Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-08-15

Oae OF the most significant sigma o.
the change that Is going on in politics Ii
the revolt Of 3 large portion Of the Irish
voters against the party with which
they have heretofore acted with such
unanimity ~ TO be practically solid. To
give the reasons Why the Irish voters
have heretofore chung 20 tsnaciously to
the Democratic party We are compelled
TO 20 back ~ far ~ the great famine of
1847. 1t was then that the Irish people,
being robbed Of their industries by the
grasping intolerance Of British free
trade, commenced immigrat.ng TIC
America. In less than one decade more
than two and quarter million of them
had found homes in the United States
As the Irish were generally Catholics,
the religious people of this country took
the alarm, and out ofthat alarm grew
the Know-Nothing party, composed Of
both Democrats and old time Wings.
The speedy overthrow Of this party only
showed how little ground there was for
fear, and that theAmerican people were
governed by larger ideas than mere Sec
tarianism. Not unnaturally, the Irish
voters attached themselves to the party
IN opposition to this party that was in
imical to their personal and political in
terests. The protection they were seek
ing for they found in the Democratic
party, and they became the allies of
that party. The gratitude Of the Irish
has acted az q cement to bind them to
that party ever since, and even now,
though their personal interest and well
fare is to act with the Republican party,
majority OF their votes will be cast for
the Democratic candidates. But the |
moro thoughtful and intelligent of them
have for years been gradually breaking |
away from an alliance that though ben |
eficial to them at the start is now act
uAlly injurious and oppressive. 1t was
an Englishman who said An Irish. |
man Is Of no use to us until he emf.
CRATES to America, and begins to vote
the Democratic ticket" The Irish have
begun to appreciate this fact, and hence
the large number of them that have
become protectionists during the last
few years. 1t is the growing knowl-
edge Of what free trade has done for
Ireland that makes the Irish-Ameri-
can voters indisposed to see the same
policy inaugurated in the land of their
adoption. They are inferior to no other
class OF our citizens In devotion to
American interests and in earnest pur-
pose to seek the good of the land in
which God has cast their lot. Under
these circumstances the Irish in Ameri-
ca have right to take a lively INTEREST,"
in the state Of affairs. not only in, Ire.
land but in America, the land of their
adoption.
1t is equally natural that they should
not adopt the free trade policy of Great
Britain that left Ireland in ruins, and
would ruin this country as well. This
action on the part of the Irish-Ameri-
can voters shows that they are not the
dangerous class of voters they were
thought to be ia Know othing times.
1t shows that they are alive to the in
terests oftheir adopted country, and
That they hold those interests above
partisan considerations. In this re-
spect the Irishmen who mean to vote
for Blaine have shown power OF de-
tachment from traditions and leader.
ship, as honorable to their independence
OF spirit as any class Of American vo-
ters could have exhibited under the cir
cumstancee.