Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-10-24
Rogers and ireland.


Democratic candidate for district attorney.
spoke at the Democratic meeting at Turner
Hall last Wednesday evening and made
the bold assertion that the manufactures of
Ireland were ruined by the Protection of
England. 1t was new revelation to
many that England had ever played the
part OF protector to the Green Isle.
England's loving embrace of Ireland was
much after the style of the hug of bear
SO far as its being any evidence of affec-
tion was concerned. However anxious
Mr.. Rogers might be to procure Irish
votes, it was very apparent be was woe
fully ignorant of the history of the Irish
people. Fostered and protected by her
own parliament Ireland's industries -four
lshed, but this was only accomplished by
placing heavy duties upon all imported
goods. There was ready home market
for produce and lively demand for the
wares OF the manufacturer: the laborer
was steadily employed at high wages; was
well-fed, comfortably housed and lecertly
clothed. This was Ireland under Protec-
ton and a condition of things that Eng
land could not bear any more than she
can bear the prosperity of America at this
time. She wished to transfer that pros
perity to her own soil, and the means by
which she proposed to do SO then was
free trade, and she proposes to transfer
our prosperity to her little isle by the
same means, and Rogers and the Demo
cracy are her dupes When the passage of
the act of union between England and Ire
land was attained, then England having
the power, forced her free trade upon ire
land. Thus was Ireland robbed of her
prosperity. English manufacturers glutted
the Irish market, undersold them, crushed
them, and five million of people were re-
duced to restitution. Nearly all the mani
facturers closed their doors and sought else
where living. The first year of English
Free Trade under the act ofthe union there
was in Ireland 100000 people; employ
ed 100000; unemployed 100000.
Those without work, as the only alterna-
tive, went upon the land. Rents arose
in consequence from one pound to ten and
there being no home consumption, pro-
duce fell to almost nothing.
The number of men employed in manu-
features in 1relandin the year 1900, before
England had abolished the Irish Par,ia-
ment and imposed an export duty on Irish
manufactures and opened the ports o
Ireland to the free admission of English
goods, was 1865 The number so en-
ployed in 1881, after thirty-one years of
English free trade domination was II 1853,
a diminution of 134, 1900. Further, Eng
land did not impose her tariff reform upon
Ireland at one full swoop, she did it
gradually;' she extended her reforming
process over period of 20 years 30 that
it was not until 1921 that Ireland's trade
was made free and slaughtered. England
imposed tax on all manufactures leav-
ing Ireland 80 that they could not come
into competition with any goods of Eng
lish make outside of Ireland That was the
way England protected Irish manufact-
ures. If Mr.. Rogers is no better posted
about the tariff in America than he is
about the tariff 10 Ireland; he is evident
ly destitute of the first scintilla of accu-
rate knowledge of the subject as it bears
on either country.
Ireland still continues in blighted
condition, simply for the want of self
government and the right to adopt and
maintain Protective policy. She has
been brought where she is through the
forcing of Free Trade upsn her, policy
of the same kind that the Democratic can
didate for district attorney would have
adopted in the United States, and which
would be productive of very similar re-
suits to those experienced by Ireland.
With their own country as a fearful ex-
ample of its fruits, Irishmen ought 10 be
the last people in the world to vote for
Free Tradeor become any of its advocates.