Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-04-01


dom Of voting was regarded rs a
perfectly lawful exercise as the so
called rights Of property, which, 10
fact, made the little class who had
originally for the most part been
made landlords by violent cOnhsca
ton the absolute and irresponsible
despots Of Ireland. The majority
Of the Parliamentary representa-
tives were landlords as matter OF
course, and when, at rare intervals,
a man without property, like Pope
Henessy or the late a. NJ. Sullivan,
contested seat it was regarded as
little short Of rank socialism. The
rents drawn from the country were
being steadily increased since the
famine years, while the population,
crushed under taxes and rent, was
diminishing every year, and even
the value of the products of the
soil was falling off under the an
nual drain $65, ,OOO,UO0 rent aid 49,
000, 900 taxes on nation of little
over 100000 Of people.
1t was TO change this unbearable
condition Of the people not less than
to satisfy the national aspirations
for self-government that Parnell
aud his colleagues organized both
the Home Rule movement and the
Land League, and though this great
object has not yet been gained in
politics, the success that has crown
ed their efforts in the social emanci-
patton of the people is most remark
able. The theory of the absolute
right Of the landlord class to the
soil has been swept away and the
principle that rents OIL land must be
regulated by law established. The
right of the tenant is no longer de-
pendent on the whim of his land
lord, and eviction can only be at
tempted on the ground Of non-pay-
ment of rent. 1t is true that the
slOwness of the laud courts yet
leaves the rents of the larger part of
the country undetermined, but the
combination of the masses has
practically enforced similar reduc-
tiOns to those made by the courts
everywhere. EvivtIop, still continue
in certain districts, but they have
IIo longer he itrrors Of former years, |
and in most cases after II more or less
prolonged struggle t',, evicted ten
ants have had to he rcinstated at fair |
rents. The losses in such contests |
fall 50 heavily on the landlords that |
few, indeed, care to venture on fresh |
trials. The marquis of Clanricarde, |
one Of the largest landowners in
COnnaught, has evicted some hun
dreds Of families during the last
four or five years. but it has entaiIed |
On him the total loss of his revenue,
which before that time was over
$780, 900 year. The Brooks estate
pf Coolgreany has been cleared of
its tenants aud planted with others
by a landlord association, but the
experiment has cost five years
rent, with little prospect of any re-
urn whatever until the evicted ten
ants are restored.
The struggle between Smith
Barry and his Tipperary tenants is
The best example of the changed
relations between landlord and ten
ant in Ireland. The population of
large town have spontaneously
challenged eviction in behalf of a
number of farmers in a distant part
II the county, and sacrificed their
'wn property to the value of many
thousand pounds rather than pay
rent toa landlord who had
-aken on himself to promote an
elsewhere. Such a move
nent carried out as it is thoroughly
~ the building Of new town and
eaving the old one, which is Mr..
Barry's property, TO certain ruin, is
striking evidence of the revival in
'uolic spirit that has taken place in
Ireland since the advent OF Mr..
Parnell 10 political life. The power
" the landlord aristocracy is hone.
essly gone in Ireland, aud even Mr..
8alfour can see no way Of saving its
interests but by advances from the
imperial treasury to convert the ten.
nls into proprietUrs with stale I
mortgage ON their farms.
HE Linn Countv Dan,oorat;