The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-02-06

, lug IoitoWlpS letter OF the NBish0pFSf2
Elphin to Bishop hynch gives a VIVID, ana
E distressing aecount'of the sufferiugs ofths
poor IN Connaught, and explains why it ID
that general aid is necessary:
SLIGO, January IA, 1880. .
MY Dear Lord: 1t becomes my urgent
duty to make known to your Lordship, and,
through your favor, to the Clergy aud the
faithful of your Diocese, the destitution
which now unhappiIy prevails in every par
ish of this Diocese of Ephin, and which
every day assumes more alarming proper,
tions. During the last four years of agri.
cultural depression our people gradually lost
their means and iell into debt; and within
the year which has just closed the failure
of crops, the exceptional depreciation 6f
live stock of every kind, and the great NOR,
tailty in cattle and sheep, reduced the great
majority OF the tenant class to extreme poy6rs
ty:> Nt Tie present moment they have neither
money nor credit, nor the coarscst food to
support life. The few wet, uuwholesome
potatoes, saved from the blghted crop of
last year, are now consumed. For weeks
past very many of the poor have sold or
pawncd their last articles of clothing, even
their very beds, in order to buy little In
dian meal, which they could not get on
credit. In fact, famine is rapidly over
spreading this province, and the debility
brought on by Gnwholesome, insufficient
food, during the past months, will render
its work Of death rapid and irresistible.
For many years past we have had in this
lllfated country system of Poor Law Re.
lief; but, as your Lo.dship may be aware,
the man, and the family Of the man, who
occupies so much as onc.9uartcr acre of
land, be 1t IN the bog or On the mountain
side, Is excluded from all relief under
this law, either within or without the work
house. The law will allow him and his
family to starve if he does not qualify him.
self for relief by giving up bis house and
land, and becoming an inmate of the work
house. Now, as over ninety per cent. of
those now suffering. or lapsing into des,itu-
ton are small landholders, Poor Law Relief
for them would simply mean that they
should give up forever their poor but cher
ished homes, and that they should break the
sacred tics OF family life, separating, as they
should at the workhousc door, the husband
from che wife, the parent from the children.
1t would mean, moreover, that they should
either remain for life, pining in idleness
within their drcary, unhealthy prison, or,
after leaving it, lead ever after the lives of
helpless vagrantts. But no; our pure, warm
hearted pcasantrv will not abandon the
homes they were born iu; they will not sep.
aratc from all they hold dear on earth they
will cling to their homes and to each other
till death, and starvc rather than submit to
that iuhun,an ecsC Ut dcstitutiou. That test
was, really, though not Of course avuwcuIy,
devised by the Landlord Legislature in Lon.
don for the cheap and easy Wholesale cvic-
ton of the small tenant class, which it
thoroughly effected in 1917. 1t is still
maintained iii the Law, to the eternal dis
grace Of the English Government, for the
same unhallowcd purpose.
Her Majesty's Government has been,
within the last four months, repeatedly |
called on to provide employment, and
through employment the means of support,
for the people Of the destitute counties, by
promoting and undertaking drainage aud |
other reproductive works, but, so far, it has
neither given nor promised such employ
ment it seems determined to leave the
lives Of the people dependent on the aforc-
said Poor Law Act and its Relief System
In this sad condition We have but one
means of saving our people from wholesale
eviction aud starvation--an appeal to Chris
tian sympathy for prompt and generous aid
Great efforts will no doubt be made here in
Ireland by those Who are themselves above
distress. Several thousand pounds will also
come to us from England; but all that will
be inadequate to mitigate the distress in one
case out of ten. 1t is the evcr.gcncrous
OFFERINGS of the millions Of orr fellow. conn
trymcn in America that we must chiefly re-
ly for saving the lives Of our people. And
even with your most abundant gifts, the
help Of the State will still be necessary, if
the people arc to be kept in their homes,
and if their lands arc to be titled and seed
cd this spring in way to save them from
another famine i'll the. coming year.
| therefore appeal with the fullest conf
dcncc to your Lordship and to your Diocese,
in the name Of my destitute flock, and Of
all who need relief in our afflicted country;
and mplorc you to come speedily to our
aid. In this Diocese, and [ believe
throughout the Province of Connaught,
there is in each Parish Relief Committee,
who undertake to inquire into all cases Of
dcstitution before administering relief. 1t
is through those committees | will distri.
butte the Offering you will have the charity
to cntrust to me.
Tie fcrvcnt prayers Of our suffering poor,
and Of their clergy, will brig down from
Heaven blessings hundrcd.fold on all our
beneiactors.
have the honor to remain, my dear
Lord, with most affcctiouatc respect, your
4 l,k, 4 -,