The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-02-21
IN IRELAND'S CAUSE.
THE PARNELL COMMISSION MAKES
REPORT.

THE PAKNELL COMMISSION MAKES
REPORT.
ing hat Leans Somewhat In Two Direc-
tions-The Chief Indictments Quashed.
The report OF Judges Harmon, Day and
Smith, the special commission appointed to
investigate the charges made by the Times
against the Parnellite members of the
commons, occupied 1862 pages. Each mem
Der against whom charges are made
is treated separately. The judges find
that speeches made by many of the Par
%nellites were intended to bring about a
separation of Ireland from England and
that speeches of others, in view of the
state of the country, were calculated to TO-
ment crime.
The greatest interest centers in the final
conclusions, which follow:
l. We find that the respondents, mem
bers of parliament, were not members of
a conspiracy having for its object to estab-
lish absolute independence in Ireland, but
find that some of them, together with
Eavitt, established and joined q land league
with the intention. by its means to bring
about the absolute independence of Ire
land as a separate nation.
2. The respondents did enter into q con-
spiracy by q system of coercion and in
timidation to promote agrarian agitation
against the payment Of agricultural rents
for the purpose of impoverishing and ex-
polling from the country the Irish land
lords.
3. The charge that after ~denouncing GER
tain crimes in public they afterward led
their supporters to believe such denuncia-
ton was not sincere, is not established.
We entirely acquit Mr.. Parnell and the
other respondents Of the charge of insin-
cerity in their %denunciation of the Phoenix
park murders, and we find the fac simile
letter upon which this charge was chiefly
based against Parnell is a forgery.
Regarding thetwo special charges against
Davitt, that he was a Fenian and assisted
in the formation of the land league with
money contributed for the purpose of out
rage and crime; that he was in close and
intimate association with the party of yio-
lence in America, aud was mainly instru-
mental in bringing about an alliance of
that party and the Parnellite and home
rule party in America, We find it proved
that Davitt was q Fenian and received
money from the s~k1rmishing fund contrib
uted for the purpose of outrage. This was
not, however, for formation of the land
league itself, but for the promotion of ag-
itation leading up to it. We find also that
he, in such close and intimate association
with the party of violence in America, was
the man mainly instrumental in brin ging
about the alliance referred to.
In the opening Of the report the judges
refer to the unprecedented character of the
inquiry. The history Of the action of the
leaders Of the Irish party from 1877 is re-
cited. The relations were traced that ex-
listed between the founders of the land
and the Fenians and Irish-Ameri-
sans. Referring to boycotting it declares
hat instances adduced before the commits
zion proved that it consisted of a system
intimidation Of q most severe and cruel
character. A boycott combination is llle-
gal both in its objects and the means
adopted to carry it out. It was an elabor-
ate, all pervading tyranny, aiming to in
jure the landlords Us a class and drive
them out of the country. This action OF
the league far exceeds the limits of the
just force Of public opinion and created
we'll grounded terror in those minds. sui
fering under it, The commission comes
to the conclusion that this was the inten-
ton OF those devising and carry out the
system Ia-"',s iGqadt7fng to CARRY out the
boycott were guilty of criminal conspiracy.
We consider this charge established against
Parnell, Dillon, Biggar, Sexton, T. P.
O'Connor, Matthew Harris, w. O'Brien,
I. D. Sullivan, T. M. Healy, 7. Harring-
ton, E. Harrington. A. O'Connor, J. E.
Kenny, W. Redmond, j. E. Redmond,
Justin Mccarthy, J. O'Connor, T. J.. Con-
don, J. J. O'Kelly, Cummins, Cox, Pat
rick Hea, J. ID. Chehan, L. Lehy, f.
Lemy, j. Barry, G. X. Tanner, Maurice
Healy, T.. Quinn, Daniel Crilly, Henry
Campbell, P. j. Foley, j. J. Clancy, J. f.
X. O'Brien, r. Lalor, T. Name, J.
Deasy, j.. G. Flynn, j. Jordan, W. B..
Lane, D. Shelby, D. Sullivan, G. N. Burn
and Michael Davitt.
Under the charge of disseminating news
papers tending to incite crime the report
lays stress upon the fact that Parnell did
not produce the report of any speech
wherein he denounced the use of dyna-
mite, also no denunciation by Parnell of
the action of the physical force party in
Ireland or America had been given in evil
dence. Parnell admitted that he was IN
able to say he had, by speech or action,
found any fault with the Fenian organiza-
ton. The statistics of crime for 1880,
1881 and 1885, strongly c%orroborated the
statement that the outrages followed the
establishment of the land league.
Agrarian crime ragged in Ireland when
the league agitation was at its
height. The coincident decrease of crime
with the inactivity of the league was
equally conspicuous. When the league
was suppressed in 1881 crime dropped from
4,459 cases in 1881 to $40 cases in 1883. It
was commended before the commission that
the causes of crime were not due to the
league but the chronic state of Ireland
Under distress aggravated by eviction.
Comparative statistics showed the domi.
nant cause was league agitation. During
the severe distress in the years from 1849
to 1853, inclusive, when 5S,423 families
were eyinted, the total record OF agrarisn
crime was 4,245; whereas, for the four years
from 1879 to 1882, with Il, 1864 families
evicted, the total record of crimes was
1923.
The commission rejects the suggestions
that crime was caused by secret societies,
by compensation for the disturbance bill,
Or that the necraoea IN crinoo ofto~ 1,Iu