The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-01
HOW WILL THE IRISH VoTE7
A Clear and Succinct Analysis of Irish
American Politics.

Mr. Patrick Ford in the South ATeTf-
can Recieso says:
The Irish vote. rs is generally known
has been until recently solid phalsnS
and a cabaled annex 10 the Democratic
narty, the exceptional Irish republican
10 be found here and there only the more
sharply denoting the rule. This may
not be cause for congratu!ation. Dut
we are now in the region of practical
politics and have to do with facts. That
the elements constituting the Irish vote !
should on occasions feel called upon to
express themselves distnctively respect |
ing political measures and movements. !
calculated to affect interests common to
them as men of the same race or religious
faith, is not unnatural. In this respect
the irish are not unlike other people. |
But WHY the Irish vote should ever have
been solid vote. and why it should
have been so long held as permanent
| asset OF the Democratic party, Is qnes-
| ton the answer 10 which, If not alto
| rethcr satisfactory. would fern most
| interesting chapter in work devoted TO
| the curosites of American politics.
ANY political force in this country
which is organized, or held intact, on q
racial or religious basis is un-Amerlcan;
and any solid vote which wears even
the scmb.aace OF foreign complexion Is
! lntolerablc. This country is not con-
federation of colonies nor 4 congiomera-
ton of alien clans. 1t Is Il nation, with
the organic life and spirit of nation;
and il is most desirable that all the cle-
ments of our population should. rs
speedily rs circumstances will allow, as
simulate themselves to the distinctive
American tvpc. This national unity
does not. of course, imply agreement in
al political views. Differences there
will be and must be. But American
citizens ought TO think and act in Ameri.
can affairs rs Americans. and not ms
Irishmen or Germans and Euglishmcn, II
they put themselves forward as sucn.
must be regarded as foreigners, and
foreigners must have nothing 20 do with
American affairs.
| do not want 10 pander to vulgar pre-
iudice. have, no respect for that loud
and offensive Amcrcanism which,
whilst il assumes to be the exclusive
guardian of all national interests, is 1t.
self too often the offspring of race and
religious bigotry. The spurious pa
, triotsm which forever cants about the
foreigner" is itself foreign TO the true
!. spirit of true Americanism. he whe
would deny the claims of blood Is un
; natural, and loyalty to the genius o.
American nationality enioins nothing
that is repugnant to nature or manhood
Nv contention is that Americans o
Irish birth ought to be just to themselves
rs they are loyal TO their adopted coun
try, and Justice to themselves require:
, that they should, like other Americans
: agree to disagree in politics This Is tn
: right thing to do, and the right thing
Will be found the wise thing also.
Now, Irish Americans were not just L
: themselves so long rs they were soll'
vote. The most intensely America
element of the population, they sutfere'
= tn emselves to appear in semi ale
!. character; loving liberty. they wer
;. made to assume an attitude OF seemln
hostility TO the friends of human free
:, dom; the victims OF British tyranny ant
:, avarice, Irishmen in America becam
the strong, blind. steadfast supporters o
British Free Trade, which laid the II
: duslries of Ireland in ruin, and force
~ her children to seek bread and hom
,e beyond the sea! Into these inconsistence
:, they were lead by a superstitious allie
. glance to party management.
"A In the fifties the spirit of nativisl
"A swept over Massachusetts, and Gardiner
y, - an avowed Kuownothing, was electe
:. = governor of the state. The Montgomer
- Guards, an Irish American miiitar
~ body, was disbanded, and other atfronl
N were put upon men of the Irish rae
70 and the Catholic faith. The republica
es party was then in its incipiency. and d
it was organized Massachusetts took h'
in place in the column of Republics
a. States. This fact, read in the light I
ly preceding events. prejudced the re
ly publican party in the minds of adopte
u. citizens; and for years after demagogu'
z on the Democratic stump. and to hol
an the Irish vote in the Democratic part
sought to identify republcanism wi
Knownothingism-t tried to make Il
masses believe that the republican par
by was but new cover for the old Or
y. scriptlve organization. The truth
OF that. while the democratic ana the
ties publican parties, as such, were then