The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-25
THE IRISH VOTER.

The attitude of the mass of Irish voters Of this
country is one of the anomalies of American
| politics 1t cannot be explained on any other
ground than deep-rooted, unreasoning preju-
dice, this in turn being based on willful ignor-
| ance in many cases. That Irish-Americans,
protesting love for the land of their nativity,
and anxious to further everything looking to
the political deliverance of Ireland, should
commit their cause here to the keeping Of one
party, and that, too, in such an offensive
manner as to needlessly provoke the prejudice
of all other parties, is one of the most short
sighted things possible to patriotic men. 1t
IS perilous thing to confde all ones
eggs to one basket, and that one
of very uncertain strength. If Irishmen
want to enlist practical sympathy and
cooperation west Of the Atlantic-and they
doubtless dot is worse than foolish to an
tagonize great political organization like the
Republican party. For quarter of GEN.
fury the Republican has been the only party
of progress and liberty. 1t has stood up for
and fought for the same principles so dear to
the Irish heart, and has done more to enamel
pate the oppressed and to strengthen and en-
holden the weak, than all other political par
ties in this country from its foundation. It
is to day the exponent of the same liberal
principles, and can give safer promise of their
e
other party. In the great lesson of the war
for the Union and for universal liberty this
admitted of no question. Many a
patriotic Irishman came to understand this,
and to ally himself with that grandest of all
political organizations ever had in America.
Many of them did valiant service for the
Union and helped enforce on the Western
continent the political rights for which the
| fight is now being made in Ireland. But the
great bulk of Irishmen, for some reason un-
| accountable on any sound hypothesis, have
blindly stuck to the Democratic party, and
have even sought to make it very disagreed
| BILE to any who dared vote with any other Or
ganization. Through the most stupendous
| stupidity some Irshmen have insisted that no
fellow-countryman could be Republican and
remain an Irish patriot, thus wantonly insult
ing the Republican party and tempting its
hostility at time when its good will should
have been cultivated.
| We are glad to feel that many Irishmen are
arousing to this papable fact, and thousands
broke from the Democratic ranks in the last
election to join their friends on the other side
A break has been made in the hitherto i'm
pregnable mass. But somewhat Of the old
unreasoning prejudice remains, and there are
number of Irishmen who are narrow enough
in their views to malign and denounce such
of their fellow countrymen as have the good
sense and nerve to seek the good
will of the Republican party. One of the
meanest exhibitions of this petty prejudice
was made here within the past few
days, when Patrick Egan, we'll
known Irish agitator, wrote a let
ter expressing desire to do something
toward a monument in honor of the late Vice.
president. In that letter the writer, though
Republican, said he greatly admired Mr.
Hendricks and appreciated the good words he
had spoken in behalf of Ireland The letter
was credit to him, and would have been
creditabie to any man in the world. It
showed that while he was Republican he
was still an Irish patriot and quick to appre-
ciate the good services Of any man. With
Irish Democrats it has been made to appear
that the Democratic party stands first in their
affections. Unless man is willing to be a
Democrat they do not want him to be friend
of Ireland, nor will they allow that he can
be. When Mr.. Egan gave utterance
to the patriotic sentiment that he
Gid in the letter referred to, several
Irish Democrats assailed him in print because,