The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-10-31
AN FRESHMAN SPEAKS.
PASSAGES FROM AN ADDRESS by
GEN. GEO. A. SHERIDAN.

Votes from Irishmcn for Cleveland Are I'm
Favor OF system that Has Reduced
Their Country from Plenty to Pow
erty.
The policy Of England is Of necessity that of
free trade ut this time, but do not forget that
for centuries she was the most absolutely pro-
tected country upon this globe ana that she did
not abandon that policy until she believed she
held the manufacturing and commercial supren
aoy OF the world In her grasp, and could at
any time, by underselling her rivals, absolutely
Crush out and destroy them. The policy Of
England, wherever she has had the power has
been TO absolutely prohibit manufacturing OF
any KIND. Her policy was stated by a great
commercial paper in England in 1850, with
brutal frankness Let me quote Il To You here
~ rs Manuiaetures, says this sheet, lin
our American colonies should be discouraged
nnd prohibited. We ought always to keen a
watchful eye over colonies TO restrain them
nom setting up any OF the manufactures which
carried ON in Great Britain, ana any such
attempts should be crushed in the beginning
AS they will have the providing of the rough ma
terials To themselves, so shall we have the man.
ufacturing of them. II any encouragement be
given for raising hemp, flax, etc, doubtless they
will soon begin manufacturing IL not prevented
therefore,, 10 stop the progress of any such man
ufactures IL a. proposed that weaver have
the liberty 10 set up any looms without first reg
istering at an ONCE set up for that purpose that
all Sitting mills and engines for drawing wire
or weaving stockings be put down that all ne
groes be prohibited from weaving either linen or
WOODEN, or spinning or combng WOOL or working
in any manufacture of iron further than
making IL into pigs or bar iron that they
also be prohibited from manufacturing hats
anything be more cold-blooded than such
declaration? Such policy simply
meant the absolute subordination OF the colo
MES TO the mother country Nearly one hun
bred years after this monstrous declaration a
peer of England, standing in the House OF Lords
said In a debate ufon the free TRADE question
Other nations know as well as the noble Lord
opposite, and those who acted with him that
what We England meant by free trade was
nothing moro nor less than, by means OF the
great advantages we enjoyed, TO get the mon
opoly OF all other markets for our manufact-
urers, and TO prevent them one and all, from
ever recoming manufacturing nations" lord
Goodrich.) The policy enunciated in 1850 and
roar1rmed heartily hundred years afterward
is the identical policy that controls England to-
day. Fortunately for US, our fathers refused to
ind rse the views OF Great Britain. and by revo-
luton wrested the colonies rom her grasp.
Let me for moment call your attention TO
country that was not able, as we were, 10 escape
British domination, a country that has felt the
"a effect of the British free trade policy.
There lies not under the sun fai er lana than
Ireland. Her soil is rich and yields abundant
harvests TO the hands of toll. She has vast min
eral wealth hidden in her bosom-weelth enough
TO clothe her sons and daughters in purple such
as kings delight TO wear. She has broad rivers
their sweep 10 set in motion every implement
devised by man for turning earth's products into
form for use ana pleasure She is a land where
plenty, throned and crowned, might sway her
Joyous scepter over homes where millions dwelt
in peace and sweet content. But what is Ire
land to-day? Her genial skies look down
lad aud barren fields that hardly know the
touch of labor's earnest hand, or smile on
wood and park and silver lakes, and towering
castles built by al n hands and occup cd by
strangers To the Irish race great ords who live
in splendid luxury aud keep broad acres from
the hands Of toll that tney may gallop TO and
fro and Stay with wanton hands the game that
flies in fear before them ana this, too while
men are kneeling at their gates begging for just
one acre of Gods own ground whercon 10 raise
IN gfft nln ~ IN M gff
sobs that burst from starving mothers md from
famish babes. The treasures God has planted
deep IN Irish soil lie all unused and useless.
Her silNe cry sire, ms 20 the sea run down aud
scarce turn n wheel set loom in motion send
Il sp ndle whrling. Her sons are beggars and
her daughters paupers. Erin, to-day, clad in
rags that scarce conceal her nakedness, sits
sadly by the wayside down, and strikes with
withered hand harp whose strings are shat
tered and TO its wild dscordant notes from
pinched and famished lips, sobs out the sorrows
Of her broken heart. Her days of anguish and
nights Of pain. her nakedness and her poverty.
her woe.ul desolation, her utter wreck and
ruin, can all be traced strait ut TO the accursed
rule aud iron hand Of England, a rule and hand
that struck her growing industries down,
silt need her looms and spindle5, robbed her
fit Ids of cattle, swine and sheep, and covered
the land with gloom deeper and darker than the
shadows cast by the sable wings ofdeath. Such
Is the condition TO which tho English free-trade
rule has brought tho land that gave my father
birth, and yet, my God just think of it the
Democratic party are to-day asking Irishm II TO
vote for the adoption here of Il policy that has
ru mel their own fair lands, anu exiled its sons
aud daughters to other lands whore bread was
plenty, and whore life WAS worth the living L
am the son OF an Irish-nan, and cannot under
stand how any man born upon Irish soil,
any man who has n drop Of Irish blood in his
veins, can in this great contest cast his vote for
the Democratic party. ballot for Cleveland
ia ballot for free trade; ballot for free trade
is n ballot that sets the bells tollng for tho
death OF industry in this land.
That Irishman who votes for Cleveland Is
simply voting approval OF the policy England
has pursued in Ireland since the hour she plant
ed her accursed foot upon its soil An Irish vote
for Cleveland is an Endorsement OF evictions-a
cheer for tse imprisonment Of OBrien and n
laugh at the throttling Of Parnell in the House
of Commons. 1t is bidding the priest OF God
refuse the Offices OF his holy calling 10 any man
in Ireland who has the courage TO plead for JUS
tce, and, II need be, strike blow for the re-
deeming OF his land. 1t Ia a stab in the back OF
the friends OF home rule in Ireland. That
Irishman who votes for Cleveland is simply
adding strength to tee brawny arm thai sends
the lash his sing through tho air down upon the
bare and bleeding shoulders OF the mother that
bore him, I ghtening the clutch of England's
brutal hand upon her fair throat and sharp
ening the cruel nails with which she tears and
rends her quivering flesh 1t is an infamy Of
which no Irishman should be guilty. l am the
son OF an Irishman, as have tod you, and
would soon cut of this good right hand OF
mine, to use it in casting n ballot for John
Bull Cleveland and his English free trade policy.
II 1 were TO cast vote in that direction /
should fear my gray-haired father would leap
from the grave, stand Mt my bedside in the
silent watches or the night and curse me for the
crime l had committed. | appeal to YOU men
OF my fathers race, not TO cast n ballot for the
Democratic party. Every drop of my blood (and
IL is tho blood as leaps in your veins)
pleads with you TO vote for Ben Harrison, and so
help the land that gave you wide-armed well
come when, fleeing from Wong and oppression,
you sought home here. Listen TO my voice it
IL the voice of your motherland pleading
through the lips OF one of her children's chill
dren. Cast your ballot for the Republican party
so shall your conscience approve you so shall
your children bless you in the days to come
when they lay your gray head under the sod of
the land your ballot helped redeem from the
power and dominion OF the great enemy of your
race and country.