Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-05
IRELAND'S PLEA.
MICHAEL DAYITT EXPLAINS IRE.
LANDS CLAIMS.
He Details the Land Troubles and
Explains the Status of the
HOme-Rule Question.


and one-time prisoner, whose name for
years has been familiar among ali English
speaking people as that of one who has
earnestly and constantly stood for the Irish
side of the Irish land and home-rule ques-
tons, spoke at the Metropolitan Theater
last night to a good audience. He was in
troduced to the people with complimentary
remarks by Mayor Brown. Mr.. Davitt
! speaks easily, slowly and wholly in a con-
versational tone and manner, at no time
making any oratorical effort. His reception
was cordial and the applause accorded very
frequent and at all times general. His re-
marks were substantially as follows, elabo-
ration only being omitted
He was thankful for the reception given
him, and for the honor conferred on him,
by the Mayor of the Capitol city presiding.
1t testified anew to the value of American
sympathy with Ireland. The English To-
ries boast that America is but a part of
England. They say by laws. institutions
and language, you are like them, and that it
is but local ebulition when you express
sympathy for Gladstone and Parnell. Zap
plause.l If this expression were confined
to one city or State, that might be true, but
it is manifest throughout your splendid
Union. [Applause.] And it goes to show
the stupidity of the Tory organs. Your
sympathy is an
ENORMOUS FACTOR
In the struggle of Ireland with the Tory
party, and was one of the influences that
led Mr.. Gladstone to abandon the idea that
Ireland's demands can be successfully de
MED. 1t was his duty to thank those
of his own race in America for their
steadfastness it was his duty also to do
his best to keep alive among all others the
sentiment of supporting Ireland's right to
legislate for herself. Applause. The
same idea triumphed here
ovER A CENTURY AGO.
There is nothing new in this for Ireland,
for about eighty years ago she had her Par
Lament and home legislation and she pros
pered under it. [Applause.l The Irish
land question may not be so well under
stood here. This winter it is to be the
chief question in Great Britain. 1t differs
from all other land questions elsewhere.
With Americans it is not yet a social issue.
In England the dissatisfied tenant can ar
range to quit his landlord and resort to a
manufacturing center for employment. In
Ireland there are no or few manufactures
such as you have here. Agriculture is the
chief industry hence it is that the Irish
people cling so
TENACIoUsLY TO THE SOIL.
If evicted there is left to them only exile or
the demoralizing influences of the work
house. We wish Americans to understand
this If we are again compelled to resist the
inhuman efforts of English landlords to
evict US. Applause. Our land was taken
from us by conquest and turned over to a
class hostile by race, religion and tradition.
[App.ause.] Prior to the "Act of union
eighty-six years ago, the landlords mainly
resided in Dublin and lived economically.
Then kindlier relations existed between
them and the tenants. But with the re-
moval of Parliament they went to Eng
land. In contact with the English aristoc-
racy they had to live in
CORRESPONDING TYLE.
To maintain this their land returns were
Inadequate, and then followed the infamous
rack-rent system. [Applause.] About this
time England was engaged in continental
wars. and these gave fictitious values to
Irish produce, so that the Irish farmers
could pay the exorbitant rack-rents.
When the wars ceased prices declined, and
agricultural produce went down to ruinous
values and the renters could no longer
! meet their obligations TO the absentee land
lords. So great was the distress that Eng
land had to l~egislate to mitigate it by stand
ing between the rapaeity of the landlord
and the poverty of the tenant. In 1870
Great Britain and Ireland had more land
under cultivation than now. Mark this.
In America in that time Sixteen years.
you nave added more to your producing
area than all of that of England and Ire
land combined. [Applause.l Grasp this
enormous comparison, please, and the vast
competition it means. Add then that of
Canada, Australia and now of India, and
see with what the Irish farmer had to con-
tend. No wonder he sank. [Applause.l
HERE YOU OWN H LAM
That gives the produce. In Ireland it is
from tenants that production springs, and
from them the last farthing is exacted for
the use of the soil. 1 defy any English
landownerin Ireland %tocontrovert anything
| have said. These causes led to the great
land movement Of 1879, and the organiza-
ton of the Land League, and compelled
the Commons to pass the Land Act of 1881.
Why has not that measure given relief?
Because its advantages were exaggerated.
Because a great part of the tenant farmers
were exempt from its operation-the lease
holders, the very best class of armers
They were excluded from the Land Courts
for adjustment of rents, or the ground that
the possession of a lease gave the holder
sufficient exemption from the rapacity of
the landlord. But rents can no longer be
paid by lease-holders when produce is de-
preciated twenty, thirty, and even fifty per
cent. Applause Mr.. Parnelfs bill is N
to stay evictions until the Land Court officers
ascertain whether tenants are able to meet
the rent demanded or not. The facts JUS
tify him in this. Applause. Eminent
| Englishmen, and others, have come over to
us and gone over the island and examined
into the matter, and their testimony sup
ports us, and all l have said
Mr.. PARNELL's BILL
Provides that if the lease-holder deposits
in Court 20 per cent. of the amount claim
ed, he NAV have his case adjudicated. So
it cannot be bis aim to help them escape
all payment of rent, for the bill provides
that if able he must pay the remaining 30
per cent. You may conclude we Irish
E~xAGGERATE
In speaking of our land troubles. Happily
can cite from a distinguished Tory, a
conscientious and able man. Writing to
the London Times, the bitterest enemy of
Ireland, Sir James Caid, March, 1856,
(reading), wrote that he poor prices for
agricultural products absolutely forbade
the payment of ever economical rentals.
The Times (reading) was still stronger and
said that Sir James figures were borne out
by the facts, and that rentals of 100000
holdings of an average of IS were not likely
to be collected by the landlords, the English
Government or any other influence lap
plausel, for values were still falling, and
the tendency was lower yet, y until it be.
lieved rentals would have to be written off
as : bad debts Laughter Yet when
Parnell proposed a deposit of 20 per cent;
as a prerequisite of entry to the Land
Courts, the Times, forgetting what it had
said so recently, declares that he is trying
" robbery" [Applause.] Mr.. Davitt then
stated his belief that Lord Churchills
scheme is a policy Of eviction this winter,
to excite the people to violence, and thus
excuse a policy of repression that meant
determination. If so, he added, l feel that
if we are driven to defend ourselves the
sympathy of America and the world will
Justify US. Loud applause.l He then re-
lated how he had visited some Irish coast
islanders last year, and found them starry
ing. The distress was awful. and the SUI
fering pitiful indeed. Morley, Chief Sec
rotary, was moved by it to pass a bill of
relief, giving f40,o00, and this, added to
what America so generously sent, checked
distress and put the people on their feet so
they could seed the land again; and now