The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-02-14
FAITH In FOLLIES.
The Sad Condition of the Irish
Tenantry.
THE M0NKEYING MINISTER'S.
The Recent ElectiOns-At the Mercy
of the LandlOrds-A Case of
kncking-Other Notes.
BELFAST, January 16, 1886.


Correspondence of THE HERALD:
Times are getting to be lively here
1t is singular how considerate landlords
are for the welfare of political parties
which are opposed to the Nationalist
cause. Ever since l came to Ireland
the "Loyalist" (as they distinguish
themselves from others interested or in
sympathy with the Nationalist move
mentl newspapers have been pointing
daily to the prosperous condition of the
Province of Ulster, in evidence of the
progress made by those of Protestant
aiths as opposed to the showing in
quarters where Catholicism predom,n
ated. The comparison has been made
persistently, and as persistently have
they inquired sarcastically why the
majority OF the inhabit ants of Ireland
could not conform to their way of liv-
ing and indulge in the foretaste of the
celestial bliss which it was the happy
lot of Protestants be partakers of in this
vale of tears. When the winters boy-
cotting was resumed in the south, these
popular educators wished to know why
their countrymen of that quarter ard
the west could not get along without
resortlng to such "aggravating and dis
tasteful tactics; closing each article with
a renewal of the invitation to look at
Ulster and take heart and follow her
example. When an eviction under
painful circumstances was reported, the
| question.was sure TO be asked in some
such words as these: why cau't YOU
pennle be like u.s." Ulster was held up
as b Eden OF Ireland. Ministers from
tnelr pulpits on Sabbath days lamented
the poverty, the lawleSsness. the ignor-
ance and the superstition of the priest
ridden people of the south, contrasting
their condition with the great prosper
itv, the good order, the intelligence, and
| tue unbounded religious freedom of The
population of Ulster. During the cleo
ton these weapons, together with the
vilest abuse of Catholics and the warn
ing of people against the anti-landlord
movement of the Nationalist as sub
versive OF every principle of religion
and law, were used with "damuable
iteration" Ministers stood on plat
forms and preached politics; pictured
the singular liberality of the landlords;
told how blighting would be the result
of Nationalist victory, and Stated
what extreme lengths those of Protest
ant faith should go to in order 10 main
tain inviolate the rights of landlords
who were so cOnsiderate and to pre-
serve the existing order of things gem
{ a W lis 10 cd R,o
sideration of the landlords and their
mpathy with the anti-Parnell part
les. They displayed it in what can
Faithfully be termed mastery mac
tivIty." They did nothing. Ulster r..
turned eighteen Conservatives and the
rest of Ireland gave only Nationalist
The election well over, landlords have
| begun to come out of their shell, and
now Ulster is also in hot water.
In many years farmers have known
no such times as they are now expert
encing. The decline in the value of
farm products has been steady and I'M
failing, especially since last spring, and
perhaps there is not one farmer in the
whole country but has found himself
poorer than when 1885 began. These
things we're known by all parties DUR
ing the campaign, and each party at.
| tributed the troublous and bad times
to the other. As there are three parties
in Ireland, it was a sort of three corner
ed fight, not unlike the duel described
in Captain Marryatts novel, "Midship-
man Easy" The Nationalist came out
on top and are taking advantage OF
their victory; and were the election TO
take place now there would be singu-
lar decrease in the Conservative MEM
| bership in Parliament from Ireland and
a corresponding increase in the Nation
alist forces.
Evictions are actually taking place in
| large numbers in the Province of Ulster
and some sggrav ted cases have occur
red within i've miles of Belfast, which
is the hot bed of anti nationalism, as 1t
is also the centre of the boasted pros
| perity of this Province. There is little
doubt that the farmers as a class are in
finitely better off III Ulster than in any
other province in ireland, and in even
this one they are unable TO pay their
rents. One can pity. therefore, the
power of the other provinces. Meet
ings are being held, tenants are protest
ing against the exactlon of the rents,
and demanding a reduction of from
thirty-6ve to fifty per cent. and declare
that any less will be of no use whatever.
Il
to pay the rental, but they have not the
money. Cattle, which for years, were
the last unfailing resource to the tenant
to enable him to pay h's rent, have been
loss and will not pay for the feeding.
The farmer, however, is at the mercy of
the landlord, the rents in nearly all
cases having been fixed for period OF
fifteen years by the Land Commission,
and it is optional with the landlord
whether any further reduction is given,
though he is powerless to increase 1t.
Some of the farmers have paid from
s., 600 to O.O00f for the privilege of rent
ing those farms, and have made I'M
proyements at their own cost besides.
and at meeting held lately, ten miles
from Belfast, the tenants OF a recent
u. P. declared that unless he gave
them reduction of not less than thirty
Eve per cent. they would be forced to
give up the land and lose all their
money invested for they could rot meet
the rent. This is not an isolated case.
There is scarcely an estate IN Ulster
whose tenants are not demanding re-
duction. In some instances the agents
OF landlords have offered ten per cent.
reduction. but it has been refused. Inc