Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-09-06
IRELAND'SIRE
AROUSED T0THE HIGHEST PITCH BY
OPPRESSION.
Another Pen Picture of the Wretchedness
and Squalor Of the Irish Peasantry-
Why the Revolt was Brought
About-Some of the In
ducements which
Led to II.
GOOD WORK OF THE LAND LEAGUE.

| in the "WlldS OF west lrelanu, oNer the
mountains and through the bog lands
of Galway and Mayo counties. 1t will
be remembered that in the winter OF
1879 the deplorable condition OF large
numbers OF the small tenant farmers and
colliers in this part OF Ireland became
matter of grave public anxiety.
From Connemars and the shores
of the bay OF Galway,
round those OF Mayo, Sligo and
Donegal, and throughout the poorer
agricultural districts in the bleak and
barren situations not far from the At
lsntic, the distress was something terri
BILE. The soil of Western Connaught is
too poor to support even its present
scanty population in bad seasons. The
distress there is chronic, and as Lord
Dufferin says, there extends "a broad
riband OF hopeless misery that no
change in the present relations OF
landlord and tenant is likely
TO alleviate" The very climate is OF
itself detestable, and unfortunately there
is neither the capital nor the energy at
hand to counteract its influence. Alb
senteeism has done its worst in these
parts, and things are now in 80 hopeless
a condition that the he,rt OF the most
energetic resident proprietor may well
tail him. To alleviate this distress re.
Lief fund was instituted in Dublin, at the
time OF the famine, under the auspices
of the Duchess Of Marlborough, wife OF
the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and
about the same time an auxiliary fund
was opened by the Lord Mayor OF Lon
don. A second fund was raised in Dub
lin by a committee, which met at the
Mansion House, and both Mr.. Parnell
and the proprietor of the New York
Herald set subscriptions on foot in the
United States In a couple OF months
time over a million dollars were raised,
and arrangements were made for its
iudicious distribution in the shape Of
food, fuel, clothing and seed potatoes,
chiefly by the aid OF local committees.
Indian corn meal was the staple article
OF food distributed, and govern.
ment gunboats freighted with this
commodity, were employed in cruising
among the islands off the western coast,
to relieve the famished people. Al.
though the accounts OF the condition OF
the people during the famine were OF
the most deplorable and saddening char
acter, yet the natural state OF the West
ern tenants life is almost totally un-
known. The cabins of the peasantry
seem 10 be about the very worst dwell
lings for human beings | have ever
viewed. I noted that many OF the cot
tages I passed boasted no windows, all
had mud floors and mud walls; that
MANY were insufficIently thatched;
nearly all were shared by the family pig
as well as by the family children; that
| in the majority OF cases very slough
of mud faced the door, and that the ut
most misery OF appearance character
lied every dwelling. have
read of so-called oppressed
people in many lands, but /
| declare that neither in the Russian
steppes, nor in the most neglected Bul.
garian villages, still less in the very
poorest Hindoo hamlets, have | ever
heard OF such squalid kraals as the farm
ers of this part OF Ireland inhabit. Here
they are not hidden away from public
view, but front the high road-a dread.
full testimony to mismanagement and
uncleanliness, such as can be met with
nowhe else. An officer OF one OF Her
Maiesty's regiments, who lately served
with honor in Zululand, South Africa,
| declared to me that not even in the
worst parts OF Cetewayos 8 dominions did
| he come across anything so bad as here;
and am inclined to believe that he was
not exaggerating in the slightest. The
rents OF the Western tenants are eXces'
siyely high. One man for example, oc-
cupies land valued at G3 los per acre,
and pays 60 rent; while another
has a still smaller holding rated
| at 3Os, for which he pays
IS and taxes. 1t is manitestly impos-
sible that these men can make living
off poor land so heavily burdened-land
brought under cultivation by them
selves or their predecessors, without
the owner stirring finger or investing
a sixpence in its improvement. 1t is
lust this state OF things ohich should be
bcrne in mind by people who are dis.
DO sed to complain OF the Irish tenants
revolt. This life is often one OF slavery
| for the benefit OF the man who owns
the soil of country, where agriculture
is the only industry. Nothing more
dreary can be imagined than the exis'
tence of these inhabitants. When, by
| rare good luck, tenant secures road
gav or employment from a pro-
prietor, at once sufficiently resolvent
and public spirited to undertake
any enterprise for the i'm.
provement OF the country, he will walk
| for a couple or three hours to his work,
and then 60 on with it till dlnner-tlme.
But it is painfully significant that the
word dinner" is never used in this
connection. The foreman does not cay
that the dinner hour has arrived, but
"Now, boys, it's time to eat your bit o
bread" The expression is painfully
exact; for the repast consists OF bit
of bread and perhaps bottle OF milk.
Srown corn meal is the material OF the
bit OF bread, heavy square block, un'
skilfully made, and 30 unattractive in
appearance that no human being who
could get anything else would touch it.
Then the man works on until 1t is time
TO trudge over the mountain 10 the mis-
erable cabin he imagines to be home,
and meet his poor wife, weary with car.
rying turf from a distant bog, and his
| hall clad and more than half starved
children. Luckily the year has been
a good one for drying peat,
aud one necessity for suppo t
ing human life is supplied. What the
condition OF the people must be when
fuel is scarce, is too terrible to write
about. l esteem myself fortunate in
being able to describe what the life OF
Cannemara PEASANTS under favorable
circumstances. His abject misery in
years OF famine and persistent rain,
when crops fail and peat cannot be
dried, may be left to the imagination. l
have spoken Of such a peasant as has
been fortunate enough to obtain work at
six shillings (Sl.SSl a week, esteemed