The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-16
NO FREE TRADE is WANTED
An lrishman'S Good Reasons for His Sup
porting the Republican Nominees.
His Native Country Prospered Under Protec-
tiOn, While Free Trade Ruined It--how
the Democrats Control the Vote of Texas.

Among the gentlemen who accompanied the
Irish Amsrican Republican Club from Chicago
yesterday was Dir. Thomas F. Byron Of Lowell.
Mass, a well known journalist and protective
tariff writer. who is at present member Of the
staff of tho Home Market Club of Illinois, with
headquarters At Chicago Mr.. Byron has also
the distinction among Irish-Americans OF being
the founder of the Land League in the United
States, having, in fact, established the first
branch of that organization formed outside Of
Ireland. Several cities have claimed this honor,
but the claim was'setted in favor of Lowell,
Mass. by Michael Dayitt himself, "ihe father
OF the Land League" in Ireland, while on his
last visit TO tie United States. Mr.. Byron or
ganized the first meeting of the Lowell branch,
OF which be was elected the first president,
terms
In conversation with a Journal reporter last
evening, remark having been made az to the
large number Of lrishmen who visited General
HarrisoD, and given him pledges of their sup
port Mr.. Byron said: 1.-THE only wonder il that
there are not more. Irish-Americans are natn-
rally protectionists the tariff question both
On account of their affection for Ireland and
their loyalty to the United States. The tariff
question has been at the bottom of Irelands
sorrows ever since the days of the Stuarts,
when, Immediately after the restora-
ton, in 1850, Charles the Second
suppressed the Irish wooden industry on the
petition Of the rival wooden manufacturers Of
England. As an offset he gave announcement
to the Irish linen industry, whose only compe-
titor at that time was Holland. If the English
had then been competitors IN that line he would
have suppressed the Irish linen Industry too.
| The laws against the Irish wooden industry
were made even more oppressive in the
subsequent reign of William and Mary. and
continued in force until the volunteers obliged
England to grant Grattons demand for an indie
pendeI.t Irish Parliament. in 1852. The first
act of this Parliament, IKE that of the independ-
emit Parliament Congress established by
Washington, was the passage of Q tariff to pro-
| tect native manufactures against the competi-
| tion OF the English
what was the result of that tariff he was
asked.
''Ihe result, as al Irish and English author;-
ties agree, was an era OF prosperity for Ireland
such ss, IN the words of the Speaker OF the
Irish Parliament. no country had ever expert
enced in the same period OF time before II
| lasted eiehtSe years until the English govern
| ment, by Wholesale bribery and threats, and the
importation Of amenacing force OF 170, 900 troops
to ireland had perfected their heme for the
| throw OF the Irish Parliament, which eliminated
| in the so-called act OF union, ia o legislative
| sense, with England. The Irish tariff which
had restricted the importation of English goods
into Ireland, was then repealed English goods,
the Irish manufactures out of existence, and
| Ireland has been over since a free market for
articles of English manufacture. 1t was this state
OF things that made Ireland o country or fam
! ines and a periodical beggar before the world
| for while raising more farm produce than would
| feed twice her population, she was obliged to
| ship II to England to get money to meet her
| financial obligations instead of keeping it at
| homo to support her people. Ii she had had
| prosperous manufactures within her own bor-
ders, ss she had under her protective tariff.
she could have kept both her food and
the price of il at home. and
such o thing as famine would have been I'M
| known to her. English legislation doomed Ire
| land to accept free imports of English manu-
features. and to be mere provider OF food and
| raw materials for England, and when her pota-
toe crop failed, having no other industries to
| fall back upon, the natural consequence
| was famine and death In short, to
| English free trade in Ireland, forced upon
her By bribery and the bayonet, may be
attributed the national famine OF 1865. with
| its fearful loss of a million and half of lives
| from starvation, stthe same time that Ameri-
can charity was sending shiploads of provisions
| to Ireland, and Irish farmers were shipping ten
times as much tsrm produce to England to get
money to nay their rents"
| That is a terrible Indictment
yes and the Only wonder is, ss / say, that
| the Republican ticket does not receive
the hearty support of every Irish
man in the United States, regardless
/
question is essentially an Irish Amsrican ques.
ton, coming closer to their sympathes and
| necessities than it does even to nativs-born
| Americans. For on the the freetrade or low
tariff side is England, seeking With the same
selfish spirit, only by different means.
to get possession Of the American
market for her wares, just as she
once intrigued to force free trade
on Ireland when she wiped out the independsnt
| pr0tectivetariif Parliament established BY
| O
Mtchell's history of Ireland to see both the mo-
tive and the disasters following the achieve
| ment. And 1 also had occasion to know that
! the late John O'Mshorny was as strong an ad-
vocate OF protective tariff for Ireland as ever
| the patriot Mitchell WAS"
80 you think this election is a good chance
for Irshmen to strike blow at their old enemy
| En- glandl'
Yes; they never had better. She has been
suffering from trade depression steadily now for
| nearly dozen years; her mills are half
closed. and 100000 Of her workngmen idle,
and if we lower the tariff aud let in her goods,
| her factory lords. including Giadstone's and
Parnelrs bitterest enemies. John Bright and joe
Chamberlain. will accordingly prosper, and the
| 100000 idle workmep, including Irish Ameri-
cans themselves, will shortly be found on
every thinking Irish citizen the opportunity
for striking England in a vital part in this
campaign must DO plain. And can assure you,
too, for my acquaintance among them is pretty
4
Harrison and Morton ticket in this election than
the most sanguine friend of America versus
England ever dreamed of. Tens of
thousands of them who Democrats are
waiting eagerly for election day with the same
stern earnestness that they wonld respond to q
call TO arms in an Irish rising that gave promise
| of success, TO show the world that the London
Times was scoundre and liar when it said
that England found use for Irishmen when
they went to America and voted for free trade
Mr.. Byron comes from revolutionary stock,
one of his ancestors having been q colonel in the
Irish rebellion of 1898, and another officer
under Washington in the war for independence.
How IL IL in Texas.
Col j. c. DeGress, of Austin. Texas. is chair
man OF the Republican central committee OF
his State. and, although he halls from verita
bic hot-bed OF Democracy, he gave most encour
aging reports of the improved condition, II
Texas, Of the Republican party. You know
We Texas Republicans have q hard time to be
heard. he said. I'VE are all right. bat We DOM
have much Of q show with the Democrats dowr
there. In some FIVE or six of the counties Re
publican might as well not cast his vote at all
for 1t is never counted. But as general rule
We get fair and honest count
How was General Harrison's nomination re-
ceivedi'