The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-01-06
The Irish Crisis.

AAC IL 1Su Ol1blS.
Matters are getting no better fast in
tho Emerald Isle. The Land League
is gathering strength day by day and
now numbers hundreds of thousands
OF determined men. Meetings of from
ten to thirty thousand people are OF
weekly occurrence. a strange feature
in this agitation is the sober aud quiet
dcmcanor Of the leaguers. In a nation
of people who have heretofore been so
cNcitablr and prone to fight on all
occasions, these monster gatherings
at which no drunkenness is seen and no
noise. even Of cheering, is heard. are
convincing proof both Of the depth of
feeling pcrvading the masses and the
sa"acitv of the leaders. 4 riot or
overt acts Of violence wouid furnish a
prctcNt tor the government to declare
martial law, and crush out opposition
ny the bayonct. AS it is, the troops
arc merely making themselves ridicu-
IouS by harvesting crops or guarding
landlords who have been "bovcottcd. :"
Parncil and other leading spirits of the
League are now undergoing trial in
Dublin, but not even the Crown ex-
poets to secure convictions; and on
the other hand deputies dare not 90
into the interior aud serve writs of
arrest and eviction. No one can
propi!cSy exactly what will be the up
shot OF this matter; but it is safe to
say that the Irish tenants will in the
end secure some measure Of relief as
they have always done by similar re-
sistance to oppression.
Already this movement has had the
effect of laying number Of facts
which are disgrace to England, and
show how justiiiable is the present
course Of the tenants. Ireland con-
fans about twenty million acres Of
land, Of which about sixteen million
arc productive. With population Of
over five million, this land is owned
by sixty-eight thousand people, of
whom at least half own only quarter
or an acre apiece. About seven hum
dred landlords possess absolutely half
the land in the island, and about sixty
per cent. Of the whole population, or
Mt least three million, arc mere tenants
at will and can be cvicted at any time.
Most of these landlords are despotic
and tyrannical to the last degree. An
instance on judicial record is given of
boy who died from want because his
grandfather was not permitted by his
landlord to take him into his home.
The late Lord Leitrm ordered q new
cottage to be leyclcd to the ground be-
cause its owner did not ask his pcrmis-
sion to erect 1t. a number of wears
ago an Englishman named Powell
bought thirty thousand acres Of land
tMckly settled with small farmers. and
at once he evictcd the last one of them
tore down several hundred houses and
turned the whole place into grazing
place for cattle. Other landlords sine,
then have followed his example il
converting farms into pasture land
and every change has been accompa
MED with Wholesale evictions Of ten
ants who had lived upon the land:
for generations. The farms have {
family for every three or four acres o
land, whereas one man can tend cattle
feeding on two hundred acres. Thou
sands are thus forced into the road ol
are compelled to seek other farms al
ready ovcr-crowded.
1t is a common thing for landlord.
to raise rent whenever q place has
been improved by the tenant. Thi;
Srts premium on lazincss and want
of thrift. Many landlords live in Eng
land OF on tho Continent and neyc,
put their feet on their estates to Sc,
VOW they are managed. Their order:
to their agents rrc to get everything
they can, a,.d the agents obey the in
structtons to the letter, regardless O.
the raiScry thus caused.
About forty years ago an iuspectio,
Of Ireland was made by GritlithS, al
English engineer, and he fixed what l.,
deemed proper rent for lands il
different sections. His report was :
monument of skill and care. Since
then rents have been increased abou,
twenty-five OF thirty per cent. oycrti,c