New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-22


of mobile" philauthropy-on terms that are sure
to render the position of the tenant harder when
the present hard times over. The British "oV-
eminent. in order 10 give employment 10 'no
peasaniry, authorized loans OF the puo"c
money nj low rates OF interest-at o"c
per ccnt-the amount thus loaned to be expchucu
IN draining lands that needed it. Lanshowhe Or
fercd to borrow G2,000 to be thus expended Oh tue
farms of his tcnanis-thc tenants themselves 10
do the work. Only eco was applied for. "hen
the tenants pettioncd him for reduction OF rehts
for he Last famine year, hc offered as one OF Dig
bunch of reasons for refusing their request, that
had long boon aware that considerable pntt Oh NV
estate might W Immensely Increased III prpIuct'c.os,
by thorough draining. was aware also nv ~ Ivy n
the smaller farmers were appealing for nalstcc upon
tie alleged ground that they had mems o. suit.'.
ing tnor families propoed, therefore, 10 i's oa
consd rabe IN the drainage of portions OF the
charging the tenants per eont ON the Outlay d -
posed charge would have been far below Tue vasc h
time the drainage WORKS would INV
given abundant AMI remunera'iye cn apiS3e
Of surprise when found that III spite ~ thc rrP
sensations which had received INV proposal was Vir,
out 1000 received applications for an expenditure
OF not more than $50. II ths is far sample Oh i"'
energy OF tue farner they cannot expect 1" sucooe
Now. quote this passage from Lord Lansdownes
own manuscript Ii is an admirable specimen OF
landlord logic.
Let me supplement il by short extract also
from private letter in my possession, from Lofd
Lansdownes famous agent, Mr. Trench, addressed
to the Rev. Canon Bronson, the good priest OF Cahir
cavern in reply to similar request preferred on pe-
hall Of the noble" Marqulss starving tenants,
who had the good luck to be his pensioners, ana
who therefore, did not starve, because his ndomit-
able pertnacIty saved them from hunger LORD
Lansdown1s good reputation does not spring from
his own good deeds but from the fact that The Nun
of Kenmare and Canon Bronson, whom christcned
in their presence-the boss beggaIs of Chrlsen-
DOM" live on his estates. and because they dld the
kind acts for which he gc-s the credit
During the winter that has Just passed by
writes Mr.. Trench. Lord Lansdowne offered to
drain the land on every farm of his property that
requires drainage las much of it does,
employing the tenants in draining their own farms,
and charging them one shilling in the pound l25
cents on every 81 sol on The outlay, although he
himself would have to pay Gig per cent Tor the
money so spent to the Board of Works. by bis
Lordships desire laid out CO. 600 worth OF drain
age but his Lordship's offer has up to this, may
saw been entirely neglected. the total extent to
which il has been avaed of has not amounted
to 600"
Now here is n clearly proved illustration OF land
lord hbcralty and of peasant unthrift The state
ment is so a,lroity made that, as Mrs. Darlington
would say - III would deceive tHc very scitCtHch'
But what is the dumb peasants defence 7 This:
By paying 612 per cent in twenty-five years Lord
Lansdowne pays back, not the Interest only, out
the entire capital thus borrowed for importing ms
ora estates. whereas the per cert thus levied on
the tenant was designed to be perpetual increase
Of rent. Now. it is only within few years
that the tenants of Lord LansdowueS estates
in Cahircaveen had their rents increased %
per cent and so sterile is the soil. Indictment the
climate the struggle for existence III Kerry.
that even IN good years the la or OF the peasant,
his wife and children does not leave thom more
than enough to have three meals day OF poia-
toes and skim milk. The peasants of this
county-and, ! told. by everyone l met
of the whole Western coast of lreland-donot tasto
meat more than a year-at Christmas, and
sometimes al Easter. Theories of Rent abound in
all tho standard trcatses OF political economy from
Ricardo down. but have nowhere yet seen lucidiy
stated the Irish landlords theory of rent illus
trated and enforced in practice 1t is. that rent
is the entire surplus left and due to the landlord
after tenant, by the labor of his whole family In
the field all the year round supplies himself with
the food that tao swine do eat ON every Western
American farm. Having reduced them u
this diet Lord Lansdowne proposed that
tho peasantry should pay him forever
per cent tor money that he borrowed at per cent
And this arrangement, also, was rendered all the
more onerous tho tenant by the fact that this
Lord Lansdowne unlike his grandfather, bad as he
was refuses TO protect his tenants by giving them
long leases. or any lease at all. JAMES REDPATH.