The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-08-21
Blaine's Know-Nothing Record.

With most of the Blaine organs the
defense of that gentleman's Know
Nothing record is the statute of limi-
tations. "It was a good many years
ago. they plead. "It was before the
war; and "before the Republican
party was fairly organized" The Post,
of this city, sees, however, the weak
ness of. this plea 1t is astute enough
to comprehend that such plea in be-
half of candidate exploited as the
friend of Irishmen should be accom-
panied by evidence that Blaine's
original views have undergone
change. And, knowing that there is no
such evidence, it boldly takes the bull
by the horns, applauds Blaine's Know
Nothing record as published in the
Free Press, and begs us to '.Do SO
some more"
1t is a pleasure to oblige contem-
porary SO desirous of information. We
give, therefore, some additional illus
trations of Blaine's proscriptive spirit
toward foreigners, and especially
toward Irishmen and Catholics. One
of these is the palliation by the Ken
nebec journal, then edited by Blaine,
of the burning of the Catholic Church
at Bath by a mob, the ground of pal
liation being the alleged fact that q
carriage filled with Catholic Irishmen
drove through the crowd and dis
turbed meeting which was taking
place. Another illustration is the
Journals approval in paragraphs
like the following of the doctrines
which Ned Buntline was then preach
ing:
No one who is acquainted with the history
of this country and other countries can deny
that there is strong proyocation for Ameri.
to put foreigners upon such probation that
they will have an opportunity to become
somewhat acquainted with our institutions
and forms of government before they are re-
! ceived into full and active participation in
| its administration. Americans are put on
probation for twentyons years and have to
| into all the details of the theory and practice
of our republicanism before they are allowed
are ar y permitted to do the the same % in i Ave YEAR,
| after they emerge from the darkness ol
European despotism, and in some of the
rights of citizenship in much less time.
Blaine's paper also copied with ap-
proval the resolutions adopted by the
Know-Nothings at their Bangor meet
ing, one of which read as follows:
hesolued, That native Americanlsm, anti
slavery and temperance are the foundation
stones of our order, equally deserving Oul
consideration, and that before giving our pO
litical support t. any mau, for any office, we
will imperatively demand his entire commit
tai in favor OF these great and cardinal prin
ciples
During the session of the Maine Legis
lature in Is 5, while Blaine was ir
control of the journal, the bill which
we have already referred 10 was passed
depriving the State courts of power il
naturalization cases. One of the
speeches in support. of this bill, made
| bv prominent Know-Nothing ant
warm personal friend of Blaine, anc
published in full by the latter, contained
! the following suggestive passage:
Rome's legions are among us, naturalizet
and as free to vote as an American. And the.
| do vote. Whoever else may stay away thes'
will be sure to be at the polls. And did 20!
tating who he should vote for? He Away
! votes from design and in accordance with
plan well understood before going to tn.
out of sight, but it gnaws at the very roots o
American institutions, whose whiting, as II
the case of Jonan's gourd, is the first 1ndfca
tion that poison is secreted there. This powe
has already to an alarming extent got contrU
of our schools. In many extensive and i'm
pOrtant localities in this country the Protest
ant Bible is ignored in the schools. SChoo
agents and teachers and superintendinI
| bcuOOl cOu1u.luteeS are 6aeCteu ny OdIuOf
votes and influence, and the school funds
derived almost exclusively from Protestant
for literary education, is grossly perverte
| aud made to subserve Roman sectarianisr
| and anti-republicanism. The Pop
has determined that the seat of power shal
| be in the the United States of America Gu
institutions of to-day, with all their blessing
| to us as Protestants and freemen. he has de
| termined to make his institutions tomorrow
Let not the American sentiment now arouse
| subside. Permit it not to slumber.
Should our contemporary desire an,
more light, either on Blaine's connec
ton and sympathy with the origina
Know-Nothing movement or upon hi
more recent manifestations of the sam
proscriptive spirit, it can be accommo
dated. But if it really has any faith il
its pretenses that Blaine is gaining sup
port from the Irish it should sti it
curiosity on this point until the cam
paign is er-D3trct Free Press.