Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-12-07


to the poor Catholics. who, in addition to
supporting their own church aud clergy, had
to support The Dean and his clerk also. It
is hard to believe that it is only within q few
years that this system has been abolished.
And now to come to the question of eur
correspondent, as to the cause of the present
agitation in ireland. The purpose of Mr..
Parnell and the Land League is to compel
an amendment of the land laws-the law Of
landlord and tenant. AS it is, those laws
arc as unjust and oppressive as if the pur.
pose was to starve the people and keep them
serfs- They, offer a premium to incidence,
and make industry the stepping stone to the
most exorbitaut impests aud imposition. The
landlord class, with English-mado law on
their side, resent and resist any change.
They are satisfsd.witb things q. they are
indeed would like to see them ga little
more" so, and hence the trouble.
The correctness of tho foregoing remark
will be appreciated, when We sey that leases
in ireland are emily for one, and that if the
tenant improves his land, his rent will be
increased to its increased value the next
year. 1t is to no purpose that the poor
tenant exclaims "Why, sir. the increased
vulus that you speak of is due to the labor
Of my hands" He must pay the increased
rsnt-lesso-or be eyioted. That is, driven
out by tao authorities, to starve on the road.
side, in view of the little letting thst his in
dustry has made habisable, but the increased
rent of which he is no longer able to pay.
The land troubles Of ireland, to which we
have bees advsrtipg, and which are the
cause OF the present uprising of the people,
arc net by any means of recent date only.
They began with the frs. occupation of
Ireland by tho English. Hero is what Prof.
Blacks. of Edinburg University, says on
the subject:
"Amoag the many acts Of baseness brand.
ing the English character in their blundor.
ing pretense of governing Ireland i *
giving it to the greedy and grssping
ohgarchy, who sucked its blood out in the
name of rent, &c.
Mr.. Froude, the historian, is certainly no
enthusiast about ireland, yet, mark, speak
ing of tho feudal possession of land in that
country
eff we had been more faithful in our
stewardship, Ireland would have been as
wealthy SIS the sister island, &c."
The fact is, the feudal tenure sy.t.m has
been tried by every strsng government, and
has everywhere been a failure. Tho King
of Prussia sent it about it's business in 1911.
transferring the land from the old owners to
the tenants, iudsnnifying the former, and
making the latter pay, aud With Tho bappiss.
results:
Such . transfer in ireland would be q great
reform indeed. But the real "sreatpess' of
the change would DO ia its justice, aud in
the peace, happiness and prosperity that
would flow from it to all concerned.
Tho present movement in Ireland H. the
best organized. SO far as We can judge, and
the most business like of any that has ever
taken place there, albeit it's leaders are un,
like those on former occasions, neither poets
or orators. The e1citsmant to violate the law
ID very great, but va sincerely hope that tho
people will remember the words of O'Cen>
nell: "He who commits a crime gives
strength to the enemy"
The tidings from Ireland, just now, are of
the most threatening kind. On the one
hand. the League is calmly, aud with a
great deal of determination, perfsctipg it's
organization; on the other, troops are bsipg
moved from poin. to point.
What the upshot will be. it ia Of eour,e
Impossible to say. But We h.vs great eos,
fdence in kIr. Gladstone. To is not only On
able man, bat q just one, and more disposed
to deal fairly with Ireland than anT n~iaister
that England has had since tho time Of Fox.
We are not without hope that. whatever the
intermediate experiences nay be, in a little
while we shall be able to say that tho
Wresched land system has been abolished.
which has been SO long the curse of ireland.
PORk.-We wish to engage some Pork
from some of our patrons who owe us. and
would like to hear from any one who can
supply us with tho same.
COUNTY ITEMs.-From the Shepherds-
Register We copy the following items.:
Mr.. Taylor Hill, below town, killed eight
Perkers last week which weighed over two
thousand pounds.
Mr.. Conrad smith, of this place, killed
the "boss" hogs last week. one weighing 400
POUNDS, aud the other 352.
Conductor Mcclellan, 8. v. r. R.. va.
home, last week. 10 Altoona, Pa,
by telegram. to tho bedside of his father.
who is very i'll.
Miss Mary E. Nose was killed by being
run over at Grimes station. Washington
county, Nd, on the S. V. r bv n frsirbt
train on Monday last. She was walking on
tho track with her back to the train; but
the whistle was blown, brakes pat down and
engine reversed, but too Iste-she was hard
of hearing sged about 80 years, and from
the west.