The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-12-18
THE FOREIGN VOTERS.


deemed 1t necessary to draw attention
to the fact that many foreigners in the
state of Minnesota will be disfranchised
at the next election unless they secure
their second papers" In time. It af-
fords us much pleasure to say that the
element of the population in whose In
terest this journal is published needs
but little squirting on" in the matter
of naturalization; but there are a few
scattered here and there who have neg
lected to become full-hedged American
citizens, and to.Ythose we say, go at
once and take sout your second papers
if you desire to vote at the next election.
On examining the registration rec
ords in the city Of Minneapolis the fact
comes to light that about half the men
who voted here, last fall are no longer
citizens, At that time about $4,000 for
eign voters went to the polls and cast
their ballots for pr sldent of the Unit
ed States. governor Of Minnesota. and
mayor of this CITY,, and not more than
5000 Of them We're, completely natural
lied citizens. OF the other 10000 only
a limited number have since acquired
full citizenship, and many of them say
they never will.
These are principally the men born
in Queen Victoria's realms-Canadians,
Englishmen, Scotchmen and Orange
men, several of whom have filled public
offices and been prominent In bust
ness, social and professional circles.
We have their names but forbear to
publish them. In conversation with
some Of them we have been astonished .
to learn how tenaciously they cling to
the dear old lady Of Buckingham pail
ace. One of them declared that in the
event Of war between the United
States and Spain he could be drafted"
into the army did he take out his sec
ond papers. OF course, in case Of war
between England and the United States
he would skip over to Canada and join
tho Queens Own Reginr mt at Toronto.
In striking contrast with these gentle
men from the queens dominions are the
Irish. In commenting upon 1t the Min
neapolis Journal says that "the old
timers among the Irish are by far the
best of all, and it is rare thing to
find one Of them who is not a full citi-
zen 1t is claimed that the Fenian ex-
element was responsible for this re-
suit" That may be so to certain ex-
tent but the Irishman from the very
beginning of the republic has found no
difficulty in renounclng allegiance to
Great Britain and swearing eternal
fidelity to the Stars and Stripes. His
tory records that in the days Of the
Revolution the Irishmans brogue was
his passport among Americans, while
the English and Scotch In the colonies
and Canada were looked upon as The
enemies Of the cause of freedom. The
two English major generals in Wash
ington's army were traitors, as has
since been discovered. During the
Civil War the Irishman proved his 10y
atty beyond question, while the other
natives of the British Isles and Of Can
ada were plotting obstruction to the
Union. In JUSTICE to the Scotch we will
say that regiment Of Caledonians
fought with gallantry on the Union side
and was badly out up by the rebels.
We mention these facts, not through
dislike Of the loyal subjects of the
queen who will mot become thoroughly
Americanized. but to show that In an
emergency the lrishman can be relied
on to discharge his duties as an adopt
ed citizen at the risk of his life.
During the talk on the Anglo-Ameri-
can arbitration treaty every mothers
son of these British subjects is in favor
OF the measure, ewhiie the Irishman Is
unalterably opposed to it. Here in Min
neapolis some Of these admirers of Brit
isb royalty and nobility use crests and
lions and unicorns on their stationery
and Office windows. They flaunt them
In the faces Of patriotic American citi-
zens, native and adopted, and think it
is all right. They may waken up some
morning to find their windows in
smithereens like Cyrus W. Field found
the monument to the British spy, Major
Andre, at Tarrytown. 1t Is bad enough
to have the Pillsbury-Washburn mill,
owned by an English syndicate, publish
it's financial report in the Minneapolis
Tribune in pounds shillings and pence,