St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-14

'--S"'it' USiOptSo W Ct1lIy III Outs LII WAS
an elaborate, all-prevading tyranny,
aiming to injure the landlords
as class and to drive them out of the
country. This action of the league far
exceeded the limits of the just force of
public opinion. and created a we'll
grounded terror in the minds of those
suffering under it. The commission
comes to the conclusion that. this was
the intention of those devising and car
rrylng out this system. In our Judgment
the leaders of the league thus combin-
ing 10 carry out the boycott were guilty
OF CRIMINAL conspiracy. We consider
ms ms charge established against Messrs.
PPasrrnell, Dillon, BigEar, Sexton, T. P.
OConnor, Matthew harris, w. O'Brien,
1. u. Sullivan, L. M. HeaIy, 7. Har-
TTIhgton, = Il. harrington, A. O'Connor, J.
4. Kenny. W. Redmond. j. E. Red
mond, Justin Mccarthy, j. O'Con-
nor, I. j. Condor, j. j. O'Kelly,
Gummlns, Cox, Patrick O'Hea,
). ID. Sheehan. j. Leahy, E. Leamy, j.
Barry, c. K. Tanner, Maurice Healy, T.
quinn. Daniel Crilly, Henry Campbell
T: }. Foley, }. j. Clancy, J. f. K.
O'Brlen, K. Lalor, T. Name, j. Deasy,
=; =. Flynn, j. Jordan. w. j. Lane. ID.
Sheehy. D. Sullivan. G. N. Burn, and
Michael Davitt. Under the charge of
disseminating newspapers tending to
lhclte TO crime, the report lays stress
: upon the fact that MIR. Parnell did not
produce the report of any speech where.
III he denounced
THE USE OF DYNAMITE,
though he called attention to a speech
ID the mousse of commons in which he
declared that FOrd's aims and objects
ana programme were not his; also, that
no denunciation by Mr.. Parnell OF the
action OF the physical force party in Ire
lPnd or America has been gwen in evi-
dence. MIR. Parnell admitted that he
was unable to say that he had, by speech
OF action, found any fault with the
fenlan organization. The statistics of
crime for 1880, 1881 and 1882, strongly
corroo0rated the statement that out
RACES followed the establishment of the
!and league. Agrarian crime ragged in
ireland when the league agitation was
at Its height, An instance is cited from
the county Kerry, where the league was
organized in October. 1880. Crimes i'm
medlateiy increased from 13 cases in
1879 to 29S in 1850. The coincident de-
crease of crime with the inactivity OF the
league was equally conspicuous. When
the league was suppressed in 1881, crime
dropped from 4,439 cases in 1881 to $40
cases in 1888. 1t was contended before
the commission that the causes of crime
were not due to the league, but to the
chronic state of Ireland under distress
aggravated by eviction. There is no
donDt that evictiOns contributed TO
crime, 1T the comparative statistics
showed that the dominant cause was
the league agitation. The first year in
which statistics of eviction and crime
respectively were compiled was 1849,
and comparison showed that during Sc
we're distress of the years from 1S49 to
1852 inclusive. SIS. .423
FAMILIES WEIR e EvlCTED
the total agrarian crimes were q. 4.245:
whereas, for the four years from 1879 to
1882, with 1864 families evicted, the
total record of crimes was 1923. The
fact was that with J, 3,415 families evicted
In 1881. crime reached total 4,439
greater than during all the four years
from lS49 to 1852, when SO. 123 families
were evlcted. As to the suggestion
that crime was caused by secret socie-
ties acting III antagonism to the league.
Mr. Parnell stated in the house of com
mons In January, 1881, that secret soci-
etles had ceased to exist. In our judg-
ment Mr.. Parnell spoke accurately
when he made that statement. Matthew
Harris also stated in his evidence that
no secret societies except the Fenians
then existed, We find no trace in the
evidence of any of the leaders of the
league showing that crime was the act
OF any such societies. 1t ap-
pears to US the suggestion was
first made during this inquiry. As to
another suggestion that the rejection of
the compensation for the disturbance
bill III August, 1880, was the origin of
an increase Of crime, we are of the
opinion that it was not the effective
cause OF that increase, but that the in
crease from the agitation of which the
rejection of the bill was made the occa-
sion. 1t has been further suggested
that the decrease of crime after july.
1882, was due to the conciliatory effect
OF the arrears of rent act. We must re-
mark In answer that this act. which has
been described by Mr.. Russell as the
first great charter for Irish tenants, had
no such effect. In our judgment the
suggestion was not well founded. The
action of the leaders of the land league
did undoubtedly contribute to produce
AN INCREASE OF CRIME
from 1879 to 1882. The question is not
whether other causes can be suggested,
the fact being that an increase during
those years, though not exclusively to
be ascribed to agitation, was mainly
due to the action of the league and its
founders and leaders. Referring to the
allegation of the defense of the respond
ents that the leaders of the league en-
deavored to represS crime, the report
quotes MIR. Davitt'S memorandum of
December, 1880, to the officers of the
league condemning outrages, but points
out that other league influences counter
acted the effect of this memorandum.
In the Judgment of the court the de-
nnnQlatInnS of aritnn nunfaA for fho n
fense were of little avail because con-
temporaneously with them the leaders
and organizers were carrying on the
agitation by means of speeches and
conduct tending to encourage crime.
Matthew Harris told the commission
that denunciations upon the platform
had not much effect, because the people
would think this was talking to the po-
lice and that it was all CANNON. Dur
ing the years 1880, 1881 and 1882 the
league, as an organization, took no step
whatever in aid of the detection of
crime and gave no directions for that
purpose to its branches throughout the
country. The sentiment in Ireland
against aiding the police in the discov-
cry of criminals was not confined to the
ignorant, but was shared by those from
whose education juSter views of duty
should prevail. Thus Mr.. Dayitt ap-
proved of the act of the Widow Walsh
in exhorting. her sons in prison, con-
victed of murder, rather to die, though
innocent, than to disclose the
NAME OF THE TRUE CRIMINAL,
DR.. Davitt said this woman was enti-
tied to honor; and subscription was
raised in her favor. The expression of
such sentiments created false standard
of honor and impeded the detection of
crime. Proof has been given that the
league Systematically and indiscrim-
inately defrayed the expense of the de-
fense of persons charged with agrarian
crime. While supplying means for the
defense of prisoners is in the abstract
justifiable, we entertain no doubt that
the knowledge that such assistance will
in all cases be afforded, must have the
effect to encourage person $50 disposed
to commit outrages. The same obServa-
ton applies to the support of their fam
lilies. In this connection. ard in the alb
sence Of the league accounts, the report
declares that is impossible to az
rive at figures with any certainty.
Mr.. Egan's letter to Mr.. ParneIi in