Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-16
THE CLAN Ma GAEL.

A New York special in the Tribune
this morning quotes the New York Star,
as saying that there is trouble in the Irish
Order, known as the Clan ma Gael, grow
ing out of the treachery of its leaders,
and that 100000 have been used fol
political purposes, to elect Blaine, though
the membership of the Order is Demo
cratic, and that a similar step will be
taken in the coming canvass if Blaine is
again the nominee. The subject is hoary
and wrinkled with age, toothless, lifeless,
and altogether so very dead, that it is
surprising the Star would devote space to
it. There is a little inside history in the
case, however, which may be interesting
at this time, as showing up one OF the
peculiar tricks resorted to by the Repub-
lican managers, to compass the defeat of
the Democracy. Alexander Sullivan,
John Finerty, and a few others who
usurped the right to speak for Irishmen
in America, and who have been given
place and name only through the suffra-
ges of these men, being approached by
the emisaries of Chandler, while Finerty
was twisting the Lions tail in Washing
ton, with his jaw, were offered high place
under the Republican Administration, for
their treachery to those who made them
what they were, and concluded it would
be agood time to make the transfer OF the
thousands of Democrats in the ranks OF
the Clan ma Gael, and also those who
were their constituents. So far as in
them lay, they did transfer the votes OF
the Clan ma Gael, but when they came
to their constituents, what fall was
there, my countrymen! Sullivan worked
New York, and Finerty worked Chicago,
but Chicago worked the wrong way for
him, and then he tried the grandiose
trick Of running independent for success
sion to himself for Congress, and thought
to so hoodwink the Democrats of Chicago
that he could succeed Luckily there
were men in Chicago who belonged to
the Clan na Gael, and who were true to
its teachings and also to the Democratic C
party, and they rallied to the support of
the regular nominee in Finerty's district
Frank Lawler-and elected him by the
largest majority ever known in that dis
trict, thus showing to Finerty, and
through him to all renegade Irishmen,
that their countrymen despse turncoat
more than anything else, excepting an
informer. Finerty, taking his cue from
Alexander Sullivan, worked for Blaine
and Logan, though in his heart and
teachings, preachings and writings, he is
and always was a Democrat, and he
made this turn, hoping to be with the
winning side, and thus benefit Finertv.
That he and Sullivan and the other con-
spirators were badly worsted, the country
knows, and that they sought new lease
of power in the recent Chicago Conven-
ton is also known, but that they will
ever again be trusted by the men whom
they would dishonor for their personal
benefit, is past all belief. The whole
subject was exploded and dragged to the
searching light in which all things politi-
cal moved in those days, and the Clan
ma Gael boom was duly emasculated,
politically, as were all the conspirators
who sought to leap into power and place
by its aid. The present trouble is but
the natural oltcome of the attempt of two
years ago, and cannot but be disastrous
to the conspirators.