Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1881-01-07

nate peasant who has to live on the land.
Every improvement the latter makes works
against him, for it increases the value of the
land and inevitably the amount of the rent
"Has not the Land League proposed that
the government should buy the land from
the andords?"
ayes, sir, and this proposition is by no
means novel one. 1t was precisely what
the English government did in the case of
Prince Edwards Island sometime ago. The
Island was owned by absentee landlords and
the population would have deserted it, but
the government purchased the entire Island
and sold tito the cultivators of the soil. The
Prussian government, several years ago, did
the very same thing 1t purchased the land
from the aristocrats and sold it on term OF
thirty-four years, giving debentures to the
aristocrats on which it paid interest as
public debt In Russia, the government
bought immense tracts of land, many times
larger than Ireland, selling it to the liber-
ated .seris on long payments This of course,
is the only way to have the scheme succeed
The payments should be made to run over
| part of two generations, 50 as to make the
payment easier for the impoverished pur-
| chasers."
Are the objects of the Land League in
America similar to those of the home or
ganizationY"
"The Land League in America is an aux
iliary movement among sympathizers with
this constitutional agitation in Ireland, and
is founded upon two ideas moral support
and the collection of money to affect public
| opinion in such way as to counterfeit the
effect produced in this country by the Eng
fish press and agents.
In the case of the passage Of a coercion act,
which is more than probable, as it is only
opposed in the cabinet by Joseph Chamber
lain and John Bright, the effect would be
that the landlords would instantly begin the
eviction Of those tenants who have dared to
take part in this land agitation. The result
of this would be- propably, that during the
first six weeks or two months after the habeas
corpus act is suspended, some hundreds, prob
ably a thousand families, would be evicted |
The Land League must have funds in its
possession, that il may say TO these people
Commit no violence when they drive you |
away from your homes; We will take care |
of you. You need not emigraie, as Eng |
land wants you to do in order 10 get rid Of |
you forever Stay in the nearest town to
your home, and no man in Ireland will take |
the farm from which you were evicted" |
Every farmer in Ireland, you know, is |
pledged not TO rent an eyicted farm. BY |
this pacific action there will be created |
great public opinion. Not only that, but |
this course will destroy the enormous reye-
nue. to the landlords. Then it will become
an argument from the pocket The very
selfshness of men will make the movement
successful if it is carried out"
"But there are many persons in tho coun
try who do not believe that the Land League |
is based on peaceful principles"
"The Land League" Mr.. O'Reilly an
swerel, earnestly, sis strenuously opposed |
TO hecommttal OF any outrage even upon
the most cruel Of landlords, and the re-
ports of the agrarian crimes are certainly |
exaggerated by the landlord organs and the |
English press, Every crime now committed
in the country is set down as agrarian. Con- /
siderng that there are five millions and |
half Of excited people in Ireland, the pau
city Of crime in the past six months is sim
ply marvellous, and this is due wholly 10 the |
determined opposition Of the League to vio-
lence, The people have literally suffered 50
much from defeated rebellion that they have |
become patient and forethoughtful beyond
example"
"But if this coercion act is passed-if these
hundreds Of families are evicted, will there
not be general uprising"
81 think not, for there will be q counter.
irritant in the probable fight in England
over the probable defeat Of the Irish land
bill. Gladstone's land bill will, unquestion-
ably, be defeated by the Lords as its prede-
cessor was six months ago. This action
would rritate the English people very de-
cidedly, and make many Of the radical lead
ers openly call for the abolition of the House
of Lords, The defeat Of this new bill will |
have the result 0f compelling the govern
ment TO go TO the people again for a new |
election, and, with men like Gladstone,
Bright and Chamberlain leading, and acc
onded by the ablest Of the Irish agitators |
and liberal members Of Parliament, the /
country will doubtless return Liberal |
| House, in which case there comes direct |
conflict between the people of England and |
the House Of Lords. The result Of that !
would, undoubtedly, be beneficial To Ire
land"
even II the Land League succeeds in Sc
curing . tenure TO the farmer, as itdemands,
will that end the agtation"
~ think not. believe that then the coun.
try will simply be in decent position 10 ask |
for fair union with the Empire, and in case
Of refusal Of that demand will unquestion- /
ably come revolution in Ireland for all time |
TO CONG, or until the question is settled, A |
fair government would be the repetition Of
the act of 1889, by which Ireland got an In |
dependent Parliament In 1881, the English |
government opposed the demand Of the Irish |
people for a separate Parliament just as Bit |
tery and scornfully as they do now But
under the pfossuye Of coming war with
France, and the sullen determination Of the |
people Of Ireland 10 have what they asked
or go into rebellion, the government granted |
all they demanded and gave them Parlio- /
ment Of their own, q sort Of federal union /
with the Empire. But II was a Parliament I
Of gross injustice ~ popular representa- /
ton for all the Catholics, six -seycnths Of the |
country, were DISTINGUISHED The only voters |
were Protcstants. Twenty years afterwards |
these gefy mea yoiod away their liberties in
voting for the abolition Of their own PaTlIa-
ment. The renewal Of that relation between
the two countries u the only way To sctile
the question and make Ireland peaceful
country"
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