Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-03-12

important outgrowtn OF the umes'
Organized in the spring of 1879, it
has since rapidly developed, until
it can at the present moment boast
that it covers every district in the
country, with network of branch
organization, all pledged to obey the
mandates Of the central body, and to
work increasingly for the abolition OF
Landlordism."
And what is the Land League :?
What has it done' What does it
propose to doP
/. The Land League in an organi-
zation composed of men of every re-
ligious d nomination and every ma
tionality who believes that man is
entitled to the use of the soil, and
that no one man or class of men
should monopolizs any part thereof
to the detriment of others. 1t was
organized to first avert the landlord
caused famine of 1879-'S0, and pre-
vent forever the recurrence Of those
periodical famines that have brought
disgrace and humiliation upon Ireland
and caused her to be devasted by
hunger and starvation.
2. The Land League was the means
of saving the lives of 100000 people
in Ireland during the winter Of 1879
80. That number of persons it saved
from death through starvation. 1t
has kept on and reinstated in their
holdings over $4,000 farmers. In
other words it has prevented $4,000
evictions ordered by the landlords of
the West of Ireland. Mr.. Gladstone
says that in Ireland every eviction
is a death-sentenoe. According to
that, allowing the very low estimate
of six to a family, Che Land League
has prevented the death Of $4,000
persons more.
When the agents Of the Irish land
lords were incorporating its labors
and aims, it sent its envoy, in the
person Of Mr.. Charles Stewart Par
nell, to this country to present and
explain its platform of principles to
the American public with the view
to obtain the moral support and SYM
pathy of the American people, and
the result was that the latter, with
their characteristic sense of justice
generously responded not only with
their moral support but their mater
ial aid. Through the teachings o
the Land League-and this fac
should not be lost sight of-the PEG
pie of Ireland have been raised to ;
standard of manhood which they die
not before aspire to.
8. There are, according to a Par
liamentary return Of a few years ago
1851 landlords in Ireland. The,
claim to be the absolute owners O
20,047, 1872 acres. Of that numbe
2,973 are absentees, who never Sc
Ireland, but receive their rack-rent
through their agents and spend thei
lives in idleness and debauchery ant
revelry. There are, on the othe
hand, about 100000 farmers in Ire
land neither one Of whom-not eve
all put together-own a single foot c
Irish soil. Yet these people must &c
their support directly from the LAND
Now, if a few thousand landlords ow
all the land, they consequently ow
the means of support of the entir
people, Ireland being an agriculture
country, and hence hold the lives c
these people in their hands. TIL
landlords have shown on more tina
one occasion, that they possessed tn
power to kill the Irish people throug
the land system. They showed
every few years in the perio lical fam
ines caused by the collection of thei
rack-rents to pay which the produc
of the farms Of Ireland was swep
away into foreign markets, and tn
cultivators of the land left to die tn
slow and degrading death of starva
ton. Why, in the late Irish famine
as the American relief ship ConstelIa
ton was entering Dublin Bay som
four or FIVE English ships were goin
out laden with the produce of tn
Irish soil, and in the very severes
week enough live stock was sent t
England to "pay the rent" to Civ
every person in Ireland good Dime
every day of the seven. Shall thi
power to hold and at pleasure sacrific
the multitude be allowed to continue
The Land League says, No. Ever,