Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-08-29
IRISH-AMERICAN SENTIMENT
The Reply Of an Irish-American
to DIR. Egan's Letter.
His Reasons for Renouncing Democ-
raey Considered by an Irish
Democrat.
A RACY LETTER.

reasons for renouneing his allegiance
to the democratic party, and for his
support OF the brilliant statesman and
tribune of the whole people, James q.
Blaine, and that fearless and brave
soldier, Gen. John A. Logan
The writer does not believe that the
calling of candidate 4 brilliant states
man makes him such, and viii not spend
any time in questioning Mr.. Blaine'S
right to that honorable title. But do
not, however, have to be told why so
many republicans now supporting him
for president rush from his political
record to the platform of the party for
some excuse for making him the sue
cessor of Lincoln and Garfield.
In his letter, DR.. Egan says: AS
indicated in your letter, the tariff queS-
ton is one of the main issues OF the
present campaign. The action Of the
democratic congress to pass the Nor
rison tariff bill shows swift drifting
of the democratic tide towards the
English shores of free trade
DR.. Egan's present position is very
strange. Was he not member of the
congressional convention that noml-
mated Hon. BurrW. Jones for congress :?
And does he forget that the tariff
plank adopted by that convention de-
clared for an immediate reduction of
the tariff with view ultimately of
the abolition of all duties, except for
revenue only.
Why did not DR.. Egan at that time
write his letter renouncing his allie
glance to democracy? If | mistake not
he was very enthusiastic supporter
of Mr.. Jones for congress, whose duty
if olonfn1 would NO N Untn for lnplS l.l-
ton such as the Morrison bill or any
other bill that favored tariff reform. If
DR.. Egan has changed his mind on this
great question, why does he not eX-
plain his former position? He was a
member of the last democratic county
convention held sometime last May or
June, which sent delegates to the state
convention. Has he forgotten that no
man could have gone as delegate to
the state convention from this county
who did not favor tariff reform ? Has
he changed his views since last May OF
June? Did he not know then of the
attempt to pass the Morrison bill by
the democratic congress If l remem-
Der the proceedings of that conven-
ton there was a resolution adopted
deploring the defeat of the Morrison
bill. Why did not DR.. Egan raise his
voice in opposition to that resolution
and make an effort to stop the party
from taking position that would be
so HEALTHY approved of by the Golden
club? DR.. Egan was not very firm In
his principles then, or he is very shakey
now. There has been no attempt by
the democratic congress since that
convention to pass any tariff reform
bill. The Morrison bill had met
it's fate at that time, and DIR. Egan
either voted i'll the county convention
for the resolution deploring it defeat,
or by his silence acquiesced in it.
Is DR.. Eagan honest in giving his
first reason quoted above, and if he is
can he find consolation in the republl-
can camp? Did he read the message OF
President Arthur to the Forty-Sevent tn
congress, where he calls attention to
the necessity of reduction OF the
import duties, and does he forget the
report of the high tariff commission
appointed by Il republican congress,
which recommended a reduction OF
over twenty per cent.
If the attempt to pass the MORRISON
bill, which was was but reduction of
about twenty per cent, has caused HI IN
to jump into the arms OF the republl-
can party, where will he go next when
he stumbles on the message of PreSi-
dent Arthur and the report OF the tariff
commission? He will i'll all probability
prove prodigal who after feeding on
republican husks will return to the
Democratic fold. IT the party has lost
as much as DR.. Egan would have us
believe by his letter to The Republl can
there will be more joy over his return
than over the ninety and nine that
went not aStray!
DR.. Egan SAYS: 1--WE have not
rea he'd the period of our existence as
a nation to place our manufacturers
in peril and foster those of Great
Britain to place American labor in
open competition with the cheap and
pauper labor of Europe"
Is it not true that the labor of this
country must compete with the pauper
labor of old world? Who have the
farmers of Wisconsin got to compete
with? Are they not compelled to sell
their products In the open markets of
the world where they have to compete
with the servile laborerS of India? Is
there any law that prevents the pau
per labor of Europe from coming to
America and partaking of the golden
feast which republicans would have US
believe is served to the laboring class
by protected manufacturers. Skilled
labor in England is paid us much as in
this country in proportion to the cost
of living If the protective tariff is
beneficial to the manufacturers, why so
many failures in protected industries !?
And if the laborer is protected, why so
many strikes?
When there is a law passed that
after paying reasonable per cent on
the capital invested an establish
ment protected shall be compelled to
divide the surplus among the laborerS
then will the claim of the republicans
that labor is benefit by protection be
true, and not till then.
You say I'VE cannot forget that
under protection Ireland was prosper
Gus and happy, but by the policy of
English free trade famine stares her
in the face at the failure of single
CROP" etc.
If you were at all familiar with Irish
history you would never have written
such sentence as that. The wither-
ing blight of protection impoverished
Ireland and destroyed her manufacture
ing industries nearly fifty years before
England adopted free trade. Do you
lOl huOW Gllett LILO 1ahlLhC J" Go t'hdCI
protection, and that it was the one
great cause which brought free trade
to England an Ireland. Why bread
stuffs sent over from this country lay
in Irish ports, while the people were
starving on account of the duties de-
in the name of protection 1t
was the famine which forced the Eng
lish government to abandon protection
and give the people cheap bread.
Did you ever read in history of
Daniel OConnell, and did you ever
read any of his great speeches upon
this question. 1t is too bad that he did
not live until your time, so that you
might instruct him in the principles OF
modern political economy
DR.. Egan gives two other reasons for
Blaine and Logan: % That
Cleveland was sheriff of his county in
New York when Blaine was the
leading statesman in the council OF the
nation" (2) That Harper's Weekly,
New York Times, and Puck, the ''das-
tardly enemies of our religion and our
race" and English papers advocate
the election of Cleveland.
| admit that Cleveland was sheriff of
his county of New York while Blaine
was a congressman at Washington.
Has it ever been charged against Cleye-
land that he failed to do his duty while
acting as sheriff? Did not his record
as sheriff, as mayor of Buffalo, and as
governor of New York bring him suf-
ficientlv into prominence to make him
the nominee of the democratic party?
did Esfha Iaadinn Gtatp1nan in