The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-06

americans In the Present Campaign
One OF the encouraging features OF the
campaign OF 1884 was the first great split
in the Irish-AmeriCan ranks. 1t WIS not
the first time that votes for the Republic
can party had come from that source
Irishmen had been voting with the Re-
publican party since its birth.
1t was the first great protest OF that
race in America against the Democratic
supposition that every voter OF Irish
birth or OF Irish descent was Demo
cratic voter, open to no argument, ior
the Democratic party right or wrong,
and SO firmly bound to that organization
that nothing could break him away from
it. The protest would have been louder
and still more memorable il Burchards
tongue had not been as long as bis
brain was shallow.
Since the election OF 1854 the drift oil
Irish-Americans has been steadily away
from the Democratic party into the
broader liberty OF citizenship which
does its own thinking and votes as it
thinks. Mr.. Patrick Ford, in the North
american Rcvic,c, discusses this question
OF the past and present utilization OF the
Irish.American voter. He saysin part;
Irish-Americans were not Just to
themselves so long as they were Il solid
vote. The most intensely American ele.
ment OF the population, they suffered
themselves to appear in n semi-aIicn
character; loving liberty, they were
made to assume an attitude OF seeming
hostility to the friends OF human Tree
dom; the victims OF British tyranny and
ayarice, Irishmrn in America became
the strong, blind, steadiast supporters o.
British free trade, which laid the indus
tries of Ireland in ruin, and forced hel
children to seek bread and home be
yond the sea! Into these inconsistent
cies they were led by supcrstitious nj
legiance to party management.
With the progress OF education, and II
the light OF the knowledge OF the facts
here presented, the Irish vote, once solid
is now in a state OF solution. Irish
Americans OF to-day are practical and in
uuiring, They are not to be amused by
fairy tales: they ask what is the living
issue OF the day, and the man or thu
marty that tries to brighten them will
The ghost OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT insults
their intelligence and will in turn re
ceiye their contempt. The issue OF to
dav is the tariff. 1t is the American sys
ten versus the British Colonial system
The Irish instinctively are Protection
lists. Nineteen-twenteths OF them art
!, wOrkingncn, and, looking at the matte
as question OF wages, they very natur
ally object to Free Trade. Knowing
this, the Democratic politicians, iron
Grover Cleveland down, are at pains Il
make the working people believe thai
Free Trade is beside the issue; but MIR
Henry George and every honest Free
Trader in the land say it is step in thai
direction; and the English press, which
are concerned about our National con
test only in so far us the result may al
feet English interests. hail Cleveland
policy with cheers, and hope and pray
Tor his success. The fact that the Lion
and Unicorn have taken the stump fol
Cleveland and Thurman is not calcula
ted to hurt Harrison and Morton in the
estimation OF the Irish, who will,
promise, give a good account OF them
selves in the pending Presidential cleo
ton.
The more it is understood by Irish
Americans that the enemies OF Ireland
are the enemies Of America, that the
authors Of the Free Trade policy which
ruined Ireland are the authors OF the
Free Trade policy which aims at the
ruin OF America, the more difficult II
will be to hold any Irish-American in
the Democratic party. We are sure this
ia true in West Virginia,