The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-08-16
THE TARIFF A BRITISH AS WELL AS
AN AMERICAN ISSUE.

The Free Traders and their organs are
beginning to show signs of alarm on &C
count of the praises lavished on their
Presidential candl late by the English
press. These praises serve to emphasize
the difference between the party of Free
Trade and the party of Protection. The
one prides itself on being a national par
ty with a national policy that wins no
commentator from England, who is
now as she ever has been the deadly enc
my of the republic. The other would
also like to be considered a national par.
ty, but the praises that the English news.
papers bestow upon Its pro-English pol
ICY give the lie direct to its professions.
A party with thorough American pol
icy has very little chance of being prais.
ed by the English press.
1t is the perception OF this fact that
has made the ClevelandItes take alarm
over the British praise that has been
heaped upon their candidate. The New
York Star, Cleveland organ, under the
influence of this alarm undertakes to
show that Cleveland's British admirers
don't know what they are talking about.
1t says:
American voters understand Ameri-
can institutions and American issues.
Europeans, especially Englishmen, are
notoriously incapable of appreciating or
discussing either. What, therefore, more
absurd than the Republican effort to in
fluence canvass for the Presidency by
the republication of English misinfor-
nation about our affairs. There may be
found few English writers capable of
inteligently discussing American poll.
tics. but they are almost as rare as white
blackbirds. The idea that the Irish
American Vote will be diverted from the
Democratic party by garhled quotations
from the most ignorant English writers
is an insult to American citizens of Irish
birth. They know that no person born
and raised under the British flag ever
understands the politics of the United
States until he has lived in this country
Irish hAmericans are good politicians
They understand our political issues and
are the last persons to be msled by Brit
tish stay at homes, who are totally in
capable of teaching any one who has
lived in this country long enough to be
naturaliZrd."
This Cleveland organ assumes that the
issue between the party of Protection
and the party of Free Trade is one affect
ing American affairs only. If this were
true we would be willing to admit that
English comments on the tariff issu,
would not be worth needing as English.
men never have been interested enough
IN purely American affairs to take the
trouble to inform themselves sufficiently
about them to be able to speak of then
intelligently.
But the question of Free Trade 30 fal
from being purely American question
is one that nearly affects the interests o
England. Every Englishman know
this. And it is for that reason that tn,
present Presidential contest attracts 81
much attention in England. The Englisl
press knows what effect the policy o
Protection has had on English trade. |
has caused England an annual loss o
S545, 600, 900 foi the last fifteen years.
And still the Cleveland organ from
which we have quoted would have u
believe that the English press doesn'
know what it is talking about when l
advocates the election of Presidential
advocate whose success would mean tn
first step in the direction # throwing
open to England market, the possession
of which would more than wipe out tina
enormous annual loss of $545, 900, ,000
The statement of the New York Sta
about the ability Of Irish Americans t
understand political issues will be veri
fled If they refuse to help in the work o
assisting England by voting for the can
didate and the policy she approves Of
Irish World