rkhouses, with her labor that barely exists, wishes this
market, and wishes to destroy the manufactures of America, and she
expects Irish-Americans to assist her in this patriotic business.

Now, as to the enthusiasm in this country. I fail to see it. The
nominations have fallen flat. It has been known for a long time
that Cleveland was to be nominated. That has all been discounted,
and the nomination of Judge Thurman has been received in a quite
matter-of-fact way. It may be that his enthusiasm was somewhat
dampened by what might be called the appearance above the horizon
of the morning star of this campaign--Oregon. What a star to rise
over the work of the St. Louis convention! What a prophecy for
Democrats to commence business with! Oregon, with the free trade
issue, seven thousand to eight thousand Republican majority--the
largest ever given by that State--Oregon speaks for the Pacific
Coast.

_Question_. What do you think of the Democratic platform?

_Answer_. Mr. Watterson was kind enough to say that before they
took the roof off of the house they were going to give the occupants
a chance to get out. By the "house" I suppose he means the great
workshop of America. By the "roof" he means protection; and by
the "occupants" the mechanics. He is not going to turn them out
at once, or take the roof off in an instant, but this is to be done
gradually.

In other words, they will remove it shingle by shingle or tile by
tile, until it becomes so leaky or so unsafe that the occupants--
that is to say, the mechanics, will leave the building.

The first thing in the platform is a reaffirmation of the platform
of 1884, and an unqualified endorsement of President Cleveland's
message on the tariff. And if President Cleveland's message has
any meaning whatever, it means free trade--not instantly, it may
be--but that is the object and the end to be attained. All his
reasoning, if reasoning it can be called, is in favor of absolute
free trade. The issue is fairly made--shall American labor be
protected, or must the American laborer take his chances with the
labor market of the world? Must he stand upon an exact par with
the laborers of Belgium and England and Germany, not only, but with
the slaves and serfs of other countries? Must he be reduced to
the diet of the old country? Is he to have meat on holidays and
a reasonably good dinner on Christmas, and live the rest of the
year on crusts, crumbs, scraps,