The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-11-02
The Irish Vote

We publish elsewhere the evidences that
the Irish vote in several Of the Western
States, and in Pennsylvania, can no longer
lie depended upon to support the party
whose policy is destructive to labor inter-
ests-that it will not longer blndly follow
a name, and thus contribute to the strength
OF political force whose theory ofinational
measures is directly in antagonism to the
interests of the people. The fact is, the
Democratic party, as now constituted, Is
simply modification of the old Know
Nothing party-influenced and controlled
by the same narrow, proscriptive practices,
and animated by similar views. In Vir-
gina this is conspicuously demonstrated bv
a reference to the localities where know.
nothings" received their largest support,an
to the counties which gave the strength that
routed them in the memorable can.
yass of 1855. The sections and counties
which cast the largest vote against the
Known othings in that year are the Sec
tions and counties where the Readjusters
have the most numerous following. The
Southwest, and the counties which cOnsti-
tuted the Old Tenth Legion, Rockingham,
Page and Shenandoah, are where the Read
justers poll their strongest vote, and it was
these counties which gave the death-blow
to Known othingism. And where Cog
gin, the Know Nothing candidate for Gov
CIR
Richmond city, Loudoun and Augusta
counties, and where BOurbonism has been
the more strongly entrenched, while many
of the old Know Nothing leaders are now
Know-Nothings would have DISTINGUISHED
the foreign element, and raised a barrier to
its becoming naturalized and enjoying the
privileges and benefits of citizenship, so
does Bourbonism seek to restrict the bal
lot, hedge classes around with especial priv
ileges, and practically deny the equal rights
Of all classes of citizens. There is a strik-
ing parallel between the proscriptive and
hateful rule OF Knownothingism and that Of
the Bourbons. The same claim to supe-
riority, the same contempt for the labor of
the country, the same assumption OF all the
decency, all the intelligence and all the
honesty, which the Know-NOthings as
serted, is being now asserted by the BouI-
bons.
1t is not surprising that the Irish citizens
of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and
other States, are beginning to understand
that the Democratic party of to-day has no
kinship, in its views Of the rights and inter-
ests of the masses, with the old Democratic
party. 1t retains all the worst features Of
that party OF the old times, and none of its
conservative and national views, and is as
near counterpart of the old Know Moth
ings as it is possible for one party to reflect
the character of the other. 1t is proscrip-
tive of race and Of classes, and would draw
the lines between conditions, so as to form
an aristOcracy on the one side, and hewers
of wood and drawers of water on the other.
1t is, it is true, aware that to openly de-
clare for an aristocracy would be fatal, and
for this reason it seeks to delud the people
into its support. only to deceive and OPP
press those by whose votes power is reached.
There is not an intelligent Irishman in
the Union, who does not know that the
Irish citizen is deeply interested In the es-
tablishment OF manufactures, the construc-
tion of railroads, and the material develop
ment and advancement Of the country, and
who is not aware that the protective policy
is that alone by which such improve
ment can be undertaken. 1t opens the
mines, establishes furnaces and bu lids "a H.
roads, and thus gives employment to SIX illed
and common labor, and it is upon labor of
this kind that the great bulk of the Irish
immigration has to depend for support
They know that English free trade has
ruined the industries and enterpris of Ire
land, and they are equally well aware that
it will have the same effect in the United
States. if the Democratic policy on this
subject is ever fastened upon this country.
1t Is because of this that the intelligent
Irishmen Of the North and West are awak-
ening to the folly Of longer continuing in
support of the Democratic party and de-
clarng their enforcement from a polt ical
power which strikes directly at the labor in
terest of the nation.
The articles we publish are pregnant OF
important interests. They indicate stam-
pede from the Democratic party of tn is i'm
portant element, and with that assured, the
Democratic party of to-day will be relegat-
ed to the tomb of the fossils and be classed
with the petrified curiosities, which will en-
terrain the antiquarians in after centur les.
1t is fatal confession when Bourbon
Indignantly declares that the only issue to