New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-30
Jr,,1vry IND THE rHIIE

The Irish. American mas, meeting at Chchrr'
ing Hail wa, conclusive proof that the ErpuO-
licdn campaign l. aggressive. Every tprah"
referred to the taill as the great issue ol th"
election aud denounced the Democratic party a,
nu,l,lmg Ia England in advocating free trade
and IN nominating Governor Cleveland. The
enthusiasm Of the audience was infectious.
orant body of lrshmrn, who have ste ably
voted for the Democratic ticket year after year.
cmphatically condemned both the nomination
and the platform of that party rs AN Insult 10
themselves and to all American worlungncn.
Democracy. with it, frcc-tadc tendencies and
affiliations, was rcpudi8tcd. Eopablcanl>m
with its American ideas and principles was
cordially accepted.
Thi, result ought not To surprise amy one VINO
has made a careful study of Irish history FOR
the hi.h people have a history and they have
not forgotten it. IT is thc history oi people
starved impoverished and crushed by lhc ciuci
creed of England's commercial policy. from
the time of the conquest To the opening oil the
present century the English people acted upon
thc principlc that ireland must be made Il
market iOT their manufactures ANA lis own IN
dustric, sacrificed. One great industry after
another was destroyed by rcprcssivc lcgisia-
ton. The Irish were forbidden to export live
cattle and a great trade was broken up III the
interest of English farmers. In like manner
sheen farming and the manufacture of woolcn
Goods were interrupted When English
brewers were growing rich, Irish brewers were
forced 20 import hops from England ana were
not allowed to export malt or beer. Until III
the cyuortation of woolcns, glass and other
Irish manufactures was prohibited III the III
tcrcst of England. The general effect OF Eng
lI,h LEGISLATION was to destroy Irish industries,
10 cut of the island from the exchanges OF the
world. and TO force the population back upon
an exhausted soil; and then by means OF the
minute subdivision of land and lnlqultous laws
10 place agriculture on Il starvation basis.
There was only one exception, and 1t serves to
show what the island might have done if its IN
dnstrics had been promoted by Il generous
policy. BY notifications Of the Navigation
acts and by the payment OF bountlcs the mand-
acturc of white and brown linens was encour-
AGED i'm the North of ireland. 1t has remained
q profitable industry to this day-a witness to
tine prosperity which. might easily have been
secured if English greed had not prevailed.
After the Union the barriers of restrictive
policy were thrown down. Under free trade
ireland wa, admitted 10 competition with Eng
E.h manufacturers. But il was then too late to
save the cruelty misgoycncd island. English
manufactures were firmly established; great
misses of capital had been accumulated;
artisan, had received an industrial training.
Irish industries could not be built mp under
ENGLISH free trade. They required the same
dcgrce of protection and encouragement which
American manufactures have obtained under
the high tariffs. The irish people had no
choice. They were forced bacl, upon the soil.
Thry must either remain IN their ~cauty hold
ings. pay rack rents and sarvc, or else emf
crate. English free trade could dO nothing for
them Agriculture did not offer them the bare
means of Subsistence. There was no dNcrtih-
cation Of industry. There was no alternative
cNc,rt emigration. Have The Irish people any
reason to BE- grateful 10 England lof lllc com
mcrcim policy under which they have brrn
ruined M nome and driven into exile No
reason that English historians have ever been
able 10 ascertain. one Of the greatest OF them
pronounced the English commercial system in
its effects upon Ireland the most deliberate aud
selfish tyranny the world has ever seen.
why, then, should Irish Americans VINO
have memories and are familiar with the history
Of their country vote with and for political
party which ia striving tO work out the ends al
free trade, the present commercial policy of
England II 10 for the interest Of England that
the markets Of the world should be- opened 10
It's manufactures aud this country restricted 10
whit are known IA The cheapest products, If
ltoo undo had prevailed, American manu-