Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-19
IRISH AMERICAN CANT.

Only recently mas the lrlSn-Amorlcdn begun to question democratic policy and democratic purposes. He finds the first just what Great Britain chooses to have it, and the second to involve a complete sur render of American interests to the English Golden club. We have too high an opinion of the intelligence of Irish American citizens to believe that they fail, even now, to appreciate the significance of the present risis.-Waterbury Ex- change.
 And then our contemporary goes on to show its Thigh opinion of the intelligence of Irish-American citizens" by telling them that the infamous union that was perpe- tective tariff and all her possible pros perity. But it forgets that in 17S2 when the immortal Grattan, backed by the arms of his volunteers, wrung from England the concession that no power had the right to make laws for Ireland but the king, lords and commons thereof, he imposed protec- tive duties simply as retaliatory measure; and when few years later it was sug- gested that reciprocity should be estab- hshed between the countries, the Irish parliament, led by Grattan, enthusiast cally adopted the plan. It forgets that such patriots as OConnell and Swift and Molyneux and Lucas damned protection as hostile to Ireland's prosperity. Thomas Davis, whose poems are dear to the heart of every Irishman, sang
 God bless the men of patriot pen
 Swift, MolyneuX and Lucas;
 Bless sword and gun, which free trade won,
 And God, who ne'er forsook us.
 The immortal Daniel O'Connell, whose great heart knew no love so strong as that for his beloved country, in a speech de- ivered in the spring of 1942 denounced pro lection as "a robber-a mean robber- which took from the poor and gave over to the rich; system which makes the poor pay eighteen pence for a twelve penny loaf" And O'Connell's political science was such that it wrung from Sir Robert Peel the declaration that he would rather have his aid than all the wigs of Westminster Hall.
 Irishmen who study the history of their country know that the tariff has little or no place in that history. They know that other causes have kept it in thraldom, causes that are entirely separated from any considerations of high tariff or low tariff or no tariff at all. They know, too, that the Irishmen like Patrick Ford who are endeavoring to turn over their votes to the republican party are not the safest men to follow on national or economic questions And they know, too, that the democratic party is the one that has been friendliest to them in America, that has taken them by the hand and given them the fullest rights of citizenship. And they know, too, that the man who is now the candidate of the republican party, General Harrison, publicly insulted their race when he said that, if it were not for the Irish, Eve would not need half of our penitentiaries, which are almost full of them; they have no in | telligence; they are only good to shovel ! dirt and grade railroads, for which they | receive more than they are worth, as they | are no acquisi tion to the American people, And the Irish Americans are not to be l coddled by any cheap prediction cant by ! a paper which must be laughing in its sleeve | at it's own impudence.
 Irish-Americans will vote as they have | heretofore for the party that is their best friend.