0li"u,ly with
three or four isolated and unrelated facts a.
texts on which to fumr and busicr and pos
tulc for ignorant APPLAUSE cares a penny for
the misgovernmcnt of Ireland OF tho distress
of her people, or for anything I>o except the
votes of those whom he is trying to ho.ey-
fuge. no one believes.
The wonder is that the Irish voters them
selves, or the intelligent portion Of them who
are animated by an honest purpose to serve
their fellow-countrymcn, and not merely by
the desire to advance their own interests by
appeals to prejudice and passion. should per-
IllC themselves W li~lCH W lHB ucIiii-
gogue's blarney They must know. they
cannot help knowing if they reflect upon
it for moment, that when Mr.. Cox
or Mr.. Gillette, in Congress, or any Of
the local politicians in State Legislatures,
Introduce their resolutions dcnounclng the
British Government, they do the Irish
mans cause DO good whatever, and have no
such purpose. Votes are what they are after;
and it is no compliment that they pay to the
intelligence of the Irish voter when they
undertake to win his support by such cheap
methods. AS a people We may, and undoubt-
edly do, have q profound sympathy lot the dis
tress of Ireland. We have made practical
demonstration of it scores OF times. But
tho Government of the Unitcd States,
or our Congress, and certainly our
State Legislatures, have no concern whatever
with them. No one is so ignorant az not to
understand this; least of all the dcmagogurs
who play off meaningless resolutions Oh the
subject as genuine demonstrations.
The TRIBUNE il more in the habit of telling
homely truths than of dealing in barney, and
it is in accordance with this practice that it
offers to Irlshmen the suggestion that their
present temper is the demagogues opportunity,
and that they will do well to think twice
before they give entire credit to the profess
sions OF supcrserviceablc friends.