The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-17
A Large Irish Vote for the Republican
Ticket-The Ability and Sincerity
of the Irish Leaders.
The Effort to Prejudice the Germans
and Its Failure.
The PrOhibitiOnists MiSled, and Did Not
Measure the Result of Their Course
Other Reasons for Defeat.
MIR. BLAINE's VIEWS.
The Result in New York Due to Independ-
ents and Prohibitionists.

The Result in New York Due to Independ-
ents and Prohibitionists.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal,
| Boston, Nov I6-The Journal will print, to-
morrow, an interview by staff correspondent
with Mr. Blaine at Augusta, yesterday, upon the
cause of his defeat. Mr.. Blaine prefaced his an
alysis of the campaign by remarking that his
regret over the Democratic triumph was alto
gether for his party and his country-not for
himself II lived too near the presidency in
1884," he said, "and have too keen sense of its
! burdens, its embarrassments and it's pers to be
unduly anxious for the office"
"How do you account for the closeness of the
result in New York;" was asked
''Well considering the loss by the bolt of the
independent Republicans, and the far larger loss
from the action of the Republican Prohibition
lists, the wonder at first sight is that the Demo
Gratis did not carry the State by a large major
ity, as they confidently expected they would.
This result was prevented by the
great accession to the Republican
ranks of Irish and Irish-American
voters, and workingmen of all classes, who sus-
tanned me because of my advocacy of pro
tective tariff. They believe, and believe wisely,
that free trade would reduce their wages"
you really think, then, that you received
considerable Irish vote in New York;"
ooh! had thousands upon thousands" re-
sponded Mr.. Blaine "and should have had many
more but for the intolerant and utterly improper
remark of DIR. Burchard, which was quoted
everywhere to my prejudice and in many places
attributed to me- though it was in the highest
degree distasteful and offensive to me. But
lie, you know, travels very fast, and there was
not time before the election to overtake and cor
rect that one, and so suffered for it."
"But do you think the Irish American vote
was organized at all, or had competent leadersf'
was asked.
YES" said Mr., Blaine, II was deeply i'm
pressed by the ability, the earnestness and the
sincerity of those whom l met. There, for in
stance, is Patrick Ford, of the Irish World. He
is man of the most unselfsh devotion to any
cause he espouses possessing a great faculty
for organization, with marked ability and
tiring energy. General Kerwin, of the Tablet,
has, in large degree, the Same characteristics,
and is far-sighted and able man, with fine
record Union soldier. Alexander Sullivan
and John F. Finerty were very powerful ON
the stump, and did royal service. Both are
natural orators, of the fervid Irish type. Sui
| livans tariff speech in Toledo contributed very
! largely to the defeat of Frank Hurd These men,
with others whom did not personally meet,
have made break in the Irish Democratic vote
one that believe will widen and increase it
the future, as the full significance of
the attitude of the Democratic party
on the tariff question becomes un-
derstood and appreciated Our Irish
and Irish-Amercan an citizens will in time,
get tired of voting in accordance with the wishes
| of the English free-traders."
"The Irish in Boston, Mr. Blaine, think you
understand the people better than any other Re
! publican leader!"
1T would be egotistic for me to assume that"
responded Mr.. Blaine, but there is, perhaps,
strong leaning of the Irish element towards me-
because my mothers side am of Irish de-
scent In Pennsylvania l received an enormous
Irish vote, some counties hitherto strongly Dem
cratic having been completely reversed in their
popular maiorities by the change of the Irish in
favor of the Republican ticket. This, however
is, of course, due in part to the fact that stood
so distinctly as the representative of protection
to American industries, an idea which prevails
with more force in Pennsylvania than in any
other State
But did you not lose correspondingly in the
German voter
Not at all" replied Mr. Blaine; ''all through
| the West the Germans supported me nobly
How else could have carried Chicago by 1900,
Cincinnati by 5000, Cleveland by 5O0Ol Ohio
Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa have the largest
German populations in the West, and carried
them by splendid maiorities. Such able and
influential German editors as Markbriet in Gin
cinnati, Kaufman in Cleveland, Prfetorius in
St Louis, and many others brought great
strength to the Republican cause. There was
an immense effort made to prejudice the Ger
mans against me, but it failed. They are a
wonderfully cool-headed people, inhexibly hon
est in their conclusions and just in their judg-
ments, and / have abundant reason to thank
them for their generous support 1 shall not
soon forget it. At different points in the West
found German and Irish clubs cordially uniting
in public demonstrations"
The conversation drifted back to New York
and Mr. Blaine was asked if he thought the
Prohibitionists were honest in their support of
ST. john
II have never, during the campaign" said Mr.
Blaine, reflected upon the motives of any man.
and shall not do so. | content myself with say
ing that think the Prohibtionists were misled.
and that they did not correctly measure the
possible result of their course. l received from
many of them the assurance that my candidacy
made their action difficult, because they really
wanted to vote for me; but they seemed to be
under the strange delusion that the temperance
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