OCR Text |
Show "THE IRISH VOTE." I John Tinerty Analyzes it in His j Chicago Citizen. 1 There is a lot of senseless blather j spoken and written both here and in Ireland about the "influence of the Irish vote in the presidential election." The truth is the so-called "Irish vote" has been more or less divided since the days of General Grant, who was the first president of the United States that practically recognized the Irioh element in this country politically. He appointed the Hon. Thomas Murphy collector of the port of Xew York; Michael Scanlan. the real leader of the American Fenians, collector of internal revenue in Brooklyn; David Bell, editor of the Irish Republic, to another responsible position; Majo Haggerty, an eloquent organizer of the Fenian Brotherhood, was sent as consul con-sul to Glasgow, and the postoffices and custom house" of New York. Chicago, and other cities were well manned by Grant's Irish military appointees, many of whom, in this city and elsewhere, else-where, still retain their positions. In the recent election "the Irish vote" split, perhaps, a little more than usual, because of the personal popularity popu-larity of Rough Rider Roosevelt. The Irish are a military people and they love a good soldier. Had General Miles been nominated against "e'olonel Teddy," as the Citizen originally advocated, advo-cated, the latter would not have had such a walkover,' although we think no candidate e-ould have beaten him this year, at least. On Roosevelt's side were ranged Patrick Ford, Hon. Patrick Kgan. Jeffrey Roche, Colonel John A. Joyce, Hon. A. L. Morrison. John M. Smyth, R. C. Kerens. Senator Thomas Kearns, Jamee A. Hogan and many more. On Parker's side were the Hon. Patrick A. Collins, mayor of Boston: Hon. William Bourke Oockran, the premier orator of Tammany: Hon. W. F. Sheehan. ex-Lieutenant Governor of New York; Michael .1. Ryan, the eminent Philadelphia' jurist: Hon. Timothy E. Ryan, of Wisconsin'; Hon. Charles F. Murphy, leader of Tammany Tam-many Hall: Hon. James K. Mc-Guire. ex-mayor of Syracuse, N. Y.: Hon. Roger O. Sullivan. Hon. John P. Hopkins, Hop-kins, Hon. Edward M. Lahiff, Hon. Thomas E. Barrett, John F. Fineity and others. Well. Roosevelt won, but it is quite evident 'that all the Irish did not vote for him. Now. in 1KR4, Blaine war backed by Patrick Ford. Alexander Sullivan. John F. Finrty and some other Irish-Americans, Irish-Americans, who were recognized as being of some political importance. Cleveland was backed by John Kelly. I Colonel William R. Roberts, General Collins and other recognized Irish- j American leaders. Cleveland won "by the skin of his teeth." ,, 1 In 1SS8. Messrs. Ford, Sullivan. Fin-erty Fin-erty and their friends were for Harrison. Harri-son. The other combination, or what stood for it, supported Cleveland. Harrison won by a large majority. . In 1892, practically the same combinations combi-nations of Irish-Americans stood for Harrison or Cleveland. Cleveland was elected by, "a landslide." land-slide." . . ' In 3896. Patrick Ford supported McKinley; so Blso did some other Irish-American editoi. Mr. Finerty and the Citizen remained neutral. Bourke Cock ran espoused the cause of McKinley on the financial issucMany otbr prominent Irish-Americans bnlt-el bnlt-el the Democratic nominations. Mr. McKinley1 won ty a close plurality. plu-rality. In 1900. Patrick Ford. Patrick Egan, I John F. Finertytand their friends supported sup-ported Bryan, chiefly on the anti-imperialistic issue.5 John R. Walsh and other Democratic leadens sustained . McKinley, mainly pn the "gold stand- j ard" issue. . , , . J McKinley won again by an increased ' majority. . J The result of t"n late election. ha3 . ljeeii alrc-aci5Kated. ; - . .A glance , at this, article will show our readers, at ' once, that "the Irish I . vote" has .about "divided the honors" hon-ors" between both' " parties "in latter years, and the result is that Irish-Americans Irish-Americans hold better public cfflccs, and more of them, than in all their pre-Grar.t history. They have as much rig-ht to hold office and divide on epues-tions, epues-tions, of policy or principle a3 any other American element. |