, 1888-11-08
Woman's Lesson in Craftsmanship.

The popular argument with the Amer
ican Anglopaniac, who contends that
Irish laudlordism is as defensible as
American landownership is absurd IN its
ignorant disregard OF the facts. Almost
every acre OF tiilable land in Ireland Was
cOnfscated three times. To-day 95 per
cent of the cultivators are in the condi.
ton of tenants at will, save such small
protection as the land act Of 1881 and
the organized efforts of the land league
can secure them.
In the famine year of 1S47 the Londou
Times described the relations of land
lord aud tenants at will in Ireland as
that of "Spartsns among helot peasaD-
try, almost planters among negro slaves"
The tenant at vii could be sYicted with
all his crols in the ground. If he made
any Improvement up went his rent with
no allowance for betterments.
The landlord was generally q spend.
thrift absentee aristocrat, not seldom az
alien, whose only purpose was that oi
brutal and thriftless economy which
squeezes the last penny out Of the peas,
ant, who knew nothing but agriculture
whose very life lay in the land. With
out land he had his choice between
the workhoGse, death or emigration
Furthermore, the Irish have had nC
fair chance to frame the statues undel
which they have starved, while in Amer
lea the poorest man carries ballot IN
der his hat.
So fearfully poor are the Irish pessan-
try on the sea coast OF Oonnaught shat
they are unable to procure seagoinG
boats and nets, and have therefore, been
in the past uanabie to benefit by theil
rich fisheries.
They have been obliged to creep alona
the shore in wretched skifis and fisl
with hook and liD0, while the fishermen
of England, Scotland, Wales, Franc,
and Holland grew rich casting their nett
on the best fishing grounds from stou
| fishing smacks, able to ride the opeI
sea.
For many years the English govern
ment has been asked to advance the
Irish fishermen the funds in the form o
loan that we're necessary to procure
decent outfit, but the characteristic En-
Irish poor, and the rival interests OF En-
glish hshermeh have always served !,
defeat tie human project.
Nobody doubted that il was Q prac
ticable scheme, for nearly thirty year
ago an English clergyman. OF the estsb
lished church, at his own expense intro
dueed trawl fishing on the coast OF Gal
way. His success stimulated the ben
evoleut Baroness Burdstt Coutts to ai(
the fishermen OF the coast of Cork with 6
large loan.
The result has been the building o
large fishing feet at Baltimore, and il
every instance the fishermen have re-
paid the baroness her loan. Now th'
baroness, encouraged by her success. ha
placed a large sum OF money in th,
| hands OF local trustees, headed by
Roman Catholic priest, TO be distributed
to the fishermen Of Donegal, on thi
| northwest coast of Ireland, to enabl,
them to procure boats and nets.
No interest il demanded, but th,
money is loaned on easy terms. to b,
| repaid through the trustees, to thiI
| benevolent woman, who has taught tb,
government OF England q valuable les
soR in practical statesmanship. anG
proved how stupid or hsartless wal
their answer to all appeal to help abat,
the industrial dessoiation and depres
sion OF Ireland, when they declined OF
the plea that the evils were updepiable
but we're absolutely incurabls through
government aid or Interference. Th'
fsmals heir OF British banker hsl
taught the British government how &c
do busiDess.-Pioneer.