Daily Republican., 1880-02-20
IRISH AID MEETING.
A small Audienee.-The Causes al
tho Famine In IreIsnd-The Aid
Pr00ered.

| Preferred
The meeting at the Opera House last
evening for the purpose of aiding suffer
ing ireland was attended by about four
hundred people. The stage was occu.
pied by the Vice Presidents. The only
decorations displayed were number
OF Planners and flags Mr.. Murdoch appear
I'D in Highland costume. Hon. VIM.
g. Whiteley arose and said that II
afforded him much hsuor by being thus
honored by the committee TO preside
upon this occasion aud give some ex-
preston of pity to Suffering Ireland.
After iew remarks he stated that this
cause had met noble response in other
parts Of the land, aud expressed a de-
sire tha. Delaware and Wilmington
would as chserfully respond to the
call. He further stated that II afford
ed him much pleasure to Introduce Mr..
John b. Dillon, OF Dublin, the son Of
John Dillon of the memory of 1916.
This statement was received by con-
tinued applause.
Mr.. Dillon said that he felt II TO be
his duty to lay bsfore the audience the
condition of his country, although such
a procedure contained some hateful
yet at the same time it had some
pleasant aspects. He denied the state
ment OF the English press which said
that the famine in Ireland had ceased,
but admitted that 1t had been some-
what arrested by America and not by
English charity. The history OF the
famine is extraordinary, 1t being at the
very gates of one Of the wealthieat
cities in the world, but sooner than
help those perishing souls England
would rather squander $50, 600, 600 i'll
the destruction of the natives Of Africa
and expend sl00,000,O0O in q war
against the Zulu king. Eight months had
been occupied in pointing ont to
England the manner in which
the famine might have been averted,
but that nation refused to
prolTer any aid, and from $4,000
TO 100000 PERSONS had died be-
fore charity was besought from America
TO save the Irish nation. Some peo-
pie observe that 1t is strange that Ire
land with her excellent soil and eli
mate should be thus affected when the
other nations of Europe abound in
wealth. The cause of the suffering is
owing to the land laws which permits
Landlords TO eject tenants from their
farms at will whether the crops have
been harvested or not, gives them pow
ar to contlScst0 the property they deem
it advisable and also invest them with
the authority of increasing the rent in
accordance with the improvements
which the tenant makes upon the estate,
and thus the tiller OF the soil does not
receive one fifth OF his honest dues.
The money which is obtained frou these
peasants is squandered in foreign lands
and the loss tails upon Ireland. From
this country these land owners have
recently taken 250,000,0 900 sterling,
and of this amount, not . penny has
been returned. From the starving dis
tricts, G37, 900 have been taken. By
this means the efforts to manufacture
cloth in Ireland have been crushed,
the parties engaged in such operations
not having tho necessary capital. For
the past fifty years, Ireland has endeav-
ored to ha7e these land laws repealed,
but the English do not wish to have
them changed, and their wishes can
not b. opposed. English fleets are
sweeping vast numbers of fish from the
Irish seas, the Irish people being so
poor that they have no means Of latch
ing them themselves, while England
bestows on the Scotch and English fish
ermen, large sums Of money in the
purchase OF boats and other requisites.
The English Government has also tax
ed Ireland so per cent above what
was due. The speaker continuing \
said hs would not be doing his duty if {
he did not expose such a system, ,
which bas, and which undoubtedly q
will create another famine il not
checked in time to prevent it. c
Mr.. John Murdock, of Inverness, t
Scotland, and editor of the "Highland-
sr," was next introduced by the Hon. i
W. G. Whiteley. d
Mr.. Murdock said that it gave him
great pleasure to address people who I
we're interested in the bestowmsnt of r
charity upon suffering nation. He sta r
ted that he would like the audience to r
set, Mr.. Parnell man prompted in this v
by his conscience, and 7
that it would cheer that gentleman con- !
'iderably by receiving large contri-
button. His heart bled for the humil-
ty to which Ireland was subjected in
charity. He was glad that I
10 many people were present nOtwith- y
that many had sneaked away. =
The speaker said that large number t
If the Irish population have been in the 9
lahit of not being able to get anything I
better for food than hard potatoes o
md butter milk, and this was
partaken of in a very rough man Il
lsr also some of these unfortunates o
ire compelled to live in holes which s.
ire hot 6t for dogs, and the English
ab0rers are said to be in still worse
,redicament. Men while conversing h
With Mr.. Murdock had proposed that n
he Irish shouldibs sent to this country O
md that they would receive proper r,
are here. Such a proposal be consid- a
red mere quackery. The crops in d
reland had decreased on account of h
but still he was in favor of L
migration on condition that territory I,
hould be obtained and that the emil
rants were the detested landlords.
'hese landlords know nothing of farm.
ng and industries. They like to W
hoot deer aud pheasants, and their a
mainly consists of queries II
IS to how many head Of grouse have 81
,sen killed by certain individual dur OF
ng the season, or what is the condition b.
{ tha mnnr Nhap do nothing nnmnarn