Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-02-22
Expa t1a tion for the Irish.

La pa Via ~ NAA 1OA L4AC AAAoh.
The latest scheme Of the British
| Government 10 better the condition
of the Irish poop is to present them
with the cho ce between starvation
and expatriation. 1t is now pro-
posed to give every man f5 who will
consent to leave the land of his birth
and emigrate To some other country,
and this is the last solution that
English craftsmanship has been able
to invent for the perpIexing Irish
pI oblem. 1t has often been the
practice among some of the meaner
and poorer nations and municipalities
of the Old World to secretly send
their paupers and criminals to other
countries; but this is the first time
in the history of any frst-class pow
er that such plan Of forced expa-
triation has ever been openly sug-
gested. The proposition is repug-
nant to every sentiment Of patriot
ism, and offensive to eyey natural
sentiment that binds men and wo-
mel to the land of their nativity.
1t places the Irish peasantry on the
level with criminals and paupers.
! The British Government has robbed
them of the means of their support,
and now it proposes to get rid of
them by making a small donation to
carry them away for some other
country to support. Voluntary EN-
igrati,n is well enough, and has al
ready done much for thousands of
unhappy Irishmen, but the poorest
people under heaven ought to rel ct
any plan of enforced expatriation
with scorn and indignation.
Nothing better illustrates the self
ishness and meanpess of the British
Government, and nothing better il
illustrates the blighting effects of the
present andlord system in Ireland
than this scheme. Ireland contrib.
utes $35, 100000 per annum towards
the Government that has robbed her
people. She also sends $3O,O0O,000
TO absentee landlords in London aud
Paris, in the shape of rents, to be
squandered in riotous living. Her
Government tax and her land tax
amount to more than 100000 per
month the year round Out Of about
2o,000,Oo0 acres of land, not more
than 100000 are used for the pro
duction of food, while 100000 are
under grass, which is the least re-
munerative of all modes of cultiva-
ton, and the most of the balance is
used for the still poorer purpose of
hunting and gaming About 1000
persons own nearly he whole island.
202 pers ms occupy 5,50o,G00 acres,
or about one-third; 755 persons own
100000, and twelve men occupy
1905 acres each. No wonder that
destltution, misery, penury and pau
perism ave the characteristics of such
i tax-rldden people, aud it is no
wonder that the Government which
has wrought out all this indescrib-
able misery for an entire class of its
subjects should have an endless
variety Of trouble with them.
This country has real interest in
this latest scheme of the British
Government, because there is no
other country to which an Irishman
wishes to emigrato when he pulls up
stakes, except the United States.
This is to him the land Of promise
the land flowing with milk and
honey-and to this country nine
tenths Of them viii come, if they
can; so that the offer of SO passage
money is a premium of so much on
every pauper that sets sail for Amer
lea. If Mr.. Blaine were Secretary
of State to-day-and more's the
pity that he is not-he would not
allow the sun to go down until he
had instructed Mr. Lowell to inform
MIR. Gladstone that this Government
looks upon this scheme with disap-
probation, and that itwilltake speedy
faction to protect its,lf from its in
furious effects. Every self reliant
man and woman who comes here
voluntarily from ireland is thrice
welcome; but England should not
| be allowed to make this country the
poor house to which she can send
her paupers Mt pleasure. Chicago
/ J0uraaL
Goop-BNF, winter Goods. Don't