AN GAODHAL.
387
BLAINE V FREE TRADE.
We have received six long communications on
this head for the last few days, four of which —
Messrs. O'Rourke, of Jersey City, Hogan and Rie¬
ly, of New York and Major Maher of New Haven
favor our views, and Messrs Durnin of Tangepa¬
hoa La,, and Norris of Hartford take an opposite
view. Here is Mr. Norris' letter. —
Hartford, July 28, '84.
Mr. M. J. Logan,
Editor of the Gael,
Dear Sir.
I became a subscriber to your paper about two
years ago, with the understanding that its object
was to promote the use of the Irish language, but
in your July issue, you appear to have taken a
hand in politics, by favoring the election of the
Hon. James G Blaine to the presidency of the
United States. In favoring Mr. Blaine for that
office you should, in my judgment, have given
stronger reasons why Irishmen should vote for him.
I am myself, an Irish-American citizen, and also a
supporter of that grand old church which has with¬
stood the shock of ages, and for these reasons I
cannot conscientiously vote for Mr. Blaine, nor in
my judgment can any other Irish-American citizen,
especially a Roman Catholic. It is needless for me
to tire you with argument on this subject as you
have doubtlessly seen in the ably and honestly con¬
ducted Irish American papers, proof sufficient to
warrant me in my belief. You refer to Mr. Blaine
"as the ideal champion on account of his actions
and declarations." By his declarations, Mr. Ed¬
itor, do you mean when as a member of the Know¬
nothing party, he favored the passage of a law
compelling foreigners, especially Irish, to remain
in the country twenty one years before they could
have any voice in governmental affairs, no matter
how old or intelligent they might be? Also, that
it was the intention of the Pope of Rome, and the
Catholics to take possession of this country?
You cite the case of ex-Mayor Grace of New York
as an instance "of the bigotry of American demo¬
crats towards Catholics." It is in my judgment
more reasonable to suppose that the opposition was
directed more particularly towards Tammany's rule
or vain policy. There is not probably in this broad
land a stronger advocate of Catholicism than the
Hon. Francis Kernan of the Empire state, and yet
he has been honored with high political positions,
United States senator &c., and this gentleman, you
will remember attended the Chicago convention and
strongly advocated the nomination of Mr. Cleve¬
land, and that his ringing voice and eloquence,
will be thrown in the scales in favor of his election
I have'nt the slightest doubt. Be assured, Mr.
Editor, that I am not an enthusiast on politics.
I love right, and I hate wrong, and will denounce
wrong no matter from what source it comes. nei¬
ther do I look for political favor, nor do I pen
this note for a consideration of dollars and cents.
I am actuated solely by the desire that the grand
old institutions of America should be perpetuated.
For the past twenty years the government has been
conducted in the interest of the office holders, some
honorable exceptions I must admit. The most
gigantic frauds have been committed and covered
up in a manner and fashion that this generation
or in fact the life of any nation has never seen
equaled.
It is to the end that this state of affairs should
cease, and that theinstitutions of gloious Columbia
be perdetuated that we desire the defeat of James
G. Blaine. I am firmly convinced that the best
interest of the country demands a change. A
thorough over-hauling of the government ac¬
ounts of the past twenty years, will, in my judg¬
ment have a salutary effect on the future of our
great country, expose and punish the rascal, that
it may serve as a warning to future comers. Firm¬
ly believing Cleveland & Hendricks will do the
work, I will, if God spare my life, vote for them
with a hearty good will.
Very Respectfully.
Richard D. Norris.
Mr. Norris thinks we should give stronger reasons
why Irishmen should vote for Mr. Blaine. As we
control but one vote, nor seek to, we shall state
why that will be cast for Mr. Blaine in November
if we live. We shall first look to our bread and
butter — next to sentiment. We have voted the
Democratic ticket herefore, but now we find we
have no Democratic party to vote for. About one-
third of the Democracy and about the same num¬
ber of the Republicans are Free Traders. These
have chosen Mr. Cleveland for their standard bear¬
er. The Protectionists have chosen Mr. Blaine.
Then Free-Traders and Protectionists are going to
be the parties of the future, and believing that
Free Trade would ruin the working element of the
country, we shall take our stand in the ranks of
the Protectionists — which is going to be the dem¬
ocratic party of the future.
Mr. Norris accuses Mr. Blaine of entertaining
know-nothing sentiments, when he was editor of a
certain newspaper, but if this be all his proof it
goes for nothing, for the paid editor of a paper
must write for his employers — not his own private
sentiments. And, as far as newspapers are concern¬
ed, does Mr. Norris know that some of those
Irish-American papers which he lauds so much are
owned and controlled by Orangemen and Freema¬
sons? We assure him that they are. And if Mr.
Norris does not know we shall tell him that the
Democratic leaders of New York were, and are to-
day, know-nothings, and that the head of their tick¬
et showed it when he opposed the nomination of
Mr. Purcell for Secretary of State, because he was
a Catholic, and yet the Republicans nominated
and elected a Catholic Irishman, General Carr, to
that office ! Which party, then, are the know-
nothings? What about the 40,000 democratic
know-nothings who voted against the Catholic nom¬
inee for Mayor of the city, though an anti-Tam¬
many man, and put forward by the Irving Hall
and County Democracy ? Mr. Norris seems to
think that he was the nominee of Tammany Hall.
No such thing. And were it not for the strength
of Tammany's Catholic vote he would be left out
in the cold, which he deserved as far as the man¬
liness was concerned, for when he got into office he
acted traitor to those who elected him in trying to
curry favor with the implacable enemies of the race
which he disgraced.
The Catholic vote of New York City is one-half
