Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-24
LANDLORDS AND DEER.
A Chicago Divine Gives Graphic Accents
OF the seesch Crefters.
New York Herald.l


OF the scotch Crefters-
New York Herald.l
The Rev. Duncan Macgregor gives .
pitiful account Of the suferings endured
by the crofters in the Highlands Of Scot
| land. Mr.. Macgregor Is a Baptist
clergyman and president Of the Scottish
Land League Of America, which has its
headquarters at Chicago. He has just
arrived from Scotland, where he has
spent the past three months.
"The Scottish Land League OF
America sent me to Scotland last Au-
gust" said Mr. Macgregor to Herald
reporter yesterday, "in order that
might study the condition ofthe crofters
and make report thereon. ! trayersed
the Hebrides thoroughly and delivered
about fifty speeches-mauy Of them In
Gaclic-to the crofters. | found the
people wretchedly poor, bitterly OPP
posed to landlordism, and drifting fast
toward irreligion and disloyalty. Many
of them are so poor that they
cannot buy oatmeal, and have to
live on whelks, which they pick up
on the sea-shore. They hate the deer
as much as they do the landlords.
There are two million acres Of deer
forest in Scotland, and the deer are so
well protected that hitherto no crofter
las yentured to kill one Of them, even
though his crop may have been utterly
DESTROYED by one of his landlords pets.
know cases in which crofters and their
wives have remained on guard on alter
nate nights for the purpose of driving
off deer from their little crops. Now,
however, the crofters have sworn to
kill every deer they can come across.
If they catch one trespassing they can
easily surround him and drive him into
the sea.
"The crofters complain that the
clergy do not help them, and that, how
ever much the Queen may sympathize
with them, those in authority under
her have not befriended them in any way.
Their families are starving and they
cannot be expected to be loyal. They
are reused now, however, and are de-
termined to submit to no more evic-
tons. They will not use violence, but
will rely on passive resistance. II
they are sentenced to prison they
will not go, but will compel the
authorities to carry them there. They
have clearer views on the land question
than any other people in Great Britain,
and 60 to the root of the matter in their
fiery Gaelic speeches. Thousands Of
them attended conference in Skye re-
Gently, and remained for seven hours
under pouring rain listening to the va
rious speakers. Their favorite cry is
Down with the landlords and down
With the deer = They say openly that
they will not vote for any one who does
not promise to advocate their cause.
Until quite recently, you know, they
had no votes.
IL selected three men, who had suf-
fered for the cause as missionaries, and
left them behind me to carry on the
work. They all speak Gaelic, and are
bound to make good headwav among
the people. They will be paid by the
Land League of America. Crofters,
whose friends are in prison or who have
been ill-used themselves, will also re-
ceive money from the League. A good
sum of money has already been spent
on organization and on the purchase Of
books and pamphlets.
A mass-meeting will be held in
Chicago in few days and in this city
later on. At both these meetings Scot
tish- Americans and all others who care
TO attend will be told the truth about
the crofters, and will be asked to help
them in their struggle against the ty-
ranny Of landlordism. Special stress
will be laid on the fact that there is
certain to be trouble this winter, owing
to the crofters' determination to kill the
deer"
Mr.. Macgegor started for Chicago
last evening. lie met Mr.. Henry
George during the day and told him
that his views on the land question
we've warmly appreciated By the croft