The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-02-22

appearance of blight to give uneasiness
on the Irish side CT the channel, and SO
little was danger unprecedented that no
reference whatever was made to the sub
iect by any Of the speakers at the dinner
OF the Royal Agricultural Improvement
Society, when that society held It's annual
show at Ballinasloe early in October of
the year we have named. Within week
after that meeting it mad become but too
evident that new and formidable dis
j ease had attacked the crop upon which
50 much depended. The newspapers
were filed with letters from panic~stric-
ken correspondents IN ali parts OF Ireland.
showing that the evil was so widespread |
as to afford Just cause for alarm. 4
ROYAL Commission was appointed to In
quire into the circumstances connected
with the disease, and TO suggest such |
means of prevention or remedies as their |
experience might lead them to consider
useful; but although the commission con-
sisted of three men eminent Tor their
scientific requirements, namely Sir.
Robert Kane. Drs Lindley, and Lyon
Playfair. thew were unable to throw any
light On the subject.
Alarming as the disease was on It's
first appearance, the lull extent OF the
evil was not realised until the crop OF
1916 approached maturity. Early in July
Of that wear the first Indication Of disease
was observed, and by the month ofAugust
there was scarcely a field OF potatoes III
ireland which did not emit that uolsome
stencil pv which the presence OF the pes
thence was but TOO plainly pointed out.
, East and west, north aud south, on rich
and poor soils, it was all the same.
, Crops which showed the greatest luxu>
rance and health one day Were, on the
ike next, mere reeking masses OF decay.
The people saw with dismaY all their
hopes perish, and starvation stared them
in the face. The results were absolutely
irightful and the ciyilised world was APP
palled by reports OF suffering, Tor which
J history afforded no parallel. The first
2 to feel the effects OF the famine were the
= poor eottiers and labolrers VINO had no
resources to fall back upon when the
produce OF their one-acre Ielas was
: cone. The small farmers eked out sub
/ sistance as long as they had cattle, pigs,
or fowl to sell Or eat. sand clotha or other
property to pawn, but those resource 5
were soon exhausted, and thousands OF
i families who had previously lived III COM
$ paratIve comfort speedily swelled the
{ ranks Of furnishing paupers, spread over
= the length and breadth of the land.
Country tradesmen who expended upon
the farming classes, were totally
!, deprived of their ordinary means OF sup
? port Shop-keepers IL rural districts,
G having no longer any customers, were
obliged to abandon their business, and they
too. became paupers; while the want OF
7 an outlet for manufactured goods, afford
Il ed by these small traders, combined
r with their inability to meet their engage
ments. told seriously on wholesale mer-
. chants and manufacturers. Rents were
IS no longer paid, and many owners OF
e property were reduced to great straits
$ The hunger. as the poor creature;
expressed It, was soon followed by dys
Z enserY, fever. and horrid diseases-the
Ii result Of long-continued famine and low
J. living-in which first the limbs and Their
!. the body became frighttully swollen
and finally burst The people dice
y by hundreds daily in the poor house
y they died in the streets and on the road
S. sides ;and in many instances whole fam
lies lay down and died in their cabins
= Collins could not be procured in suficler
l. rags. aud the very sacks in which mea
r. had been carried TO relieve their distress
90 were appropriated tor tie purpose Q
:, covering their enaciated corpses. In
u diseases engendered by famine amonl
te the poor spread in the higher ranks Of 20
is ciety, and In many instances proved tasa
a TO cIergTmen and other gentlemen en-
5. gagged in supplying the wants OF thel
> famished and fever stricken neignbors
! Language is inadequate 10 describe Ia
sutfarings undergone by the Irish people
r and their actual condition at that avfI
- period.
When the reports ofthe distress existin
In Ireland were published many person
10 looked upon them as exaggerated; bu
,g investigation proved that the account
rs received tell far short of the actual reality
The country was under deep obligatio
40 TO the Society of Friends, who spared n
10 pains in thoroughly investigating the stat
ye of.natters in all parts Of ireland, and /
r. fganizing means for the collection {
subscriptions and the distribution OF re
m lief. The advances made by parliamen
on the occasion amounted TO Is, 49,, 121
to which must be added the sum OF E
IL 191,1S7, expended by the board Of WoT <
q on arterial drainage and land improve
unent; while the subscriptions placed
;. the hands OF the central and local associ
III atoms for distribution amounted to 81
OF I07, 267, being altogether nearly twelv
as millions sterling expended for the reli'
Oh of the suffering people of Ireland. Thes
advance and contributions were spre2
g over the years 1916, 1847, and 1913, dul
II ing which Ireland suffered from failure
OF the potato crop. but do not include
"a very large amount ofcontributions Whic
az were not made through public channel
Is The poor rates increased rapidly unde
i. the enormous pressure, until in som
II unions the rates exceeded the valued rel
ba of the land. In March. 1913, nearly
no million of persons were living on the rats