486
AN GAODHAL.
man, impelled by that manliness which is ground¬
ed on his distinctly national individuality, uses his
politics for the general good of his element — not
for the enrichment of a boss who, when he amass¬
es riches, kicks him from his door. The Irish is the
the strangest individual element in this city, yet
the German gets all the public privileges which he
desires while the Irishman is ignored. An instance.
A friend of ours a few months ago purchased a
house and prepared it at considerable expense for
the liquor business (being in the grocery himself).
He went to the Excise Board for a licence and they
told him he could not get it. He asked what the
cause of the refusal was. One the Commissioners
replied, "NONE." There was only one liquor
store in the neighborhood, and there is not a more
respectable citizen in Brooklyn (including his Ho¬
nor, the Mayor) than the applicant. If a German
asked for the privilege he would get it on the spot
for, in the German sections of the city, nearly ev¬
ery second store is a liquor saloon. And if a Ger¬
man owned the next store to our friend's, he could
have a licence for it in twenty four hours. The
cause of this state of affairs is, — In this City near¬
ly all the heads of departments, judges, etc. are
appointed by the mayor, and, consequently, plac¬
ed beyond the control of the general public — a state
of affairs which is open to the most gigantic frauds
and rascalities — a state of affairs which could not
exist in any community of intelligence or indepen¬
dence — a form of government which is a libel on Re¬
publicanism, and which is more autocratic and ty¬
rannical than that of any city in the Russian Emp¬
ire. But the German tolerates it as he gets all
the public privileges he desires. This rascally con¬
ceived political plot was brought about by a few
political swindlers who conceived the idea that if
the power of absolute government were in the hands
of one man they could concentrate their wealth on
the election of that one man, and through him ruin
and rob the citizens. This was conceived also to
freeze out the Irishman notwithstanding his nu¬
merical strength; and he was freezed out, without
a single word of protest from his bosses.
Here is where the individuality of the German
manifests itself. No one dare impute to him that
he is any boss's man. He is his own boss ; and that
is the reason that he gets all the public privileges
he wants Politicians know perfectly well that no
boss can deliver him on election day; hence, in¬
stead of buying the boss and ignoring his follow¬
ing (as has been the case with the Irish), they buy
the whole Germen element by special privileges
and by inaugurating public measures in keeping
with their ideas. Here is where the Irish lose for
the want of their common, natural bond of unity,
aye, their common bond of nationality — the lang¬
uage.
We were in a German store a few days ago when
a newsboy threw two morning papers on the coun¬
ter, one in German and the other in English. To
a passing remark of ours our German friend said
that he got the two papers daily, the English paper
to read the general news of the day, and the
other merely to support it, being in the lang¬
uage of "Vaterland."
Four years ago this month the Brooklyn Philo Celtic
Society founded this GÆL, the first journal ever
published having the Irish Language for its mot¬
to, so as to originate a centre from which Gaelic
literature might radiate, or, in other words, to give
the Irish people an opportunity to revive and cul¬
tivate their neglected language and literature.
Considering the unspeakable means resorted to
by the enemies of Ireland for the destruction of
her faith and language, one would suppose that I¬
rishmen would hail with joy the opportunity thus
afforded them, and jump to rescue that language
from the imminent dangers which still surround¬
ed it. Oh, no. After four years' of publication
that little IRISH JOURNAL, notwithstanding the
millions of Irishmen in the country, has a circula¬
tion of less than 5,000 copies a month ! It is no
wonder that the Irishman is ignored; he ignores
himself. His neighbors of other nationalities set
him the example of true patriotism and national
self respect, and, notwithstanding that Nature las
most bountifully bestowed upon him all the gifts
which enoble the mind and which prepare it for
great ends, yet in relation to his national autono¬
my, he seems to be beset by that foidin mearwail
(erring sod) which is said to bewilder, and make
oblivious of his whereabouts, the belated traveller
who chances to read upon it.
The Gӕl forms the nucleus of an Irish litera¬
ure. Let then every Irishman do his part in ex¬
tending it, that in course of time we shall not
be behind our German neighbors in national liter¬
ture. Let every reader get one or more subscrib¬
ers, and let our Irish-American editors give Gael¬
ic departments in their journals. We are surpri¬
sed that the superior intelligence of our fellow
countrymen of the press has not before now been
aroused to a proper conception, in a national point
of view, of the preservation of the language.
notice
Quite a number of Gaelic friends through the
States report that a large number of those whom
they canvass for the GÆL say that it is too small.
Well, we cannot make it larger at present, but we
have made arrangements with the publisher of
the New York WEEKLY WORLD whereby we can
send it weekly and the Gael monthly (as usual) for
a year for $1.40, or the Gael for a year and THE
WORLD for six mouths for $1. THE WORLD
is an Eight page Democratic National journal with
(as its name indicates) the news of the World.
We hope the supporters of the Gael will submit
this proposition to those who think the Gael too
small. And we assure those who may this sub¬
scribe that what THE WORLD lacks in matters
relating to Iris patriotism will be made up in the
Gael.
