Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-07-17
the Irish In Politics.

Even in Ireland intelligent Irish.
men are beginning TO recognize the
power and importance of the Irish vote
in America, and they are disc ussine
that vote with an intelligence that
would do credit to American minds
that are supposed to understand the
question better. Irishmen, under the
peculiar laws that Cypress them at
home, are not Of as much Importance, in
i, political point of view, as they are in
this country, and this the Cork, Ire
land, Examiner acknowledges when 1t
says
1t is notorious and, we think, q regrst-
table circumstance that our c0untrymen in
America have generally identified themselves
with the Democratic party. 10 that party
they have been OF incalcuable use nom that
party they have got absolutely no benefit -
A large number of them have tired Of being
ex-offici0 hewers OF wood and drawers u
water to the bosses Of the democratic eau.
cuses, and their manifestation OF ildepen-
dence is really exciting " those English pa
pers which would welcome q return of the
days when the great Republic Of the West
was more intolerable in It's administration
toan honest man than nominally despotic
State could be. We are glad to know that
the Irish vote is 30 important factor in the
adjudication Of the chief prize If American
politics, and II 1t be Independently exercised
In the approaching residential contest Il
Will, maugre the croakers and ignOramuses
take strong man to head Mr.. Blaine in the
run home"
We imagine that quite number of
Irish Americans upon reading this ar
ticle will find themselves SO com pletely
portrayed that they will Immediately
agree with the Irish journal nam I'D that
they have been foolishly allied to the
Democratic party without being able
to give reason for such queer union.
How true it is that the Irish " te has
been of incalculable benefit to the
Democratic party What few local
successes they have met with since the
war they owe to the Irish VOTE
Without it they would be in a
helpless minority. What would the
Democratic party in Wilmington be
without the Irish vote? Without it
there would absolutely be no De ocrat-
1c party. What share of the offices do
the Irish voters get for their fealty to
that party? Sometimes seat in the
City Council, and positions upon the
police force.
An aspiration that leads them beyond
these positions is generally met with
an overwhelming defeat. Defeated
Irishmen strew the way to the Mayors
Office and to every county Office of trust
anu pront. Ii an lr1shman attempts to
pass the line even to become member
od Tue Levy court he Is met with igno-
minious defeat. Ifby brave effort, he
stems the tide in gallant fight for a
seat in the Legislature the political
dagger is turned against him by the
friends he trusted most. If Col, "Tom"
Ford, who succeeded in breaking
down the barriers so far as to receive
the Democratic nomination for Sheriff.
is elected to that Office it will be in the
face of the protest of thousan nd voters
in his own party.
1t is high time the Irish in America
would wake up to see the importance of
the political situation in its true light.
and the sooner they see it the better it
will be for themselves and for the coun-
try. They left Ireland because thew
refused to become the slaves OF des-
potic government, but strange to say
when they landed in this country thew
hastened to attach themselves to a party
tnA' was Tue very corner stone upon
winch the most damning system of
slavery that ever cr.rsed the human race
rested. British free-trade broke up the
manufactures of ireland, and impoyer.
ished the people, and yet strange to saw
when that same people came to this
country to better their condition, they
rallied to the party here that reached
their hands across the Atlantic for n
friendly clasp of the hands Of the Bril-
fish free-traders. Strange inconsistency.
strange infatuation ! But we believe
the Cork Examiner not only voices
the sentiment of every intelligent Irish
man in Ireland, but of the same class
of people in America, and in sympathy
with this sentiment, hundreds of thou
sands of Irish-Americans will vote this
campaign for principle and not for a
mere party catch-vote name.