Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-08-20
BOSTON PILOT LEAVES THE DEMOCRACY

Thomas st. John Gaffney, the law
yer and publicist, who was closely as
ISOLATED years ago with Charles Stew
art Parnell, today discussed the Sig
nificance of the change in the Pilot of
Boston from the Democratic to the
Republican party. The Pilot, which
is the oldest and most influential or
gan of the Catholic and Irish-Ameri-
can public opinion in the United
in its fealty to the Democratic party,
today announced its intention to sup
port Roosevelt for President.
The reason for this change, accord
ing to the editor, is that 'snO man can
point to a single act of his president
Roosevelt's), public or private, infiu-
enced by prejudice of race or color,
except prejudice in favor of the poor"
81 regard the change in the politi
cal attitude of this newspaper as most
Important and significant" said Mr..
Gaffney. ''One of the most gratifying
features of recent American political
campaigns is the apparent breaking
away from the Democratic party of Il
large and influential element of our
citizens Of Irish birth and descent.
This revolt commenced in the Blaine
election of 1884, and those of our peo
pie who affiliated with the Republican
party then have been joined by many
thousands of Irish-American voters,
who were disguised with the socIalis-
tic and populistic tendencies Of the
Organized Democracy.
''The question is frequently asked
why the Irish cast their lot with the
Democrats. 1t is answered, and per-
fectly Ineligible, when one recalls
the political conditions which prevail
ed in the United States previous to
the outbreaking of the civil war.
Knownothingism was rampant and
was in the main directed against the
Irish-Catholic. The Democrats SYM
pathized with the Irish, then arriving
in large numbers, and naturally the
Irish were grateful, gave them sup
port, and in time became very pow
erful If not dominant factor in the
municipal politics of our largest cities.
Nearly all those of our race who have
come to America since the great i'm
migration after the famine have been
related or had letters to the Original
settlers, so the unsophisticated immi-
grant, before he was even a citizen,
became frequently full-fledged Dem
ocratic politician. The newcomer,
from the day of his arrival, fell into
Democratic hands and remained
there, to his own detriment, for the
balance of his life.
''There is no doubt in my mind that
a great deal of the prejudice which
has been directed against the Irish in
the past has been the result of theiI
Identification with Democratic mu
nicipal politics. Again, our race has
suffered severely and unjustly in
American public opinion by It's asso
ciaJion with Tammany hall.
''If we had been more evenly divid
ed between the two great parties il
would have been much more to oul
advantage socially, commercially anC
politically, and this opinion is / know
shared by the leaders of the Catholic
hierarchy. The Pilot represents the
spirits of the times in refusing to bt
a perpetual appendage to a discredit
ed party. President Roosevelt will
receive a larger Democratic vote thar
Blaine. His popularity with Irish
Americans is far greater than that o.
the 'plumed knight. 80 Globe-Demo
GRAFT.
| Students of the Wa-Keeney Hipl