New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-26
aBOYCOTTINGn N FBANcE.

From me London Times
The Drut 90 Marche had for Is headquarters
the portion of Picardy which bore the ominous
name of "Sangterre." now generally written
Santerre" bat it formerly extended over Artois,
Flanders, Champagne and the Isle OF france, Al
the present time it practically restricted to three
cOmmuues near PerOnue. | nder itS ryiHe II VI
landowner let farm or piece Oi lana 10 teuaht
no matter un0er what circumstances, the tenant
considered himself made thereby cO-prOprietoT IN
the land or the farm rs the case might be- Inc
ONLY clause IN his lease which he PAID any serious
attention was that concerning the payment OF rent;
everything else was dead letter. ne tenant
claimed the right 10 sublet his farm to bequeaih H.
TO give away to sell the right TO Its occupation,
and so forth. At the expiration of the lease the
landlord might let the farm to another person, ac-
cOrdDg to his legal right; but what would be the
consequence The old tenant would. OF course,
IpCf we notice to quit; he would stralghtway Walk
into % cabaret and pronounce ces mOts sacrament
tauX - Je nal jamaIs fart dauront a personme
pesperc bIen que peIsonne ne men iefs' ms
statement had the force of q sentence passed by
Judge in his own favor. No person in the Locality
would become tenant of the land thus vacated 30
| far rs they we're concerned the land was. 10 use
modern language bOycOtted." II a iarner IRON
q distance became the tenant he was su"Iected 10
ore or more of the Outrages already mentioned ana
n deplOrib bic list of crimes might be compiled by
diligent student. Many acres of land nave ccnse-
quently been left uncutlvated Tor very many
years NJ. Saudbreull gives examples 1aJng DICK
sixty wears from the date OF his speech. ana nave
myself received similar information from proprie-
tor who last year had land under similar disaO,lty
lie would not recognize the DTolt de harche,
therefore his land was boycotted he cOu!d not
cultivate it himself nor could he LET it 70 others -
THIS however is only what NJ. Sdndbrcnll calls
la force dineriien; bat to give an idea of the ac-
tive force Of this conspiracy, for that IS Its proper
designation, Il ~ necessary tC mention lew cndI-
aCter3tic crimes. A proprietor Of 200 acres not
having come to an agreement WIN MS tehiuls lpI
the renewal of their leases consolidated the wh0ie
into one farm, built a stealing suihcieht lot 1ho
requirements of holding oI that sze ana let u 10
Belgian farmer. In tour consecutive years. iIulne-
diately after harvest, the farm buildings ana tue
crops were burnt 10 the ground, and at last the
W.
reaped on the field. OF ordinary lncendlaIy hIes
large crop might be gathered from the records Dut
evidence very rarely forthcoming 10 insure the
conviction OF the culprit. Among murders may
mention that priest shot at his own church
door, and no witness to the crime could he made 10
give evidence on another occasion "A Lnin WAS sHOO
dead during mass III the church itself, ana although
more than 200 people were present, everyone sWOIe
that he or she did not set who committed the aeed
mayor OF a commune became tenant OF lana that
had been cultivated by tho owner during tue Yen
previous years, and before the first year OF ms
tenancy was out he was murdered, Dnt no trace OF
the assassin was ever discovered. have selected
these as being of unusual atr"city, Dut com
mon mut crS were numerous, ana rarely were tne
murdereIs found guilty by tho tribunals, IN cons5-
quence of want OF evidence. There is on record,
bow ever, one remarkable case OF a man having
been hanged for the muir er OF MS successor as
tenant OF II piece of land. The unwrltten code OF
the supporters of the DrOit de Marche contained
no provision for such an event, and therefore the
whole of those persons in the commune VINO pre-
tended 20 possess the DTOlt de MlrcEe o. the
Ian which they occupied were summoned to
consultation. The murderer married man.
and the decision Arrived at Was that the most we'll
to-do unmarried laborer in the lmmune shOnid
Immediately marry the widow. the assembly under
taking TO subscribe for wedding present, ct Ia
chose fat eXccuteew
Every kind of bovcotting" was practised to-
ward the person and family OF the depoi"ieIr for by
that name the incoming tenant was known, un'ess
he paid the outgoing tenant his Droit de Marche,'
and was even his nominee But probably the eX-
tent of this system may be measured ny the iart
that nobody dared marry tie daughter of a
dsDoiatear. Among other characteristics tine
farmers insisted upon paying their rent IN KIND,
and maintained this privilege az a symbol OF theIr
CO. nr0prietDrshID i'm the land Frequently the land
lord did not know and not permitted to know,
the names or persons of his tenants II was main
raincd that 50 long as he was paid punctually the
rent which no had stipulated for h" had no OuSl-
ness to interfere even to inquire ~ 70 the man
agcmeHt Of the property. II the proprietor wished
to .ell his land he must first otter 10 to the tenant
who claimed the " Drolt dc Marche IN every
sense; otherwise he would iud no purchaser in the
locality, and one from distance would snare the
same fatc as an alien tenant.