The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-11-03
AN FRESHMAN SPEAKS.
PASSAGES FROM AN ADDRESS BY
GEN. GEO. A. SHERIDAN.
Votes from Irishmen for Cleveland Are in
Favor of system that Has Reduced
Their Country from FIeDty to Pow

Votes from Irishmen for Cleveland Are in
Favor of a System that Has Reduced
Their Country from Plenty to Pow
erty.
The policy of England is of necessity that of
free trade at this time. but do not forget that
for centuries she the most absolute pro-
tec.o5 country upon this globe and that she did
not abandon that policy until she believed she
held the manufacturing and commercial suprem-
acy of the world in her grasp ami could at
any time, by undertaking her T walls, 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 great
commercial paper in England IN lfo1, with
brutal frankness. Let me quote 1t TO y 3ui here
il is: Manufactures, says this Sheet in
our American colonies shou be discouraged
and prohibited. We ought always TO keep a
watchful eye colonies to restrain them
from setting up any of the manufactures which
carried in Great Drita n, and 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 mHn-
ufacturing of them. If any uragemenu be
given for raising hemp, flax. ETC. doubtless they
will soon begin manufacturing II not prevented ;
therefore, to stop the progress OF any such man
ufactures it Is proposet that no weaver have
the liberty to set up any looms without FIRST reg
istering at an Office set up FOR that purpose that
all Sitting mills and engines for drawing wire
or weaving stockings b5 put down; that all ne
rroes be prohibited from weaving either linen or
WOODEN, spinning or combing wool, or working
In any manufacture of iron further than
making it into pigs or bar iron; thet they
also he prohibited from manufacturing hats,
stockings leather of any kind Can
anything be more cold booled than such
declaration? Such II policy simply
meant the absolute subordnation of the colo
MES to the mother country. Nearly one hun
dred years after this monstrous declaration, Il
peer of England, standing in the House OF Lords,
said in a debate up on the free trade question:
"Other nations knew we'll rs the noble Lord
opposite, and those who acted with him. that
what England meant by free trade
he
great advantages We enjoyed, to get the mon
opoly of all other markets for our manufnct-
urers, and to prevent them, one and ALL from
ever ecoming manufacturing nations. Lord
Goodrich.i The policy enuncated in 1850 and
reatfirmed 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
luton wrested the colonies from her grasp,
Let me for moment Gull your attention to
country hat was not able, were to escape
British domination II country that has felt the
fu effect of the British free trade policy.
There lies not under the fui er lana than
Ireland. Her soil is rich and yields abundant
harvests o the hands of toll. She has vust min.
eraI wealth hidden III her bosonl-wealth enough
to clothe her sons and lighters in purple such
as kin IS delight to wear She has broad rivers
that run down 10 the sea, with power enough in
their sweep to SET in motion every implement
devised by man for turning earths products into
form for use and pleasure. She is n land where
plenty, throned and crowned, might sway her
joyous scepter over homes where millions dwet
in peace and sweet content. But what is Ire
land today Her genial skies look down
sad and barren fields that hardly know the
touch of labors earnest hand smile on
wood and park and silver lakes, and towering
castles built by al hands and occup ed by
strangers to the Irish race; great ords who live
in splendid luxury and keep broad acres from
the hands of toll that they 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 whereon to raise
the simple food to meet the wants and still the
sobs that burst from starving mothers and from
famished babes. The treasures God has planted
deep i'll Irish soil lie all unused and useless.
Her silyery streams to the down and
scarce turn wheel, set loom i'll motion, send
a spindle whrling. Her are beggars, and
her daughters paupers. Erin, to-day, clad i'll
rags that scarce conceal her nakedness sits
sadly by the wayside down, and strikes with
withered hand harp whose strings shat
tered and to its wild, discordant notes, from
pinched and famished lips, sobs out the sorrows