New-York tribune., 1882-04-19
OTERDOING 1T.


The possibility of OVERRIDING it never seems
to occur to the demagogues who for purposes
of their own undertake to ride the hobby of the
hour. Assuming that the particular class of
voters to whose preudices and passions they
appeal are of such unbounded stomach that no
amount of flattery can turn 1t, they 90 to the
most absurd and ridiculous lengths All dema-
gOgism is a reflection upon the intelligence of
the people to whom it is addressed, but the
demagogue never stops to think that when
the men upon whom he plies his blarney dis
cover OF begin even to suspect that their ignO-
rance is being played upon, they are more likely
to be Iepelled than won by his solicitations.
DemagOgism is a gun very easily overloaded
the temptation to charge it to the muzzle is
great-and when overloaded il is usually fatal in
its recoil. There have been several illustra-
tions of this fatal overlooking in our politics
during the past dozen years. The demagogues
who at various times have undertaken to make
hobbies of the several phases of the financial
question and the labor question, upon which to
ride into power, have failed almost always
from OVERRIDING their sympathy for taxpayers
and their love for the oppressed laboring
classes. At a certain point overdone sympathy
Up to a certain point the demagOgue may carry
the taxpayer and the laborer with him by de-
scribing their down-tr trodden and oppressed
condition, but if he makes their state too pitt
able-and he always does if he is given the time
and oppOrtunity-he opens their eyes to his own
insincerity, and they throw him over in disgust.
1t seems TO us that some of our Democratic
statesmen in the present Congress are giving
lis an uncommonly good illustration of the
folly of OVERRIDING it in their treatment OF the
Irish question. Take the speech in the Senate
the other day Of Senator Voorhees,, of Indiana,
on the case of Mr.. and Mrs. McSweeny. Mr.
McSweeny, If we rightly gather him up from
the speech of Mr.. Voorhees,, was born in Ire
land, and after having been naturalized in this
country returned to his native land, where
during the recent troubles he has been imprs-
oned as a suspect" He is naturally enough
disgusted, and Mrs. McSweeny is indignant
The McSweeny notion of the functions of this
Government is that when person born in Ire
land comes over here for few years and for
swears allegiance to the Queen, and then re-
turns to redeem his native land from the
tyrants yoke, it is the business of this Govern
ment to stand by him and not let any harm
cO4c 10 nlm DOln MI. aIlu MIS-. McSWeeDy
have written letters setting forth this view and
saying very sarcastic things about our Govern
ment on account of its failure to rescue Mr.
McSweeny from the tyrant's cruel grasp. Mr.
Voorhees, read extracts from those letters in the
course of his speech. They are very hard ON
the British GOvernment-Mrs. McSweeny
speaks of the British Foreign Secretary as one
Granville "-and they cut up our own Govern
ment in a very discouraging way. Mr..
Voorhees, very obviously supports the Nc
Sweeny view of the duty and functions of this
Government. We infer from his speech
which is rather more fervid than lucid, as is the
rule with this orators eflorts-that Mr..
Voorhees, is disappointed because our Govern
ment has not demanded peremptorily that Nc
Sweeny be released and put upon good foot
ing to effect the redemption of his native land.