Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-10-09
Blaine to an Irish American.

Just before the presidential election in
1880, Mr.. Blaine wrote the following let
ter to an lrish-Americanin reply to some
inquiries:
"AUGUsTA, Me-, Oct 81, 1880.-MY
Dear SIR: / received your friendly let
TT with much pleasure. Let me say in
reply that the course Of yourself and
other Irish voters is one OF the most ex-
traOrdinary anomalies in cur HOlitical
history. Never, probably. since the ex-
ecution Of Robert Emmett has the feel
ing Of Irishmen the world over been 50
bitter against England and Englishmen
as at this hour. And yet the great mass
Of the Irish voters will on Tuesday next.
vote precisely as Englishmen would
have them TO vote = for the interes Of
England. Having seen Ire and reduced
to misery and driven to despair by what
they regard as the unjust policy of Eng
land, the Irishmen of America use their
sufrag~s as though they were the agents
and servants of the English Tories The
free-traders Of England desire nothing
so much as the defeat of Garfield AM
the election Of Hancock. They wish to
break down the protective tariff and
cripple our manufactures, and nine
tenths Of the Irish voters of the country
respond with alaCrity, Yes, we will do
your bidding and vote as you please,
even though it reduce our own wages
and take the bread from the mouths of
our children. There are many able
men and Cieyer writers among the Irish
ia America, but l have never NIT one
Of them able enough to explain this
anomaly on any basis of logic and
good sense. l am gid to see from
your esteemed favor that the subject
is beginning to trouble you. The more
you think Of it the more you will
tie troubled, I am sure. And you
will be driven finally to the cOnclu-
sion that the prosperity of the Irish
IN this country depends as largely
IS th-t Of any other class upon the
maintenance Of the financial and indus
trial pJlicy represented by the Repubh-
can party. Very truly yours,
J. G.. BLAINE"
The inconsistency pointed out in this
lett is evidently beginning to be felt
by Irish-An4 ricans. The English press
generally expresses the hveliest interest
IN the success OF. the Democratic ticket.
The sympathy of the ruling classes in
England has been steadily with the
Democratic party because the latter is
believed to favoy a tariff policy which
will break down American manufactures
and make the United States the chief
marketing place for English goods. So
strong is this feeling, that notwith-
standing the powerful sentiment in OPP
position to negro slavery among the
English, it led England in the great anti
slavery struggle in this country, to
side sQuarely with the shareholders
who were for free trade. Yet all
these years the Irish-Arnericar
have been blind enough to vote almost
solidly for the party for whose success
England is praying. But there are signs
that they are seeing the folly of such a
course, and that the present canvass
will witness the detection of many
thousands OF Irish-Americans who have
hitherto with great fidelity but with
little wisdom, adhered to the democratic
party.
In this state the democrats are making
their canvass on the issue of free trade.
They are flooding the rural districts with
documents designed to teach hostility
to the idea Of protection, and to per-
suade the people that they pay, on
every article protected by the tariff, the
full amount of the the duty thereon in
addition to what would otherwise be
Its cost. OF course none but the most
ignorant can be imposed on by by such
representations, but the democratic
leaders have great reliance on popular
ignorance.