Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-13
THE LANDLORD SYSTEM.
The Grab-al Business and it's Legi
innate Results.

The Grab-ail Business and it's Legi--
innate Results.
Mr.. George Moore, the Irish novelist, in
Paris Figaro, says: In Ireland the land
lord does absolutely nothing, save to
grab all the money that the peasant can
sorape together. | am an Irish landlord.
l have always done, now do, and will
continue to do, just as the other land
lords, for, it is as impossible for me as
the rest OF my class to do otherwise; but
that does not prevent me from acknowl-
edging the fact that it is worn out
system, at war with the nineteenth CEN
fury and something that should be at once
abolished. In Ireland every chicken that
goes into the pot, every glass of
champagne drunk, every silk robe
that rustles on the street, every
rose worn at the ball, is SO much
squeezed out Of the misery of the peas
aups howell. A few years ago this trl-
bute-tor that is what it is-was accepted
without murmur, just as feuda ism or
slavery was accepted long ago in other
lands. But now the scales have fallen
from the eyes of the nation and the sore
is laid open IN all its ugliness, Just as if
the Inner garment had been removed from
the national body, revealing the flesh COW
cred with scars and pustules. This
wound, which hitherto was only visible
to a few, you now see everywhere in the
most squalId districts of the city as well
as in the elegant and fashionable quar-
terS.
See that man yonder, il-bred and
dressed in worn.out suit, smoking q
black pipe at the end Of the weed-invaded
terrace OF the villa that he has rented for
the season. He is engaged in converse
tion with his daughter, young girl
whose face is the picture of sadness, and
who is now wearing her best dress, that
skirt Of torn red cashmere, buttoned at
the back. She is telling him that be
ought TO give her new costume TO go to
some tennis or garden party in the neigh
borhoOd. lie gTowls and tells her that he
thinks it would be better for her not to
accept any invitations to tennis parties
TO: the present year.
what" she answered, ''do you want
me then TO die an old mRidp You do not
give me the least chance TO catch a nus
band; | am not allowed to go to single
place OF amusement, and no young man
ia ever invited TO be here''
Az last the father with groan draws
forth from his pocket roll OF bank notes,
black, greasy and ragged-edged notes
that have been torn and cut in halves and
pasted together again; notes that smell
Of chimney smoke, OF novels, OF the sweat
oftGe fields and bitches; notes that have
been spat upon Tor good luck by their
owners at fairs; notes that are epit0me
OF the hungry and suffering OF the peas
ant in the west OF Ireland.
The girl goes Of skipping and hoppirg
with three or four OF the greasy notes to
buy new dress and 20 dream Of the nus
baud she Will never get, while the father
relapscs into his dark reverie, gnasnes
his teeth az the Land League, aud dreams
Of the possibility OF eXtractin. from bis
tenants IN the autumn wDat they refused
TO pay IN The spring; and /, IA beheld the
p,cture-the greasy notes, the young girl
hunting Tor n husband. the broken down
landlord and the haiti tumbllng villa,
famed by It's garden OF weeds read Boa
All that as ~ the epltapn on tom hstOnt,
tue bietory Of "a type ~ civilization soon
10 vanish forever