Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1884-04-26
N OFT INVEST FNrtKrRlsE
THE IRISH SOCIAL PROBLEM
From Michael Davltt's Article in
London Today)

tE
London Today
The Land Act is neither final nor
Temporary settlement of the Irish agraran
war. 1t isl mere parley between contend
ing forces, in which the bsyoncts of the
Government are alone the preservers OF
the peace.
When to the moral, economic, and ma
teriai obstacles in the way OF the Lind
Act, we have to add the national antip-
athy which the moral grievance OF land-
lordisu, per Sc, will always keep alive in
The minds of our people, how can even the
most sanguine English statesman look
forward to period when Ireland will Le-
GENE recohciled to class ownership OF
the land which is responsible tor its all
but complete social ruin1
The discomfort which is the natural re-
suit of a purposely misinterpretcd meas
ure, and the stronger national feeling aris'
ing from numbers of heartless evictions,
all go to show how far Mr.. G adstone',
second attempt to settle the Irish land
question has fallen short Of success.
The Wing government has said its last
word on the IRISH land question. We
shall sec, promise Mr.. Trelevyn that
the Irish people have not said theirs on
Irish landlordism.
The class which is bound to suffer most
ere the Irish social problem is solved 10
that which has chiefly contributed to the
partial ruin OF the country. Justice re-
quired that some, at least, of the landlords
rack.rented plumber should be restored to
those from whom it had been legally sto-
len, and no moral code is being violated
permitting the so-called economic law of
supply and demand" to operate in full
force against the unstable estates of those
who unscrupulously profitcd by the work.
ing of the same law when a mad comps>
tltion tor land had ruined thousands Of
small farmers in the days Of tenancy at-
will. s..
A class which cannot exist unless priv
ileaged to plumber the earnings OF some
other class, is in bad way when equity
is made to put . stop to the legal theft.
What claim upon the aid or generosity
Of the State have class of monopolists
like the Irish laudlordsl For generations
they have shamelessly robbed poor and
unfortunate tenantry with impunity. As
residents in Ireland, they have been mer.
CHESS, both in their rent exaotisns, and as
the administrators of rural justice.
They have, as was once truly said by the
London Times, enforced their rights
with a hand of iron, and neglected their
duties with front of Brass. Their gen.
sral treatment of the agricult classes
which constitute three millions OF our
population, has been the chief cause alike
OF the poverty and discomfort of the coun|
try. From. 1t has resulted the agrarian
crime which has 80 injured both the
name and the peace of Ireland.
Not less than one hundred millions oil
public taxes have been expended in the
last eighty four years in the administra-
ton Of exceptional and coercive laws, rem.
dered necessary in consequence of the
Irish landlords; and now, after this rec,
ord Of criminal action and criminal neg
lsct, of abuse of power and of opportun-
Ity, when the consequences Of their long
and ruinous social sway in Ireland is re-
acting upon themselves, the public tax
payer Is expected to sanction a scheme by
which twice the market price OF portion.
of their estates will be obtained in order
to recruit their shattered means of per-
secution, and give to the disturbing ele-
ment in Irish social life longer lease o
poverty.induciDg and crime-provokinl
power. kr-
Upon what principle of fair dealing the
landlords are to- be helped to screw large
Gums of puschase,noney from these noun
tain and bogland:tepants is not easy tc
discover. They have been the most fear.
fully rack rented portion of our tenantry
They are mostly all housed in one-roomcd
cabins, built Of mud or rubble. More
than million OF human; beings are thus
domieiled in Ireland. and the effect which
the purchase scheme now clamored for BY
the landlords. would have upon the social
prospects of these people would be to
continue them IN their present condition
for the remainder of their lives, by having
to pay an equivalent u . judicial rack,
rent for fifty years, in order that the class
which has shamelessly robbed and CD.
pressed them may recciya a liberal nr;.s