Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-23
LAND LEAGUE MEETING.
SPEECH BY JUDGE D. J. TooHY, OF
SAN FRANCISCO.
The Story of the League, from the Irish
Side Of the Question, concisely
Told by the Speaker.

Under the auspices of the Sacramento
Irish Land League public meeting was held
at the theater last night. There was a good
audience-for so stormy night very good
one. Daniel Flynn called to order, and ID.
E. Woods was announced as Chairman, with
J. ?. Dray and j. 3. Kelly as Secretaries,
and large number of citizens as Vice
Presidents. With brief pertinent remarks,
Mr.. Woods introduced as the speaker of the
evening Judge d. J. Toohy, of San Fran
cisco. He spoke for over an hour in an easy
fluent manner, and kept the close and inter
ested attention of all his auditors.
JUDGE TooHY
Said it was indeed an inclement night, but
more terrible storm prevails in Ireland
more inclement winter has settled over the
people of that devoted country-a people
whose aspirations are so high and whose OBJ
rank of the progressionists of the world.
[Applause.] The Irish Land League was or
ganized to ameliorate the condition of an op-
pressed people. In 1879 it had over 100 coo
members on the island, and was interesting
landowner and renter, rich and poor-one
class fearing it, the other urging its advance.
Its acts had been moderate, and its agitations
legal The year of flood came, the crops were
destroyed in the soil, and the staple fuel on
which the people depended rotted also. Here
was double calamity-want of food, want
of fuel. These calamities arrested the
work of the League in the fall Of
| averting impending famine. The League
then turned to seek means to feed and warm
the perishing people. Where should it ap-
peal first? To those who were lifted above
want-the aristocracy OF Ireland, grown fat
upon the toll of the people-to save their
tenantry But they turned them away
empty and penniless. Thus the League met
| its first shock. Its members, firm in the JUS
| tice of their cause, then appealed to Her
| Majesty of Britain TO save the people from
| becoming the mendicants of the nation. But
| from Windsor Castle came the same reply.
i" Let them starve," literally said the lady of
Hanover, and Amen cried her Cabinet, as
did the doomed aristocracy OF Ireland. APP
plause This was the reply given people
| by those who owe to them
ALL THEY HAVE
In Ireland Then the League made its third
appeal. Parnen [applause turned to the
! Irish in America and asked them to extend
the helping hand to save nation. Applause.
! And under these stars and stripes-glorious
banner, God keep it ever Applause THE
American people poured out their wealth and
saved the peasantry of Ireland from starva-
ton and the rigors of winter, and gave them
grain to seed the land. The harvest gathered
| in is Just enough to keep them the season
over and seed the land again, for the great
1 bulk of seeding is done there in February.
Now the question of that people Is, "Shall
we sell our crop products springing from the
seed the American people gave, and give all
to the landlords, and appeal to America for
more food?" If ever such an appeal comes
to America again, let the reply be ''Starve-
| NOT ONE GRAIN
For Ireland under such conditions" APP
plausel Parnell and Davitt had told them
| the same Applause and they had accordingly
| inscribed on their banners " Hold the har-
vest" [Applause.l But they say this is
dishonest. But say we: Do not sell and pay
to the landlord, if the penalty is starvation
first save your households; if anything is
| left, let the contract be kept-not
before. [Applause. The Irish Ma
| tional Land League numbers now
between GOO, 600 and 700,0 600 members out of
| a little over 100000 of population. Are
| these communists, agrarians, socialists? No !.
With 600. 900 men pledged only to protect the
tiller of the soil from the rapacity of the
landlord, You might say it shows the face of
an insurrectionary community. Well, adj
nit it for arguments sake and say that Ire
land is on the verge of an unkindled revolu.
! ton. Then take up history and read of all
great revolutions and from the edge of out.
| break look back and see what was the moral
condition of the people just before? Look
| at the papers now. Every crime that can be
raked up in all time past is telegraphed to
| the press against the Irish, and yet what
does it show? In the last fifteen months
TWENTY SEVEN MURDERS
Were committed in San Francisco, and yet
in Ireland not twenty-seven have been COM
mitted in six years. Applause No MUIR
der there has been the result Of the teachings
of the Land League. But two are charged
by the opponents of the Irish against the
chargeable to the League. He owned land
on which dwelt tenants-serfs. He was
tyrant-and so great one that even his class
the aristocracy, despised him. He was des-
pot, and a dishonest landlord. This man
went into the houses of his tenants and wher-
ever innocence dwelt on the lovely face of girl
hood, there he leveled his glances, and after
having brought to ruin and shame thirty
three maidens of Irish homes, he died by the
roadside like a dog and no man knows who
killed him. Applause No tear was shed
over his body, but millions say God bless the
hand that avenged the honor of Irish girl
hood. Applause
LORD MoUNTMoRRIs
Perished under almost similar circumstances
But there will be no more such scenes, though
great is the aggravation, for the people have
been taught to suffer and wait. Applause. ]
| So now they complain that the Irish are
ostracizing the landlords. Well, haven't
they the right to do it? Can't stop in what
hotel I like in Sacramento, or in none? May
1 not buy of whom I please? May ] net
refuse to speak to whom please? These
poor people, few weeks ago, were tipping
their hats to every Lord. and and crying,
"God save you, sir - but now Lord
Knockemstiff or Marquis Bag-o'wind may
walk from shore to shore in Ireland and nc
man bows down in the dust to worship him.
Applause.
BOYCOTT ACQUIRED LAND.
He became tyrant and attempted to fleece
the people. They refused to pay. He
threatened eviction, and they cried $50
/ ahead, sir; we have the Land League at our
back, and will go into the Courts and see if
| we have any rights. Furthermore, sir, you
are under the ban, and no man in Connaught
will greet you" He didn't understand.
Mrs. B. came up one day and said.
We've no ..vd dinner p;a.4 Why Nv =. not !,
nadau why, ptIuSet mas leiI us.
LET Mary cook" MARY has some too
they have all left, and said they didn't
want their wages. but were going home. :"
swell, let Pat, the ostler go to the kitchen"
"Pat has gone, too" "The devil he has ~
So Mrs. B. got the dinner herself. Then
Boycott wanted his mail, but no servant was
there to bring it, and, as he tells the story
himself, he went to the post, and no man or
woman spoke to him, and even the postmas-
ter refused to greet him. The blacksmith
wouldn't shoe his horses, the laundress
wouldn't wash his shirt, nor the carpenter
lift hammer for him. The crops were to be
harvested, but there was no help. Labor
rated at Is pence per day. He put up sign
and offered two shillings day; not man
came, and no reaping hook was put into the
| grain. So he raised the offer day by day.
I till he bid 10 shillings day,
TUE GREATEST WAGE
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