The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-03-17
IRISH AND AMERICAN.
St. PatEickss Fay and the Spirit In Which
Il L olsarHea.


observed in this country, and looking
at it in almost any way it is really
an Irish-American institution. Tt viii
be remembered 10y the student Of history
that the potato which was discovered in
America was developed until 1T achieved
the prestige Of perfection ia the Emerald
Isle, thus making the potato an Irish
American OF American-Iriah institution.
if you VIII.
Some 30 years ago the farmer who
farmede in Norris county, N. j., and
fought the earth for the benefit Of his
bank account and table, made it a point
to plant his potatoes on the 18th Of
March. It seems almost incredible in
this age Of climate that potatoes could
ever have been set out on St. Patricls
day unless set out before a horse. Yet
this was done, and the first potatoes from
that planting We're always ready for the
farmers table on the ever glorious
Fourth of July. 1t viii thus be clearer
than ever to the patriotic mind that the
potato is so Irish-American that it IFS diff
hcult to tell Just where the Irish begins
and the American terminates.
St. Patrick's day IS as dear to the Irish
man as the Fourth Of July is to the Amer
lean, for, upon this day Of days in the
history OF Ireland the Irishmam ia be-
ing an American citizen, feels that he lis
both an Irishman and an American, and
it is a matter of fact that both the Irish
and American flags are as conspicuous
in the famous professions as are the well
known tunes of Marching Through
Georgia" and the ''W earring of the
Green"
1t is upon st. Patrick's day in the
morning that he takes out the high hat
that his ereat-grandfather's great-grand-
father wore and brushes it with his
sleeve and dances a breakdown of JOY liza
the bosom of his family while lac pic
lures in his mind the approaching hilar-
ity.
1T is often wondered how It is that ala
Irishman can dance So long without
breaking down We might answer that
the reason he doesn't break down is that
ne is dancing breakdown, and if he
should break down it might only serve
to break him mp, but we viii not give
that answer to the question.
But we wiz say that St. Patrick's day
IS a great institution, and that its pa
rade or cavalcade is one which the rep
resentatives of all other nations turn out
to see and enjoy. The Russian may be
seen contentedly munching on a wax
candle, or, if the times are hard, on an
ordinary tallow dip, on the corner Of
Canal street and Broadway, while he
watches the men that keep England ia
an Irish stew skip airily along. The
italian who has generously given himself
a half holiday is on hand In his Sunday
earrings, and he IS full of the procession
to such an extent that his mind Is not att
home ia the chestnut rooster, nor does
he caper in spirit with the red coated
monkey VINO IS ut home asleep upon the
hand organ or grinding '.Tim Finne-
gan's Wake" upon the same in honor Of
the day that is being celebrated.
Il is the day upon which the Italian mu-
stefan might make money If he would
only have the business head to go forth
and discourse Hiberniau melodies upon
the harp, inasmuch as Ireland and Italy
stand together as firmly on the harp as
do the famous governors of North and
South Carolina upon something totally
different and alien to and from this fa-
nous string instrument of poetry and
song. On other things they do not SO
well agree. No Irishman ever had the
same respect for macarOni and olives
that the Italian has and no Italian ever
had such leaning toward the corned
beef and potato habits that the lrishman
knows. But they are one when II comes
p
Of sympathy between the Irish dancer
and the Tuscan player.
When the Irishman starts our on his
St. Patrick's day parade he is us light
hearted and happy as q small boy start
ing homeward from school to begin
three months vacation, and it is fair to
assume that he is then i'm too good ma
tured frame Of mind to be Offended
with the man who might step on the
caudal terminus of his coat, and even as
he capers lightly along he is ia spirit at
the Denny brook or some other fair. And
as he is marching all over the world We
might go so far as to declare. If per
Initted to burst into song, that
From Dan to Beersheba-
From China to Milford,
From Client to HohOkus
From Cairo to Guiford.
From Dublin to Yonkers
From Calais to Cortland,
From Rome rs CoUsackie
From Richmond to Portland,
From Hartford to Denver.
From Camden to Lansing,
Beneath the green banner
The Irishman's prancing.
And he is prancing along with a deep
seated, heartfelt delight that makes him
feel like a millionaire both ia spirit and
in pocket. Whether he is on a bounding
billowy palfrey or upon his humble feet,