The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-10
CAPTAIN BOYCOTT.
Where He Lives and What He Does-His
Views on the Irish Problem.

New York Times.
Though men far more deserving of the
worlds remembrance have been as utterly
forgotten as If they never existed, Captain
Boycott viii be remembered, in name at
least, long after his bones have turned to
dust. According TO his years, he should
still be in the prime of life, but for decade
the Captain has not lain upon bed OF
roses, and he has agedprematurely, his halr
and beard-the latter long and luxuriant-
being almost snow white.
Though III measure driven from Ire
land on account of his opinion that eviction
was the most business-like, If not the only
course, to pursue toward a tenant who was
behindhand with his rent, but refused TO
surrender his lease until he was paid for all
the Improvements he had made. Captain
Boycott has not changed his views on the
land question any more than he has lost his
considering himself an Irishman and the
right sort of an Irishman, and though there
are, doubtless a number of persons III the
Old Dart who would consider it a privilege
TO put bullet In his most Vulnerable spot,
he pays an annual visit to Ireland, and for
the rest of the year looks forward to his
next visit to the land of his birth.
Captain Boycott is now living in as quiet
a spot as can be found in England. He is
the agent of Sir Hugh Adair, and has his
Flixton, in the heart of Suffolk, miles away
from a railway station, or Il pOstOifice. or a
telegraph office. To the villagers he. Is
known as ''the Captain" He does not be-
heve that the Irish troubles are a bit nearer
solution than when he left Ireland: The
Irish tenant farmer has difficulties, he adj
mits, but 1T is because, in his opinion, the
farmer attempts impossibilities. The. farm.
er tries to exc out an existence on piece OF
land which, in point of area alone, Is inca
pable of giving him support. Why does he
do this2 The world is wide enough; why
not move on? Ii he works hard one year
and fails to make ends meet there is not
much h; chance that the next year Will bring
every bit as badly situated as the Irish
farmer, but he uses different tactics.
so Captain Boycott expressed himself
few days ago. He said, too, that he con-
sidered bad in principle the notion of &C
cOmmOdating tenants according to the
success or failure of their crops. To be en-
tirely fair, the proposal should, at any rate,
be reciprocal, and to that the tenants, he
knew, would object. To be successful the
farmer, Irish or English, must rely upon
his own resources He had the option of
leaving his farm, and landlords had no
keen relish for unsuccessful holdings: The
Idea that every tenant should be his own
landlord was absurd. The Land League
tried it. The league purchased an estate
near Tuam, cut it into squares, and invited
the tillers of the soil to come down from
the mountains and become ideal landlords.
But the tenants who were already on the
itiluS W. nave Tie poor QcNlis, duO
they were obliged to return to their mount
ain homes. The proprietorships would be
too extensive to be beneficial to the soil.
The Captain does not believe in home
rule. Ireland is an integral portion of the
British Empire, and should remain so. Such
all institution as Home-rule Parliament
would be no more influenced in its labOrs
by the actual labOring classes than is the
House of Commons The Irish people
wanted education before home rule. If the
latter were to be provided those who had
the power should make certain that the
northumberland dOwn-trOdden" pe0-
pie were going to share it. At present it
would not be so.
Balfour's policy, in Capt. Boycott's opiL-
ion, was certainly a bold and thorough one
While a law remained let it be carried out
unstintingly. But imprisonment of Irish
members of Parliament was only making
martyrs of them and in putting them in
Jail BalfOur was only, in a sense, beating
his own back. Yet Capt. Boycott could not
see how Balfour could do otherwise.
For John Dillon Capt. Boycott expressed
great respect. Dillon he considers sincere.
For the '.mOOnlighter' Capt. Boycott ex-
pressed hearty contempt and detestation.
The Irish people could and one day wouk.
he thought. extinguish the brute"
In writing TO a friend recently, the orig
inatOr of the persuasive term boycott said:
Il go for my annual holiday TO dear old Ire
land; it is my one treat of the year."