New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-04
TROHRLE " TITO PLACES.

Heretofore whenever n Democratic National
Committoe has sat down 10 cipher out election
probabilities it has set down two factors win
absolute certainty 1t has counted the ooIid
South in lump for one thing. tut the
electoral votes of all the Southern states in the
Democratic column has been the direction
given TO the fgurers; " they are dead sure;
we don't need lose any time discussing them
in detail nor waste any money sending them
documents or speakers or carrying on an active
campaign. They belong to us by inheritance
and no one dare dispute our right" And, as
\ rule, they have had them with scarcely
word of dispute or even protest. For the
Democratic party in most of the Southern
states is tho ruling class that is to say when
il has not a majority of the votes it has double
barrellcd guns in great numbers, and what IS
porhapS of more consequence, the control OF
the registration, the voting lists, the ballot
boxes. the counting of the votes and making
the returns With these advantages II IS not
difficult 10 see that the National Committee
were justified in starting off their figuring on
a Presidential election with Put down the en-
tire electoral vote Of the Southern states on
our side This year, however though they
talk as confidently as ever, they are by no
means so cocly as usual They are having
trouble in several Southern States, and have
felt obliged to send campaign orators down
there notably Mr.. Stevenson. their candidate
for icc-Presidcnt, 10 fire the Southern heart
with cock and bull stories about the Liberties
of the South being endangered by the re-eec-
ton OF President Harrison. They profess
great confidence in carrying all the Southern
hut Il pof
disgust that they should be compelled 10 fight
for what they believe inalienably belongs to
them.
Very much in the same OF hand confident
way they have always assumed that they owned
what is called the Irish vote; that every
naturalzcd Irishman or citizen OF Irish descent
was bound by some unwritten law to vote the
Democratic ticket and that if he did not do
so he was somehow guilty of high treason
By methods very similar though not precisely
the same as those by which they have terrorized
the South. they have for years clalmed and
controlled the majority Of Irish voters In all
our cities aud large towns. Any effort TO con
vince the intelligent Irish voter that he could
not vote the Democratic ticket without sup
porting the doctrine of British Free Trade, and
thus doing Injury to both his native and his
adopted land, has been resented a. an unwar-
ranted intrusion and wicked attempt TO Sc
duce the voter from his party standard and
political allegiance. To address arguments 10
the voters on this subject has been denounced
az unfair, insidious and mischcvous ; to under
take the formation of Irish Republican clubs
has been to arouse the fiercest ind gnation and
tieriest wrath. But the formation of such clubs
has been going on steadily for several years
until they have become an important factor in
politics. Irishmen have been gradually learn
ing that the party which habituay counts upon
getting their votes on the sole ground of ma
tionality, without deigning to offer them an
argument or furnish reason, simply insults
their intelligence. The revolt from this sort
of rule in the present campaign is more marked
than ever before The clubs have increased
everywhere in numbers and membership.
This circumstance has alarmed our friends
az tho Democratic National headquarters. To
countcract its effect there has been organized
what is called an "1rish- American Democratic
Union" with complete list OF officers, and an
address in its name has been issued by the
Democratic National Committee. The address
opens with 1--WE dcprecate and deplore the
fact that, prompted by the Republican party,
many citizens of our race have during the
last ten years been induced to form associa-
tons known as Irish Republican Clubs to
render aid and assistance to that party'-and
proceeds to say that q" it would only be an in
suit to the intelligence Of the people we adj
dress were we to attempt to prove the abb
surdity of the claim that Republican success
means benefit to the Irish cause" COnse-
quently no attempt is made to prove it. Tho
sgneIs Of the address regret the necessity for
the formation Of the Irish American Demo
cratic Union but that such necessity exists
is at once apparent" The issuance of this adj
dress is evidence that the Irish Republican
clubs are doing good work Aside from their
usefulness to the Republican cause, they have
achieved public benefit of no small conse-
quence in compelling the Democratic leaders
to consider the Instantaneous as intelligent
men, to be won by reason and argument, and
not mere voters TO be counted in a lump for
the Democratic ticket Both the Southern
situation and the Irish American situation are
giving our Democratic friends trouble.
Senator IIiscock will speak, under the auspices
Of the Republican Club OF the City OF New
York, tonight at Cooper Union, in favor of Har-
,;so poiI nj ,bo Not nj A