Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-24
THE VIEWS OF AN IRISH LANDLORD


The New York World some time ago pub
lished astatement of the Irish land qGes-
tion from the Land Leagues point OF view
In spirit of fairness, and to give the Amer
lean reader grounds on which to form correct
opinion, the World has now given a full
statement of the same subject from the land
lords point of view. The statement comes
from well qualified source-Mr. As NJ.
Kavauagh, the author of the Land Corpora
ton of Ireland, an organization the object OF
which is to work in opposition to the Laud
League, and to watch, and, as far as can lie
done, to resist the operation of certain fea-
lures of Gladslone's land act. Mr.. Kaya-
nagh gave his statement very directly and
courteously, but in it he has only condemDs-
tion for the land-leaguers as designing
meD," and contempt for their followers as
"dupes." That long oppression and present
misery and hopelessness had driven the Irish
tenantry into resistance to the evils that bore
them down, or that their pitiable situation
excused much that was deplorabe, and
palliated the outbreaks of despair, are
ideas that have evidently no lodging in Mr..
Kavanagh's mind. That the people were
often wro pged he acknowledges, hut that
they SHOULD take up arms against sea Of
troubles" is, in his eyes, inexcusable. That
the government, in the interests of justice
took up the cause of the weak against The
strong, and threw around the tenants inter-
ests the shield of law is, in his estim atior-
which can be taken as the estimate of the
Irish landlords generally-"the weak and
timid action" Of men who suffered them
selves TO be influenced by lawlessness and
Intimidation. He regretfully declares that,
under Gladstone's land act, "the tenant
farmers of Ireland hold their farms on ex-
ceptionably favorable terms, which the ten
ants OF no other country in the world pos
sess." In reply to the questions of the Worlds
Europesn correspondent, Mr.. Kavanagh said
that the benefits Of the old land system to
the tenants depended upon the disposition-of
the landlord, whose power, he said, "was un-
doubtedly very great for good or evil" The
system wss feudal and patriarchal; there
was loyalty among the tenants, who, to the
landlord, were "His people" This happy
condition of things was broken up when
measures, adopted within the last fifteen year,,
brought Irish property into the market and
new men came in; these illused the tenants
and their harshness caused all the trouble.
That Ireland was groaning under wrong be-
Tore Ths EngIIsh LTUsraT party oegan 10 inter-
fereto right evils existing from Queen Eliza
beth's time, is fact in Irish history I'M
known 10 the statements OF this candid Irish
landlord. These men bought Irish property,
then turned their tenants out if they would
not pay rent enough to secure interest on the
purchase money. The Irish also borrc~~<
money, the partial failure Of ~ crops Oh
1875 left them without - money 70 pay;
g., ,bs Land E...-s sprung up and won
-. -. -. = promisingto relieve them
any rents for their lands and
,o% ni%Z The effects were the mutilation
e cattle of those who paid rent, assassi-
cations and bOycottings. The landlords
fought the proposed land act, and, says Mr..
Kaysnagh, would have been very glad had
they been able to defeat it," yet that act as
sures to the tenant, this landlord acknowl-
edges, "free sale, fair rent, and secure ten
ure." These three things, the landlords
"SAo W. oHAc1 "eEo tDo 6oOa 10 70 dllOHeQ
TO become the possession of their
tenants. The correspondent m axes inquiries
about Interchangeable is the plan of
getting one man 10 bid for farm against
another until a figure is reached that will
bring good prolific the landowner and
ruin to Inc tenant-Mr. Kavanagh replies:
"The shortsigh tedness of rack-renting was
pointed out BY me several years ago. at
that time would lave been willing that
law should have been passed making it =
criminal ofisnse, because considered rack
renting, in the sense in which we are now
uaing the word, to be a crime. realised
The hideeus injustice and cruelty of il, and |
would hAye been glad If it could have |
been put a stop TO. Understand thoroughly |
that rsok-reHting was not a general prac-
tice. Il occurred in the cases Of what / i
have called new men, but was not general
evena mopg Them The issling on the part
Of the great msjority of the landlords
was against it, and there was always an |
implied protest, conveyed more by man.
ner, possibly, than by words, BY the land.