Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-06-05

OF barley. But Oafiey Is not one Vi Tue
great crops of ireland. She pro-
very extraordinary yield considering Ireland's
small area. The next item l think every
one will recognize as peculiarly adapted to
Ireland; (laughter) of potatoes, she pro-
duced one hundred and ten million bushels,
within sixty millions of the whole product OF
the United States for the same year. In tur-
nips and mangols together she produced one
hundred and eighty-fve million bushels, vast
ly greater in weight than the largest cotton
crop of the United States. She produced of
fax sixty millions of pounds. and of cabbage
eight hundred and fifty millions of pounds.
She produced of hay three million eight hum
bred thousand tons. She had on her thou
sand hills and in her valleys over four mil :
lion head of cattle, and in the same pasiur-
age she had three million five hundred thou
sand head of sheep She had five hundred
and sixty thousand horses and two hundred
and ten thousand asses and mules. During
the wear 1880 she exported to England over
| seven hundred thousand cattle, over seven
| hundred thousand sheep and nearly half
| million swine. Pray remember all these
came from territory not quite so large as the
| State of Maine and from an area of cultivation
less than twenty millions of acres in extent.
But with this magnificent abundance on this
fertile land, rivaling the richness of the an
cient land of Goshen, there are men in want
of food and appealing to-day to the charity
of the stranger and compelled to ask aims
through their blood and kindred in America.
Why should this sad condition occur in
land that overfows with plenty and exports
millions of produce to other countriesT Ac-
cording to the inspired command of the great
Law Giver of Israel, Thou shalt not muzzle
the OK that treadeth out the corn" and st.
| Paul in quoting this text in his first epistle
to Timothy added, 1.-The laborer is worthy of
his reward" (Applause) And yet many of
the men engaged in producing these wonder
full harvests are to-day lacking bread TO sat
isfy their hunger.
Mr.. Gladstone believes, and we hope more
than half of Great Britain believes with him,
that the cause of this distress in Ireland is to
be traced in large part to the ownership of
the land. Seven hundred and twenty-nine
Engiishmen, own half the land in Ire
land. Three thousand other men own the
ajOrity of the other half of the agricultural
land of Ireland. Counting all the holdings
there are but nineteen thousand two hundred
and eighty owners of land in Ireland,
and this in a population of more than five
million souls. Produce that condition of af
fairs in Maine or in all New England
as great as the distress in Ireland to-day.
Mr.. Gladstone, speaking as a statesman and
| Christian, saws that this condition of affairs
must cease. and that the men who till the
land in Ireland must be permitted to pur-
chase and to hold it,
The story is not yet half told. The tenants
and the peasantry of this little island, not so
large, mind you, as Maine, pay a rental of
| sixty-ive millions of dollars per annum up
on the land. Besides this, Ireland pays an
imperial tax of thirty five millions Of
dollars annually, and local tax of
fifteen millions more. Thus the enormous
sum of one hundred and fifteen millions of
dollars is annually wrought out of the bone
and flesh and spirit of the Irish people, and
no wonder that under this burden many lie
crushed and down trodden.
believe the day has dawned for deliver
ance from these great expressions. But
from the experience of Ireland's past, it is
not wise to be too sanguine of speedy re-
suit. For one, therefore, l shall not be
disappointed to see Mr.. Gladstone's measures
defeated in this Parliament The English
members can do it. But there is one thing
which the English members cannot do. They
cannot permanently defy the public opinion
of the liberty-loving people of the civilized
world. (Applause.) Lord Harrington made
a very significant admission when in COM
planning tone he accused Mr.. Gladstone of
having conceded so much in his measure that
| Irishmen would never take less. Gap
; plause.) Well, l do not know the day.
whether it be this year or next year or the
year after that, or even years beyond, when a
final settlement shall be made; but have
absolute confidence that if Mr.. Gladstone's
bills are defeated the settlement will never be
| m add, a ga ENGLAND hp
distinguished Premier now proposes. Gap
plause.)
They complain sometimes in England of
such meetings as we are now holding.
| (Laughter.) They say we are transcendng
the just and proper duties of a friendly ma
ton. Even if that were so, the Eugishman
who remembers 1924 should maintain a
discreet silence. Yet freely admit that mis-
conduct of Englishmen during our war would
| by no means justify misconduct on our
part now. do not refer to that as any pallia-
ton or as any ground for justification if we
were doing wrong. l do not adopt the flip
pant cry of tit for tat, Or the illogical twit of
tn quogue. Indeed, there has been nothing
done in America that is not strictly within
the lines of justice and strictly within the
limits of international obligation. Nor is
anything done in the United States with the
|
desire to injure Great Britain. The English
people themselves are divided, and the
American people sympathize with what they
believe to be the liberal and just side of Eng
| lish opinion We are no more sympathizing
with Ireland as against England in the past
than are sympathizing with Gladstone
against Salisbury in the England of the pres
ent. Nor mustt be forgotten that England
herself apparently not approaching her own
course towards Ireland, has never failed in
the last fifty years to extend sympathy and
sometimes the helping-hand to oppressed ma
tionalities in Europe struggling to be free
from tyranny. When Hungary resisted the
rule of Austria, Kossuth was as much a hero
in England as he was in America. When
| Lombardy raised the standard of revolt
against the House of Hapsburg the British
Ministry could scarcely be held back from
open expression OF sympathy. And when
Sicily revolted against the reign of the Ne
apolitan Borbouns, English sympathy was
so active that Lord Palmerston was openly
accused of permitting guns from Woowich
Arsenal to be Struggled on to the Island of
Sicily to aid the instruction against King
Bomba.
The people of the United States, therefore,
initiate many examples of England, ana quite
apart from any consideration except the broad
one of human fellowship, stand forth as the
friends OF Ireland in her present distress
| (Great applause.) They do not stand forth
rs democrats. They do not stand forth as
republicans. They do not stand forth as Pro