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OCR
20 THE KNOW NOTHING ALMANAC 3
rially benefit you, your family, and your
country.
It is a burning shame that Americans
will allow themselves to be so grossly im-
posed upon by heartless politicians and
unprincipled demagogues, as to go blindly
to the ballot-box, year after year, and vote
for the personal aggrandisement of a set of
selfish men, who represent no principle but
the principle of self, Many men rush to the
ballot-box as though their very salvation
depended upon voting ; ag though their lives
were at stake, and yet they could not, if
their existence depended upon it, name a
single principle involved in the act.
We have known Americans to be driven
from their employments by cheap-working
foreigners. We have witnessed the suffer-
ings of their families, in consequence of
being deprived of work, and yet those very
Americans would go and vote for a con-
tinuance of that very competition which
had brought distress upon themselves and
families! Is not this criminal as well as
foolish? To vote for the importation of
one hundred thousand cheap-working men
und women yearly is suicidalin the extreme.
If men, who alone have the power to vote
down a crying evil, were only injuring
themselves by their blind zeal for party,
there might be some shadow of an excuse
for them; but when the welfare of their
wives, daughters, and sons depends upon
a rational understanding of what mischief
or benefit their votes are likely to produce,
there js no longer any excuse for a rash,
thoughtless, and irrational use-of. the elec-
tive franchise.
We know an American mechanic who
belongs to that school of politics called
‘“‘ Democratic” (but what that means now-a-
days it is impossible to say) and he has
adhered to it, not knowing why he should,
through ruin and disaster caused by the
competition and underworking of foreigners
in his branch of business. Always a Demo-
crat—not an American Democrat, op-
posed to ruinous foreign competition, but a
Democrat in the most unmeaning political
sense of the word. A‘ Democrat” or a
“ Whig,” according to the interpretation
of political demagogues, means—the man
who votes for.a set of candidates put up by
the Democratic or Whig nominating caucus ;
no principles; no reformatory measures ;
but men.
Be not deceived by such palpable frauds
any longer, but think and act for yourselves,
or, if you rely upon the opinions.of some
man, who {s called a “leader,” or upon the
opinions of some ‘great statesman,” ag
many corrupt and selfish demagogues are
called, apply to him for an explanation of
the principles and measures of your party,
and get him to explain, if he can, how you
and your country are benefited by your
vote. Ask him if, by voting the. Whig or
Democratic ticket, you will get rid of the
greatest curse that has befallen you—that
of the competition of hosts of cheap-work-
ing foreigners who surround you and crowd
you out of your employment. There is only
one remedy for the evil of foreign competi-
tion in the home labor-market, and that
remedy is your voté,. There is only one
party that advocates a restriction upon
the flood of pauper and other cheap laborers
from Europe, and, to be consistent as well
as merciful to your own dependent families,
you must of necessity vote with that party,
but, at the same. time, you are at perfect
liberty to go on voting for a continuance
of emigration until the pauper prices of
Europe prevail in the American labor-
market, It isa “free country,” and men
who will persist in voting for low wages
cannot be interfered with.
_ OD
Rosusn Bisnors.—At the inauguration of Bishop Bacon, over the diocese of Portland, Me.?
Mr. Bishop Fitzpatrick said to the congregation: “ Your Bishop who comes to you to-day
is to be received as an angel, a messenger sent from God, to preach to them as their
3ishop. Not as 4 man or as an angel, but even as Christ. With the divine authority you
must regard those who are made your lawful prelates,”