New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-18
pLIYy TICTS bout IRELlND.


| meat.
PL.1IV EICES .lBJUT IRELAND
A correspondent. who finds the caiic dis
! patches complex, if no. confusing. ard VINO Is
anxious to know "ius. how the Irish land ques-
lion stands" asks TIE TEIgtNE 10 give him
q plain statement of facts" he wishes 10 find
ont (D what tie leaders of the land movement
are hopin 30 accomplish; (2) what the English
Liberals have done in the past OF hiye DrDmi, ed
10 10 in the future TO improve the lot OF the IRISH
peasaDtIy; CD who is i'll the tight in the picsent
| controversy, and. consequently, ontitlod 10 the
symplthicS of faiT-Inindcd Americans. The
co respondents reques. is needed, although ne
mast Gll1w us to remind him that The proper
way to study the history OF orr own times is
not to att mpt an Artificial examining when
the importance OF public question Las been
tardiy recognized but TO read good news
pape. carefully every day, ami follow the whole
course Of the controversy from lis Use to lis
elimination.
J. I he present land agitation in LELAND be-
gan to attIac! attention in 1873. AT The outset
! the avOwed object of the leaders was 10 obtain
reduction of rents, but as the movement
gained Roadway thcir haIlngdcs became more
violent. and the abolition OF lanGlortism was
reolllessly demanded. The National Land
Leaege did not become Formidable until The
autumn of 1879, wEea II winter OF dire pIiya-
ton wa starlD- the pcasantry in tie fdce. Ine
llcmc Rulers then bean To discuss the land
question, and in uCarl, every county lanll0r,-
isin was denounced a. a consniracy avam>. the
people. After the arrest OF DlyItt, Kiicn and
paiy the leaders We're mo!e moderate in their
language During the present ycdg the DIS
cusSi0l has taken . wide range, and some OF
the speakers have been guilty OF great eXceSscs
bat the two vital principles Of the Land
League as defined by Nj. Puneil, are advice 10
tenants to pay no more than a fair rent, and
the PLEDGE not 10 take "a farm from which any
one has been cvictcG. Here and there dcma-
g0Guc eXcitcs an ignorant audience by decar
ing that icnt under any conditions Of tenure is
an unjust tax, and that the land belongs 10
those who Ill IL bur the leaders themselves do
not discuss any met lOd OF ESTABLISHING u
class of proprietary prasants and thereby OF
settling the lend question. Their plans Of re-
form are vague. They codnscl Systematic or
earization and constant agitation Tor indefinite
ends. Their Interior purposes seem to be po-
linca! rather than aSrdriln, the question OF rack
home Ruc.
.. rue Land Act If 1870, which WIS passed
during Mr.. Gladstonas first administration,
was designed - discourage unius fable eve
tions in IIOaHd by autho.iz fall c0mpeHsa-
ticn for Improvements Whenever tenant
should be elected. IL virtually created re,r
cIa.s OF property. NJ. BrieAis amendments,
which were cnglaf,ed on the original moa5ure,
provid that whenever landlords were Wiling
to sell, tenants should b. assisted ly IN state,
the BoaId Of V orks being empowered f. make
advances for two-thIds Of t!c pufcha.n ,loIoy |
which should be repaid IN snail yeeriy install, !
ments. The operation oil the B.i@at clause, has
not been very successful, not more than q (
thousand tenants having taken advantage Of !
The law. After his return To O.uco. BIZ Glad /
stone m0vcd for Commission 10 Invc5i2at" 7
the effects OF tie Land Act OF 1870, ahA forced /
through the House of Commons b.a mixing /
temporary compensation iOr G.si.;.D ne I'D /
cases of cjec.mcnt for non-p.rm M 90 rent |
when the tenant might be wiling bUt unable /
to pay IL. Tlis measure. when was the ~ uril /
sequel 20 the Land Act Of 1870, WAS thrown /
ont By the House Of Lords The Liberals nave /
made an Caraast effort to reform thc abuses Of /
II.sn lauiholAIng. bat have not succeeded in |
fOlmnga prosperous elias, Of peasant rroDlic-
tors. All The great AHdmrIEs Of rrOgre which :
havo been ser up during the hIlf 'en'ury in !
Great Britain aec thc WOU,- OF The English LIB
erals, and il Is only just to presume tha. they
will eycntu ny 20 On as tIcy have begun. The
aMari,n ontr1Ses aud ~ ,idOus outbreaks III
Ireland VII only serve rs pretcXt, for dciering
remedial e,.is alton. Ai-eHdy there is pros
poet Of lie introduction o. bill t. enable the
courts To interfere in cases o. excessive rent,
to award compensation to cyic,ed tenants and
to simplify the transfer of land. Such policy
will command the symyalhcs of warm-htartcd
John Bright, and. sooner or later, the earnest
cooperation of the Premier, although tie
alters practical sense, which comes with bis
Scotch blood may require the immediate sup
preston Of all fO. ms of lawessncss.
3. When there is so much that is light and
so mucl that is wrong on both sides, the ethical
merits of the question cannot be hastily deter
mined. II is enough to know that both Tie
Irish tenants and the English Liberals are en-
titled TO the sympathies of all iair-minded
Americans. II English rule has been blight
upon ireland in the past, the Liberals, undel
the leadership OF Mr.. Gladstone and MIR. Bright,
have spared no pains to IedresS her grievances
and repair her fortunes. If the leaders OF the
Irish movement are pygmcs if the projects OF
the Land League are vague and illusOry, if
ignorant mobs listen to idle rant and are in
lied TO brutal crimes, the degraded and inn
Doverishcd tenants have been crushed 10y the
avs Of nature and the greed OF man until they
.xcite the compassion of the world.
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BOSTON'G ANNIVERSIRY