The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-08-02
rRIsH.AmER1OAHs AND TRR
TRADE

IRIsH.AMERfCAEs AND FREE
TRADE.
The following from the Indianap-
oils Journal viii be read with inter-
est:
Mr. John Brennan, Of Iowa. Is q
representative Irish-Ameriean eiti-
zsn, and an eloquent speaker Hnd
fOrclble writer. He spoke In H ID
ernian Hall, In this city, some three
or four years ago, and those who
heard him will recall his vigorous
and impressive OratOry. Mr. Bren-
nan was formerly q Democrat, but
he never recognized the claim 81 the
Democratic party 10 own the Irish
American vote in fee simple, and
he utterly repudiated the Demo-
cratic dogma Of free trade. We
have received a compilation eon-
tanning extracts from some Of hih
speeches, and we give one or two
90 show how an independent Irish
American talks. Addressing hiHt-
self 20 his cOuntrymen, he says:
"What Is u that the Democratic
party of to-day invites us TO support
By our suffages? They ask us to
tear down the American policy Of
protection and TO uphold the free
trade policy Of England. We are a
laboring people. The free trade
laws Of England, which destroyed
our native Industries, deprived our
heads and hands Of the art and skill
Of manufacturing aud sent us adrift
upon the world - q race of unskilled
labOrers, the hewers Of wood and
draweis Of water for q people born
under circumstances more benign.
intellectual force aud the trading
instincts have led a small portion Of
u into professional life; but the
fact remsius that 30 per cent Of Us
are wage-wOrkers. Our every in
terest o. identified with the indus
trial prosperity Of this country.
our highest duty Is TO uphold that
American policy best calculated To
insure a full days pay for n fair
days work; and yet 10 IL strange
that the very men who can he mostly
relied on TO uphold the policy Of
England In America are children Of
the Irish famine eXiles, who by that
self-same policy, were driven from
The home Of their fathers. Worse
than famine or raCk-Tents, worse than
all save foreign rule, was the de-
structiOn Of Irish industries 10y free
trade laws. A country devoted to
agriculture exclusively is q country
already doomed but q nation whose
Industries are healthily diversified
il proof against famine and decay.
Ireland, one year with another, pro-
duces more food than would fatten
her population but where there Is
no diversity Of industry there IL mo-
money % purchase food.
THE clay banks Of New Jersey,
from q single acre, yields q crop at
pottery richer than hundred acres
Of the golden grain from the choicest
vale IN Ireland. The barren coast
Of Rhode Island, where An acre in
agriculture would not sustain q
crow, has built up thriving towns
and villages by manufactures slim
ulated by the fostering policy OF
protection; and yet how strange
that the man most sOlieitOus to tear
down that American policy by his
vote, and TO uphold the free trade
policy Of England il the Irish peas
ant starved out by English made
fannie from Donegal and Con
nemara."
Mr.. Brennan il evidently an indie
pendent man, who insists on doing
his own thinking aud q good deal OF
%. He declines to place his pOliti-
cal conscience ia the keeping OF q
party which advocates a policy that
has impoverished Ireland, and
which would tend as plainly to i'm
poverish America. In common
with many other intelligent Irish
Americans Mr.. Brennan contends
that they should declare their indie
pendence Of the Democratic party
and follow wherever their cOnvic-
lions may lead. In a letter to the
Frish World he says:
"In the name Of reason isn't Il
time that we should exercise the
privilege, free from stigma, OF vOt-
ing for those men and measures
that suit as best? / am not now
arguing that we are in duty bound
20 vote the Republican ticket; but
am eontending that we are not ne
eessarily to vote the DemOcatiC
ticket against our own interests and
feelings. Our people are, aud have
been for a couple Of generations, the
bone aud sineW OF the Democratic
party Of the north. Mainly we have
been right. We were right i'm our
instructive attachment TO that moral
essence, that indestruciible some
thing called Democratic principle
hut IL the indefinite something
called the Democratic party will
surrender that principle, II Il will
rush into by paths cOquetting with
England aud for English interest,
4 Anfnma IN Fullnm ff =
Not I. For love Of its principle,
and it's name, and its traditions, our
PEOPLE have followed Il far enough.
We have permitted ourselves to be
bound 10 the slave power back 10
hack. Too many OF US have aided
by our votes to deny the political
right Of the black man, and have
hifudly followed the name and the
fortunes Of the Democratic party
until its majority, the people Of the
south, have come 10 regard US ~ a
reliable attachment, to be wagged at
pleasure. By this unthinking, un-
questioning course we have invited
aud received the dlspleasure OF a
majority OF the people OF the north T;
aud the party In power, hopeless OF
ever overcoming our preiudices,
nave Ntulu AlALAN AAAEuAANM W hNA NN-
mauds as q people. Thus for twenty
years our million votes have been
a. powerless in influencing the
public policy Of this republic as II
they were annually flung la the gut
ter. IL Il not about time that we,
q we are 10 perpetually vote the
Democratic ticket, should have
something to say as 10 what DEM
ocratic party policy should be
And 10 regardless Of our desires and
our Interests its policy should be
one calculated to advance English
interests In America, does the fact
that we are Irish stultify us and en-
slave us AZ the same time and
compel us TO vote its ticket ~
II any Irish Democrat can answer
these arguments aud questions the
Journal would be pleased to
print the answer. This compilation
from Mr.. Brennan's speeches Is In
the form Of q little pamphlet, enti-
tied. The Irish-Amerioan Citi-
Sen.n It's an excellent document
20 circulate amoung Irish voters,
aud can be had at low rates, In small
OF large quantities, by addressing
Mr.. John Brennan, Sioux City
Vowra A aamule pOuV will be sent