Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-06-07

SOME FRANK WORDS ABOUT THE IRISH.


1t is, indeed, the latter who is, in large
measure. responsible for the failure of our
system as applied to municipal government.
The Irish have been dcspotically governed
at home: aud it would be wonder if the
mere act Of tranSplanting them upon Amer
lean soil We're to invest them with the self
restraint, the impartial temper, the power
of delibcraton without which no democracy
can long exist. The boss government which
they have established and the fruits of which
they are enjoying in abundant measure in
New York, Chicago, Boston. Cincinnati
and many other cities. is despotism pure and
simple-dcspotisn paradng under the mask
of democracy. This is. fancy, exactly the
kind of municipal government they would
establish at home if they We're their own
masters. But it is a question whether they
are to be charged any more than the native
American, who from partisan pig headed
ness introduces national issues into munich
pal campaigns, with the perpctuation and
development of this baneful system, which
is now extending its influence to the State
governments and has even attempted to as
sert its power in national concerns. Mr..
Bryce has in his American commonwealth
declared that democratic institutions can
exist only so long as the representative in
State and national legislatures feels a sense
of responsibility to his constituency. | take
it, therefore, to be an ominous symptom
when legislatures take to registering the de-
crees of municipal bosses, without regard
for public opinion, and the lobby, represent
ing powerful interests and corporations, be-
comes half-recognzed power in causing
and preventing the enactment of laws.
! have often discussed with prominent
Europeans the problems which beset our
national life and they have invariably de-
clared that any sort Of government would
be workable in the United States rs long as
we were not confronted with that sternest
of all problems-the pressure of our popula
ton. They told me that it was madness to
encourage immigration after the warning
which we had received, that in fact we had
been growing too fast for our own good.
Our present duty is to assimilate and Amer
icanize our vast alien population, and to
throw every obstacle in the way of immi-
grafton until we have accomplished this diff
ticult task. Our national domain is now
nearly all occupied. No desirable land can
be obtained any more in any State under
the homestead law; and the result is that an
even larger proportion Of immigrants re
main in our large cities, where they con
stitute II proletariat, living from hand to
mouth, having no stake in the welfare Of
the State, and therefore ready to listen to
the socialist and the ANARCHIST, and perhaps
in time take hand in revolutionary pro
ceedings. 1t is largely as IA defence against
this class that the standing armies of Europe
are maintained We have no military es-
tablishment worthy of the name and it is
theref )re extremely reckless to permit this
dispr oportionate increase Of an element
which by its mere existence weakenS and
undernines the foundations of social order
4 man who permits the accumulation of ex-
plosive and infamnable material in his eel
lar should not be surprised if one day his
house catches fire and is burnt over his
head.
HJALMAR II. BOYEsEN.
New York CITY