The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-10
LIFE In THE ISLE OF SKYE.
Henry George Tells of the Troubles Be-
tween the CrOfters and Landlords.
The Spirit of Resentment that Inequalities
Have Developed Among the People
Social !.::fs; en- the Island.

II have been in the Isle of Skye twice, saia
Henry George, the land question agitator; "the
last time being in January of this year spent
New Years day riding in an open machine
everything wheels is there called "a machine,
was afraid to take covered vehicle for fear 1T
would be blown down some precipice by the
fierce winds that were then prevailing The
island lies between the lines of latitude $40 and
$50, northwest of the Scottish mainland The
island furnished England many troops during
the Revolutionary war and more during the wars
with Napoleon"
What is the populationW
'About 10 600 now, and the entire island is
owned by eleven men. the principal owner being
Lord Macdonald who is now in Australia. He
has been telling the newspapers there that the
only trouble in Skye was caused by that fellow
George. The crofters, who have been frequently
mentioned lately in the disturbances on the
island, are simply small farmers They speak
Gaelic and resemble very much the people
of western ireland. They are in
fact, the same people, that part
of Scotland having been settled from Ireland
centuries ago. These crofters have been driven
off the best lands, which have been given up to
sheep and cattle, and have been forced to cult
vate the poorer portions of the island, where
they cannot make living off the land, and exc
it out by fishing and by going to the mainland
during the harvest season to work In these
crofters' huts you find the spinning wheel and
handloom still in use, while the cultivation of
their bleak acres is carried on with primitive
instrument that was in thousand years
ago, and which they call "a crockit spade They
use sea-weed for manure, which the women
carry on their backs in creels. The peat which
they burn for fuel is transported in the same
way. Their cabins are miserable huts, with dirt
floors, in the center of which usually peat fire
is kinded, the smoke finding its way as it can
through the thatch on the roof, as a chimney
would carry off too mueh hcat.
'sTbe7 .4v, however, an intelligent and most
virtuous people They are deeply religious, all
Presbyterians, and the meetings | addressed
there were invariably opened with prayer.
These crofters have been absolutely at the mercy
of the landlords. AS one of them said to me- we
have feared the landlords more than we feared
God Almighty; we have feared the factor (the
landlords agent, the steward of the estate) more
than the landlord, and the ground officer more
than the factor The representative of the
landlord has, in fact had over them the power
of life and death At word from him they can
be thrust forth from their homes. If one of
them managed to get possession of gun, the
factor would simply order him to give it up
They are not allowed to keep dogs, and have
heard of cases where, when they got sheep OF
two they compelled to cut their Threats,
lest the sheep should stray upon the grounds
of the sheep farmers large tenants to whom land
from which the people had been driven. was let
<0.,, ysxy,vo fINxr
no longer tremble in such abject fear as they
did l was at place called zig in Skye. on the
I'd of last January, when factor came there to
collect his rent. According to previous usage
the tenants would have all waited upon him. hat
in hand, to pay their rent but this time they
were all at the great meeting which we held on
the bluff and the factor went off without getting
penny. Some of the most enthusiastic of my
auditors on that occasion were English marines
who had been sent up there to awe and frighten
the people. l found that these marines had also
become thoroughly imbued with the notion that
the landlords were mere usurpers, and some OF
them were thoroughgoing republicans, and long
ing to see the day when the absurdty of royal
family would be done away with. These Skye
crofters have thorough grasp of first principles.
They believe that God made the land, and that
he made it not for few men like Lord Mac
donald, but for all his children whom He calls
into being upon it. They have among them
many really eloquent speakers. On
my recent visit l was accompanied
by prominent Aberdeen solicitor. Mr. d. G.
Macdonald, who is a native OF one OF the
duently. / would speak in English and he
would speak in Gaelic to the crofters The
apostles of the land movement in Skye are John
Mcpherson, 1.-The Glendale martyr" as he is
called, having been one of the men imprisoned
for his advocacy Of popular rights and Rev.
Donald McCallum, minister of the established
Presbyterian Church. man of great force of
character and of rare eloquence.
'The same spirit which prevails in Skye is
everywhere showing itself throughout the high
lands. But the Highanders are poor and weak,
and can of themselves accomplish little. 1t was
for this reason that spent most of my time
during my recent visit in the lowlands
of Scotland, where the political strength lies.
The crofters need encouragement and support,
and am glad to see that movement has been
started by some of their countrymen in the
United States to furnish them material aid.
committee has beer formed in Chicago, with
Rev. Duncan McGregor at its head. l know
nothing of their plans but am in full sympathy
with their purposes, as every man who knows
the expressions under which this people labor
must be. l hope some means will be taken to
secure for them the aid of their countrymen On
this side of the Atlantic"
you had some controversy with the Duke of
Argyll" suggested the reporter. II believe he
pleasantly styled you such prophet of iniquity
as the world has never before seem"
Eyes" said Mr.. George, 1.-THE Duke of Argyll
wrote an article lOr the Nlneteentn century
Magazine entitled The Prophet of San Francis
co in which he attacked me- / had not in
tended to reply to it, but my Scottish
friends would not let me 60 until I had promised
to do so. Without attaching so much Importance
to anything the Duke of Argyll said. replied by
an article in the Nineteenth Century, entitled
The Reduction to Iniquty.' These articles
have been printed together, both on the other
side of the water and on this. The pamphlet
published on the other sideis entitled The Peer
md he hat nd hat IN ic do ar4x
in Land Since that time the Duke has had
nothing further to say at least not to me. 1t
was proposed that should speak during my re-
cent visit to Scotland in Inverary, little town
hard by the Dukes castle, but. by the Dukes
orders, as stated by his chamberlain, we were
not allowed TO get the only hall in the place
would have goue there and held an open air
meeting but for the badness of the weather,