Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-15
FOR C0NdHKss, SINfH UIsfHIuF,
r. r. DEL VALE,
Of Los Angeles.
AnAmu.,ns Comedy.

Very rarely have the American people
been treated to comedy which 80 near.
ly approaches farce as Is involved. in
the efforts which are being made to
stampede the Irish and Catholic vote to
the support Of James q. Blaine. There
L something indescribably amusing in
this propaganda, and its absurdity Ia
only rivaled by its impotence. In 1854.
6b the Republican candidate was the
editor Of tho Kennebec Journal, u news.
paper which was made the official organ
Of the Know Nothing Legislature and
State government of tho Pine Tree State
Ia that memorable era Of hatred Of for
eigners and Catholics. That Mr.. Blaine
was in full sympathy with his proscrip.
tive associates We propose to show by
certain extracts from his own paper
Thus, in its issue of January sth, 1855,
we encounter the following precious ont
giving. which is strikingly in unison
with the ferocious cant Of that day. We
quote.
We need stringent laws to regulate
the immigration IRON Europe, and faith
ful officers to administer them. If pres.
ent nbuses are not corrected. and cor.
rected speedily, we shall become worse
than Botany Bay-in fact. we are worse
now, for we have little doubt that more
criminals reach us from Great Britain 10
II xs<ln ban txa au,aa nd
to the penal colonies in ten years. Aud
these convicts aud felons have hardly
got our dust upon their feet before they
are allowed to vote AMI control our cleo
tions. And yet with these facts plain
As the light, demagogues will tell us that
our foreign immigration Is nothing but
benefit to us, and that our laws regu-
lsting it need no amendment. We hope,
and we sincerely believe, the day is not
far distant when this whole subject will
be impartially reviewed by the law.mak-
ing power of our government, and such
wholesome restraints and judicious
checks imposed us will keep back the
avalanche Of crime which threatens to
fall upon us from Europe, and that then
the Just and honorable pride of being an
American citizen will suffer no blush
from having our paternal rights bestow.
cd in full equality upon those who are
not of the household.
These were the precise sentiments Of
Bill Poole, though couched in little
more elegant language than the butcher
of New York would have chosen.
Further on in this same editorial Mr..
Blaine approves himself bad Political
prophet. He says:
The political reform which sprung up
within the past year has only had its be.
ginning the end is not yet. The issue
Of the next Presidential election is to be
determined by the political movements
Of this year. Ii they be wisely and hon.
estly made, the friend, of freedom and
American rights will certainly triumph,
and the great result will be checking
. of the growth of the slave power aud
judicious settlement OF the basis OF citi.
zenship by reform in our laws of natur.
alization.
The Plumed Knight was badly mis-.
taken in his provision. Under the
leadership of the gallant Henry A.
Wise, of Virginia, the Democratic
party broke the back of Know
Nothingism in the very year in which
Mr.. Blaine wrote, and James Bu.
chanan was elected President the
year following, leaving the Irishman.
German and the oppressed Of all
nationalities at liberty to find home in
the land of Washington.
In an editorial of January 10th, 1855.
Mr.. Blaine, in commenting on the Know
Nothing Governors message, thus
cheers on the Know Nothing Logisla-
ture to its proscriptive work. He says;
The governor alludes to the many aud
serious evils entailed upon our commu.
nifty by the hasty admission of foreign
immigrants to the right of suffrage, and
suggests that the Legislature, ia the dis.
charge OF their appropriate duties. in
vestigate "whether new legislative pro.
visions are necessary to preserve the
sacredaess of the elective franchise and
guard the purity of our institutions"
This is question upon which there is
such unanmity of belief among the
American people that it can hardly be
doubted it will be acted upon by the
next Congress, and the abuses under
which we have suffered either wholly
abated or seriously diminished. What
action the Legislature of Maine may see
fit to take In regard 10 the question, in
the way of suggestion, il is for their
own good Judgment to dictate.
The "good judgment" of Mr.. Blaine's
next political friends was shown by the
passage of an act, by the Maine Legis.
lature, taking away from the courts Of
that State the power to naturalize for
eigners.
We shall have more to say OF the
Plumed Knights record ON the question
of admitting foreigners to citizenship.
We have only taken a sip from very
abundant fountain. Our own judgment
is that "Samivep Weller's ninety
million magnifying glass, of double
hextra power" will be needed to dis
cover an Irishman or Catholic who will
vote for Blaine when his record is fully
known. They are precious few now and
they will be as scarce as hens teeth
then,