Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-07-10
THE IRISH NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Its Address to the Platform Com mittee Of
National Democratic Convention.

CHICAGO, July 8.
The following address was presented to the
committee on resolutions last night by Alex
ander Sullivan, President of the Irish Nation
al League.
The Executive committee of the Irish
National league, whose members are Ameri-
can citizens, in sympathy with the Irish peo-
pie in their struggle for national Independence
has instructed US to request the privilege of
directing your attention to the evil of our
American absentee landlordism. After show
ing. 10y a brief resume of the history of public
lands in the United States that the national
government has jurisdiction over our public
domain and that the principal of citizenship
OF the United States was paramount in the
laws passed for transferring a title from gov
ernment to individuals, it continues: If the
individual states felt and confessed by their
unanimous action that perpetuity of the
republic would not suffer by individual state
jurisdiction over public lands, would it have
been possible for these patriots to have toler-
ated for moment an anti-repulican occupan-
cy of an area equal to the entire thirteen
states by foreign proprietors, hostile by birth,
training and interest to our free democratic
institutions. For the policy. one consequence
of which is stealthy invasion of the anti
American absentee landlordism, both great
political parties are responsible. 1t arises
out of a general desire to put into speedy
communication east and west, north and south
for their common benefit.
This policy has produced results as deplor-
able as they are graphic. Corporations which
have plOcured wide areas have brought in
upon us foreign monopolists, and We are con-
fronted with an absence proprietary owning
more than 20,000,000 acres of our soil.
whence are exacted vast revenues TO maintain
an aristocrscy in a foreign land.
To discuss before you the monstrous social
and industrial effects of land monopoly as ex.
hibited in the lower plane of tenant life and
in the monstrous crimes of landlordism called
famines, perpetrated by the British system of
land ownership in Europe and Asia, is assur-
edly needless. Aside from the substantial
injury inflicted upon our national growth by
the enclosure of immense tracts greater than
kingdoms the exclusion of manufactures and
the retardation of trades, our democratic
institutions are now menaced by the installa-
ton of an aristocracy on our soil, the moral
influence and material strength of which may
prove an embarrassment to the republic. 1t
is notorious fact that these anit-Amerian
monopolists are subjects OF power from which
only by revolution people were able to obtain
liberty, which by intrigue, jobbery and cor
]
statemanship, endeavored to rob US after vic
tory of right, won by arms from its king, his
armies and its fleets, power which compel
led us to second war in defence of our terri
tory and in vindication of the rights of adop-
ton of American citizens; power, which
during a cruel domestic conflict betrayed with
equal baseness, North for malice and South
for profit in the hope of being a reversionary
heir of our national domain and continental
wealth, after our common ruin should be
accomplished-a power which has shown as
only treachery, duplicity and hatred in every
hour of national peril; this fact supplies un-
answerable proof that DANCE? of colossal
anti-democratic land monopoly within arepub-
lie, scorning allegiance to its laws, despising
its spirit and contemning its forms, is not an
ideal or sentimental danger, bat actual imml-
nent and practical
This evil can be destroyed only at its base.
National prudence demands that not by local,
imperfect or temporary legislation, but by an
amendment to the constitution ana TO the con-
stitution of the several states, providing that
American citizenship shall be made indispen-
sable to the ownership of land in the United
States so that thus the intention of the origi-
nal states that public land should be fer the
benefit of the American people shall be faith
fully fulfilled so far as now lies in our power
and that our soil unstained by feudalism and
despotism shall forever remain the inheritance
of free people.
The address was signed by Alexander Sui
livan, of Illinois; Rev. Charles oReiliy'
ID. ID. of Michigan; William NJ. Cilhns'
Kentucky; Thomas o. Reilly, M. ID. OF MIS-
souri, aud James Reynolds of Connecticut. Al
the conclusion of the reading, the committee
applauded. Sullivan was asked numerous
questions and the committee also listened 70
= Sew remarks on the suhjec, by Rev. Father
Reilly.