The daily gazette., 1881-07-14
THR IRIsH TENANTS HARD LIFI

TEE IRIsH TENANTS HARD LIFE.
--Tenants in our own free and happy
country have their difficulties to make
the two ends meet, which are often
hard enough but they are small in
comparison with the hard life of the
Irish tenantry. The difficulties which
beset the condition of the Irish farmer
ID not Of recent introduction, it is of
the growth Of years, and it is just this
which gives the British government
such trouble in its attempt to remedy
the difficulties. Fixed tenure, free
sale, and fair rent, is what the Irish
farmer claims under the significant
three Fs. They maintain that long
years ago the large tracts of land were
worth but little, until they were built
upon and worked by the tenantry.-
On tracts Of thousand acres some
times there are a hundred tenants
These tenants build the houses they
occupy and make all improvements as
well ~ enrich the land with fertilizers
and By cultivation. But they are not
allowed to sell any Of the improve
ments-they all belong to the owner
Of the land, which they entered upon
at . nominal rent, when no improve.
ments existed upon it.
Now, Delaware farmer will laugh
at the credulity of the Irishman for
allowing himself to be caught in such !
. position. The Delaware farmer
would at least require lease for a |
long term of years at a very low rent,
before he would build and improve a |
farm and just here is where the mis-.
take Of the Irish farmer commenced |
that has resulted in his hard fate.-l
After the Irish tenant had built upa
on the land and improved it the rents
were raised from year to year until it
became impossible for him to make
enough to clear his expenses and live;
and hence every year that the crops
were short he got deeper into debt, and
then came eviction. 1t is easy to un-
derstand that men with families who |
have built houses that they had lived
In and improved for a generation under
the impression that they would be
their life tenures, feel that they are
the victims Of hard masters when they
are turned out of doors.
1t 10 true that the right OF the tenant |
to sell improvements he has made in
some parts Of ireland has been recog-
nized by long custom /; but in most
parts It is not. But the difficulty is to |
fad . purchaser who will buy im-
provements on land owned by hard |
landlords and this difficulty is magni-
ned during periods of "hard times"
like such as have been recently ex-
perienced. Had the Irish tenants built |
on ground rent" as in Philadelphia,
such troubles a. they now experience
would not have an existence.
1t 10 believed that Mr.. Gladstone
aims to relieve the Irish tenantry.
But he meets with difficulty at every
step. Tho tenantry demand more
than the landlords are willing to
grant and our own Congress fur.
nishes evidence Of the influence which |
wealth has upon legislative bodies. |
Parliament is filed with Englishmen
subjectto the same influences, land
Washington has fewer lobbyists than
London. Still Mr.. Gladstone hopes to
have . commission formed that will nx
the rent Of each tenant. He also aims
to arrange system of sales by which
the tenant may purchase and become
the owner, and thus cure the evil COM
planned Of by those who claim fixed
tenure, free sales and fair rent. He
has further In view the reclaiming of |
the bogs Of Ireland to place more land
under cultivation in certain districts |
that are now crowded with population. |
His last effort is to and with money |
Irishmen who viii immigrate to Can
ada or ether English colonies. Fears |
arc expressed that the Irish tenants |
will not unite upon Gladstone's plans !; |
but BY demanding more than he can
secure for them defeat the better fea-
lures Of his Efforts.