Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-07-21

out John Brennan. and insisted on
placing him on the witness stand to
testify as to his impression of the demo.
cratic convention, at which he was an
interested visitor. Mr.. Brennan went to
Chicago several days in advance of the
meeting of the convention that he might
fully grasp the drift of affairs. He was.
furthermore, in position to ascertain
the sentiment of the many representa-
tive men of the Irish American element
OF the democratic party here gathered
on the same errand. Mr.. Brennan's
hitherto strong democratic predictions
are widely known, but he had no obiec-
tions to answering the reporters ques.
tions, and his answers, coming from SO
intelligent representative of his race,
are not only interesting but significant,
and it was easy to see that his soul was
in his words. The first question was as
to the degree of interest felt by Irish.
men IN their political relations.
when you talk about American poll.
tics, as related to lrishmen and Irish
AFFAIRS" was the answer, sit means
simply this: That our people, who are
perhaps the most numerous of any race
in the country, are by force of circum-
stances o race of wage-workers. The
destruction of their native industries by
the free trade laws OF England sent them
adritt upon the world with unskilled
hands, and with minds unused to arts or
commerce. Therefore when you speak
bout their political interest in American
politics that interest lies IN the policies
best calculated to advance the interests
of the laboring classes. OF course, as a
V0nnnIn Ekaiu of m v,ipit &kos-
country, they have an. interest in secur.
ing such an administration as will pro.
tect them anywhere they may lawfully
be. This is about the sum and substance
of the so-called irish question"
"Well, how did lrishmen feel that the
democratic party in its national conven.
tion looked after their interests?"
90 thoughtful Irishman could sit and
listen to the fight against Cleveland and
the replies made by such men as Bragg,
of Wisconsin, without feeling humiliated.
1t had been urged upon the convention
repeatedly that this man Cleveland was
the enemy of the laboring classes, and
for reasons very unpopular with the
Irish. And the response to those argu.
ments was that the Irish were all right
anyhow; that regardless of men OF
principles they would vote the demo.
cratic ticket. Carter Harrison, of Chi
cago, assured the convention that what
he was pleased to call the Catholic vote
was oil right, and that he said this: Will
the assurance of cardinal delegated
from Rome for that special purpose. TX
any people but the Irish this would have
been an insult and an outrage. Fo
everybody knows that they are the onl,
people who never ask mans religion
before they vote for him. To quot,
almost the exact words of Bragg, of Wis
consin, he said the party loved CLEVELAND
for the enemies he had made, meanip,
the $4,000 democrats, mostly Irlshmen
represented by Tammany's TWENTY-FIVE
delegates. The fact is the democrati
party affected to feel that the
the Irish vote. Ben Butler, wh
certainly represents one half millio
, of working people, though treated wit
, formal courtesy, was sat down upon
the most reckless fashion"
"Do these laboring men indorse b
proposition for protective tariff plan
y as embodied in his minority report fro
: the committee on resolutions, which WI
! reported?"
"Undoubtedly so."
"How will Irishmen and laboring me
interpret the tariff plank that WI
adopted as part of the democratic pla
i form ?''
q sit seems to me that it would requll
no labored effort of any ordinary mir
i to interpret it as tariff for revenue onl
D which is the same thing
!. a tariff for public PURPOSES exclusivel.
4 or the English colonial system cnlle
free trade"
g "rhat being so," the reporter the
l. asked, show are Irish democrats
ir vote?"
;. "a large portion of Irish are include
in two classes: those who are democrat
~ politicians. and those who vote the der
It ocratic ticket regardless of men or mea
]. ures, because they never give themselv
~ the trouble to investigate such thing
= These two classes may be relil
B. on to stand by the nomine
of the convention. But outside
these Glasses there is vast and grown
8. element. including intelligent mechanic
~ merchants, literary and profession
- men, who will fight with oil the pow
that is in them for the success of Blai
D. and Logan. I might add to these Il
d men engaged in clerical work, and t
le more enlightened class of Irish.Ame
or can farmers"
or The inquiry was then put as to t
'e motives that would produce such
IL suit, and Mr.. Brennan responded wi
II emphasis:
re "Intelligent Irishmen commence
q. realize that there are two Irelands, t
ID greater being upon this side of the
ID lantic, and after all the destiny of til,
c. race for good or ill must be upon t
re- American continent. These men 1
g. twenty years have been the fighting e.
" ment of the democratic party north
as Mason and Dixon's line. without who
VI there would have been no democra
1e party in the north. In the light of t
present they reflect to what great exte
they have made themselves the instr
ts ments Of the democratic party of
0. south, without regard to their own bet,
40 impulses and interests. And th
Go commence to feel ashamed that th
ae votes should be eternally cast at the b
to ding of the southern democracy. A
W they also feel that the best interests
no their race lie not in antagonizing
10 best elements of the American popu
OF tion, among whom they live, bat
We standing shoulder to shoulder with th
n. for their common good. They have
/. amplest reasons to know that this thi
No called free trade is really sought to
as. imposed upon America in the inter
Il. Of England. And they view with 8
"a, picion any approach OF the Greeks ev
when bearing gifts"