Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-10-14
IRlSH-AM ERICANS.
Their Tendency Of Late to Vote the
Republican Ticket.

non. JOnn brennan, OF sioux Slty,
in a late speech said: A great many
persons affect establishment at the ten
dency of lrish-Americans in late years
to vote the Republican ticket and to
sympathize with the Republican party.
" Is it possible" they say. that you,
an Irish American, can vote anything
but the Democratic ticketS" To the
proposition contained in this question
answer: Is it possible that some former
generation of any race in this Republic
were guilty of some objectionable crime
for which their blood was attained so to
them and their posterity should forever
be denied right that is freely accorded
to and exercised by every other race Of
men, black and white, in this country
the right of private Judgment in politics,
the right to seek the truth for the pur-
pose of being right, and to vote accord
ing to the dictates of their judgments
and consciencesg Did the slave power
of bye gone generation possess a prop
erty interest in the race, by which was
handed down to new set of masters
whose purposes l detest, whose spirit |
abhor? Does there attach to my ancient
race some venerable curse by which we
are to be regarded as the Pharoh of
political society, the chattle property OF
politics, without the right to choose
our course in public affairs, and without
the right of judgment in referance to the
questions that may be at issue in Amer
lean politicsH
am not privileged to speak for
others. Let whomsoever will resort to
the grave yard. BE 1t mine to assume
the full dignity and responsibility of
political manhood, side by side with my
fellow citizens; and to this end let me
from out of the fulness Of my soul, with
all the ardor of my nature, repudiate the
insulting claim of my wouldbe masters;
let me spurn the relations which they
purpose and assert the right which to
me belongs in common with the rest Of
intelligent manhood-thc right to vote
as l please And to please to vote the
Republican ticket,
1t is said that we are under obligations
to the Democratic party. To what
Democratic party? Has the organiza
ton exalted by the genius Of Jefferson
and glorified by the heroism Of Jackson.
come down with some sort of apostolic
succession, infallible and unchanging in
its teachings and morals from the illus
trious Jackson to the immaculate
Cleveland? What relation does the man
of Buffalo bear to the hero OF New
Orlcans2 About the same relation that
the Italian street player of our day, with
monkey and organ attachments, bears to
the immortal trinity who defends the
bridge IF Rome.
Why should we vote the Democratic
ticket? defy any living man to offer a
single reason, unless you please to dig.
Nifty an appeal to bigotry or baser pas
sion by the name of reason. BY these
unmanly and uncharitable appeals to an
impulsive and unreasoning generation of
our race, their rank and file have been
rallied for thirty years under the ban
ner of the slave power in moral resist
ance to every great movement of the
American people for the advancement
of human liberty.
What is it that the Democratic party
of to-day invites us to support by our
suifrages2 They ask us to tear down
the American policy of protection and
to uphold the free trade policy of Eng
land. We are laboring people. The
free trade laws of England which destroy
cd our native industries, deprived our
heads and hands of the art and skill of
manufacturing and sent us adrift upon
the world as q race Of unskilled laborers,
the hewers of wood and drawers for a
people born under circumstances more
benign. Intellectual force and the trad
ing instinct have led small proportion
of us into professional and commercial
life, but the fact remains that 90 per
cent of us are wage workers Our every
interest is identified with the industrial
prosperity of this country. Our highest
duty to uphold that American policy
best calculated to insure q full days
wages for fair days work, and yet it
is strange that the very men who can
be most safety relied on to uphold the
policy of England in America are child
rem of the Irish famine exiles. who, by
that self same policy, were driven from
the home of their fathers. Worse than
famine and rack rents, worse than all save
foreign rule, was the destruction of Irish
industries by free trade laws. A country
devoted to Agriculture exclusively is a
country already doomed; but a nation
whose industries are healthily diversified
is proof against famine and decay. Ire
land, one year with another, produces
more food than would fatten twice her
populations; but where there is no di-
versit of industry there Is no money to
purchase food.
Free From Infectious Disease.
Washington dispatch: Commissioner
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