, 1880-11-28
How the Landlords Grind and
Fleece the Miserable
Tenants.
The One Wish and Cry Is for Relief from
the Intolerable Oppression.

few in Mayo, and hardly anybody at all in
Connemara, seem to take any account OF
1Iome-Rule, or Of any other rule except that OF
their landlords. The possibility OF Parlia-
ment on College Green affects the people OF
the west far less than the remotest chance
Of securing some share OF the land.
If ever popular disanection
| WERE PURELY AGRAHTAN,
it is now, so far as this part OF Ireland is
concerned. Orators and politicians from,
O'Connell until now have spoken of repeal
and reform; but it is more than probable
that the Connausht peasant always under
stood that he was to be emancipated from
some OF his burdens. All his ideas are DOM
intcti by the single one of land. He knows
and cares for very little else. He is super
stitious to an astounding degree, and his
Ignorance passes all understanding is,
on every subject but the single one Of hand.
And the land he knows of is that in his own
county or home section Of a county. But his
knowledge Of this is singularly and curious
by tradition he is perfectly acquainted with
the topography of his own locality and with
the history Of Of its present a1d 4%i+, former
ees precsioa he W point out
certain tract of country and tell how,
| in the old, old time, it was ''reiened
| over" by the O'Flaher tvs, and then was
Owned BY Tue Bfakes; who disposed OF part
He knows perfectly well how the great Mar
| tin country came first into the hands Of the
Law Life.Insnrance Society, and then into
those OF Mr. befrldge, ana now the !atter
ge1hs!a 4;. Ga9 uowm run Rna.s ananc, ~ fnrt.
1n;as % ~ ~ Gai',a, fnra +an thie ha tnn,sa
um ssn iS,a w,s " 81 ~ ~ % ~ ana
umei WI ~ nlNTn uM uag ~ ZIG 1oo;I .;to
nnd ia ~ Tho a.;ilonas M dannnnataI 'v hv
famn @ slze e,n;eration Gt .I Villages ps
Or THE ExTERM1SATols.'
| and In many cases the very names OF the
former tenants. lie is a man Of one idea,--
that the country was once prosperous and is
natural causes, but Of oppression and mis-
management When he shouted in favor of
Repeal he meant Land: When he applauded
Disestablishmenta and Denominational schools
last M ' lis dominant % anti; feeling Is candid!y ex~
pressed when he cries out against landlords
"pown wild 'em." ;-.
In one of those neat remarks, distracting
which Lord Beaconsheld is justly famous,
he expressed an opinion that Is the Irish peo-
pie are discontented because they have no
amusements." Like all such sayings, it Is
rfs pespte a1 tet novests and humor
lists, Ireland is singularly barren Of diver
sion. In former letter pointed out that
the only relaxation from dreary toll enjoyed
in Mayo is found ut the cattle fairs and little
country races to which they give rise. There
are no amusemeuts at all in Conuemara.
One ballad~singer and one broken-legged
piper are the only ministers to public hiiarity
that nave yet seen.
NOTHING MORE DREAMY
can be imagined than the existence Of the
inhabitants. When BY rare good luck a
peasant secures road work or other employ
ment from proprietor at once sufficiently
solvent and philosophical to- undertake any
enterprise for the improvement Of the
country, he will walk for a couple or
three hours to his work, and then go on with
it till dinner-time. But it Is painfully sig
niticant that the word "dinner" Is never
used in this connection. The foreman does
not say that the dinneT-hour has arrived, but
s'Now, boys, it is time to eat your bit O.
bread" The expression is painfully exact,
for the repast consists of q bit Of bread, and |
perhaps bottle OF milk. Indian corn-meal |
is the material OF the bit Of bread, a heavy |
square block, unskilfufly made, and so un- |
attractive in appearance that no human be- |
ing who could get anything else would touch |
it. Then the man works on till it is time to
trudge over the mountain to the miserable |
cabin he imagines to be home, and meet his |