The Irish standard., 1907-03-09

tofS IN llle struggle for political FREQ
dom in the United States.
The Germans, who came to the
lhlted States in large numbers. sought
economic freedom ana escape from
military duty. They had not been
trained in the art OF government by
Il long struggle for political freedom.
| The influence of the German race in
the United States has therefore been
less proportionately. There were some
German Revolutionis,s, such as Carl
Schurz and John P. Altgeld, students
of sociology who have had a powerful
influence upon political affairs of our
country, but for the most part the
German people came to this country to
escape the Crowded and somewhat
barren fields of their own country to
enjoy better opportunities for earning
a livelihood. The Irish were poor and
suffered greatly from that source. but
they suffered much more from political
and religious persecution. Conse-
quently they took a great interest and
had a large part in ,ile building up
of American institutions. A. single
comparison is sufficient to show the
difference between the Irish and the
Germans in political matters. The city
of New York now has about 100000
Germans and about 100000 Irish. No
one could successfully deny that the
Irish have far greater part in the
governing of that city than the Ger
mans
Until recent years the Irish have
not been in. great favor With what
might be called the native element in
this country. 1t has heretofore been
the custom for many with Irish blood
| in their veins to deny that lineage.
Now all is changed and remark
ably large proportion of the so-called
Yankees claim to be partly Irish. Their
claims arep robably true. Large num-
bers of Irish settled III the days be-
fore the Revolution throughout all the
colonies, many of them assuming Eng
lish names. The claim is now made
that one-half of the population of
South Carolina is Irish. yet the peo-
pie of that state have always been
ranked as native Americans.
1t is not safe to conclude, however,
that the English, the Irish and the
German elements in the population of
the United States will continue in the
future to have the rredoninating in
the past. The Italians who are now
coming to this country in larger num-
bers than any other nation and who, in
many quarters are despised, are bound
to exert u, powerful influence in the
near future. The Influence will be
economic rather than political. They
are thrifty and shrewd. In the cities
they are occupying the abandoned
streets in the down town districts.
iGNCS WHICH ian w IclU llOllC VI
living to others, apparently, furnish
an abundance for an italian family.
In the large cities some lines of busi-
ness haye already been entirely
nonopolized by the sons of sunny
Italy. They are coming to the United
States at tho rate of 100000 Il year
They rear and support large families
and it doesn't take much foresight to
predict what the Italians will do in the
near future. They once ruled 5hc
money market of Europe when the
| Lombards were The bankers of the
world. What the Irish have done for
the politics of the United States and
for the construction of its railroads
and public works. the Italians and
Jews may be expected to do in the
| commercial world One needs but to
visit New York and to observe The
changes that arc there taking place
arc but a picture Of the change which
is going on throughout the country.
The native American and even the
Irislman is being forced with his fam
lily and his church from the down town
streets to what is called the residence
district and the italian and the Jew
are taking their place. The Italians
move in to the Catholic church whose
| parishioners were formerly Irish. The
Protestant Church is abandoned en-
tirely or changed over into a Jewish
synagogue or an 1talian-Catholic
Church. That tho Italians are now
employed in menial service is no rea-
son for despisine them. The Irish
built the streets ana the sewers of
| Boston even within the. memory Of
those now living. Today an Irishman
is Mayor of Boston and his two prede-
cessors were lrishmen. The Irish for
merly formed the extra gangs on the
railroad. Today those gangs are made