The Portland daily press., 1881-10-21
[Cor New York Star.l
Was the Rejection of the Land Bill
a Blunder?

Blunder?
| Ihave perused with no little interest and
some surprise your recent Giatribss on the Irish
Land agitation. Until lateIy-in common with
i many other readers of your excellent journal
Il had formed the opinion that the Star had
resolved to adhere to policy of iudicious mod
Grafton in relation to the Land bill; but now l
| fud that you, in sympathy with the extreme
| party in the Land League, counsel the Irish
people to reject it in toto. Were this mere
matter of ordinary politics, phase Of an honr,
| l should not trouble you with auy views of
| mine for can readily believe that journal
with the influence which the Star possesses in
Land League circles would gladly escape the
volume of corresDondence on the subject from
all quarters: but it s not thing of the mo-
ment it is rather a matter that concerns an
entire age and generation: and if the judg-
meut of the League leaders has erred in advis-
ing the resoiute rejection of the Land bill
they must be willing to stand the verdict that
| wi / inevitably follow as the result Of course
hat has plunged nation into civil war, and
has nnllified the better Judgment of the 600 900
| tenant farmers and the millions Of laDorers, ar
| rsaus and mechanics, for the amelioration OF
| whose oppressed condition the bill was special
| ly devised.
Without impugning even for an instant the
statesmaaship OF the gallant aud loyal Parnel.
let me call Your attention 10 the simple facts of
the situation as IL existed two weeks ago. A
L .nd bill had been pss.ed which embraced the
tollOVing leading featUreS:
FRS, II gives fxity OF tenure at fair rent, in
! len OF the outrageous rack rent and the tenant
al-gil sys
Second-It afforded tho tenant the priviledge
! Of An appeal 10 a regularly constituted Judicial
'ribnnal, for the redueeion OF any rent which
10 might deem exec siye.
Tnird--It prevented the landlords from Isis-
| ing the rent on the tenant within period of
fifteen years after the amount has been dein-
itrlV fixed
Fourth-It gave the tenant the right to com
peus .tiou for the improvement ;, aud the right
10 sell them 10 his incoming teuAat, in lieu OF
the Old arbitrary law under which the landlord
| could rob him by laying claim TO such improv
,nents on the eviction of the teuanC or the ex
pir4iian OF the leaG5.
Fifth II afforded tenants privilege so abb
snlutely novel in its characS3s tcat it must be
| recognized as surprising concession on the
part of the Ghvernme 1t, nancy: Wherever
there is an estite for lie and tue tenant desires
| 20 become purchscer tie Government offers
70 advance to MIN twc-ihirds OF the purchase
money, he is to pay the remaining third, the
| adVanCe to run as a loan for definite period 1T
low rate of int4rest aud to Q paid by INSTALL
,uents aC the tsnant's convenience.
Such bill could scarcely fail to meet the
reasonable views OF the Irish farmerS-not be-
eau, it was a couapIeto mea3ure of justice and
all that could be de3ired, but because it was as
n lch as could he expected from the Gladstone
Government at the present time. Tnis has IN
| deed been widely recognized in number of
| distric 8 in Ireland where the bill may be said
| TO have gone into practical operation and
where the bene6cen6 re3ultS-wrupg by the
| pressure of public opinion aud by the moder-
| ate aud judicious policy OF che League leaders,
from the Gove-nmeas-have been partially OK
periencsd Now, in co9selsing, as he did a
short time ago, D give the bill '.falr trlal
Mr. Parnell simply reelected the calmer judg-
inent of the 9ople Wlgh whom ne mingled,
and who could ditce.n in the measure partial
if tardy redress OF the wrones they had suffered
at the hands OF the lar GlordS for many years
But Mr. parnell, unfo una ely, found himself
placed between two fires. On the one hand by
accepting the bill he would have put an end
TO the existence of the League ITSELF on the
other, by rejecting the measure as totality,
the agitation woad BE- revived tenfold and
American sympathizers spurred to renewed
efforts, while the unfortunate farmers alone
would experience the evil results OF such
coarse, besides being impelled from patriotic
motives to aid in sustaining an abnormal con-
dltion of affairs which they did not at all de-
sire.
Now, Mr. Editor, will ask you, divesting
the case of all continent, aud coming down TO
a practical view of il, to answer why 1t would
not have been wissr and more statesmanllke
policy for the leaders TO have couuseled fair
trial of the bill instead of it, rejection? Their
action, as we have sc 30, has bsen followed by
anarchy aud bic 1dshe1. The country to-day
is An armed camp, ard de'enseleSs people are
placed at the mercy OF despotic power against
whom their resis ance cln accomplish little II
anything. 1t is all very well for hreside patrl-
OTIS ou this side OF the Atlantic to adopt resolu-
tions and transmit inhammatory dispatches to
the other side. Ii the continuation OF the ag-
tAfion aud the exsteuca OF the League depsad
80 upv,r et,e mar5yrdom by British bayonets of
few thousand Itish peasant farmers, far bet
ter we're it that the League had aeceptedsthe
bill and reSgued its funcdons, than that one
drop of Irish blood should be spilled to subserve
mere purposes OF political agitation.
Icouteud, sir, that the policy outlined by
Parnell out few weeks ago-a pacific policy
which had already resulted in Strengthening
the League in the minds and breasts OF those
Of the Irish people who have seen their ma
ions blood flowing in former agitations-
should have been pursued unswervingiy to the
end. But unfortunately the League appes Is
10 have come -nder the control of unstable adj
gisers. " ith moderation it has already accom-
pished much aud would have secured more
The Laud Bill was the logical outcome OF the
League; vet with an Inconsistency which fail
TO comprehend, it has disdained to accept the
fruit of its own labors. There are two things
which / would ask YOU to be explicit upon.
First, as 10 the No Rent policy. Is not that
equivalent to the deStructiOn OF property aud
consequently 10 prospective Is6aSOn-
abls tea, can understand; but No Rent IS as
mpract,cabie and futile a folly ia ireland as
Ii would DO in New York.
Next. as 10 the amendment TO the Griffith's
valuation suggested by Mr. Parneli himself
VIZ placing their full value at G3,J00,000 in
steae OF el7 900, 900, which were Gritfith's fig
ures. Can any reasonable man conceive OF the
landlords accepting sach an amendment for
moment? Yet such is the folly which has been
held out as au enticement to the farmers. To
she towuspeople, the tradesmeu and the art-
sans, whom il is also necessary to placate, the
novel advice has bsen given to patroniZe home
industries exclusively. This means simply
in the praseat depressed state of Irish manu-
factures that these Impoverished people are
10 pay two or three prices for home goods
which they can purchase in London, Liverpool
or Glasgow at figures within their reach. Is
that sound advice, Mr.. Editor? Is it advice
calculated TO make Ireland prosperous? Il
w.,u'd certainly make few score manfactur-
ers rich.
Ou the whole, am grieved to find that
cauuot app.ove of this new departure. 1t has
resulted III preciptatisg evil times indeed up
on Ireland. To-day the lead, rs of the League
--men of undoubted patriotism-either Ian
Iaish III Ill or are preparing to Tee o exile
rher recent action has put the country under
martial law, and lett the people without pos
tive leader True, their course N ay fill the
Lard League treasury TO overfiowing; but
question seriously whether il will result in
much benefit to their unhappy country as if
moderate policy had been persisted in. shall
expect you to answer in all ctndor and frank
ness the plain questions | have put to the Star,
aud which represent the Sentin nents of one
who has sympathized with Ireland amid ali
her str uggles, and who is proud to subscribe
himself. A New YORK LEAGUER.
A Sensible Reply.