Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-08
THE IRISH QUESTION.
Again II Rises to yex the British
Politician.

Especial London Letter.
LONDON, November 1.-THE everlasting
Irish question is coming up in an acute
form, through the old and too-familiar
occurrence Of an Irish famine. The
Bishop of Raphoe. in a recent appeal for
subscriptions in aid of the Irish party
fund. spoke Of the bleak prospects be-
fore the agricultural population as ope-
rating against the fund. The Bishop
hardly seems to have realized how des-
perate the situation is. The correspondent
Of the Manchester Guardian, one Of the
most trustworthy and least sensational
PAPERS in England, declares that no such
appalling prospect has presented itself
during the present generation. Concur
ring reports show that the prolonged and
continuous rains of the autumn have
ruined the crops from north TO south.
The rich lower lands have been flooded
for weeks at a time, when the harvest
ought to have been proceeding Stacked
corn and hay stacks have been sub
merged, and potatoes are rotting in the
fields. On the poorer hill lands the small
farmer and cotter population are again
face TO face with one Of those failures OF
the potato crop which have too often
brought the uttermost horrors Of starva-
ton and famine and disease among them.
As usual, the government is doing no.
thing. The Irish Secretary's tour in the
West and Northwest occurred before the
bed weather set in, and at a time when
little could be predicted of the harvests
Since then he has obtained reports from
official sources-landlord sources-which
can only be described as misleading. The
farmers on many of the large estates
have apprised their landlords agents that
no rent can be paid this year, because
no rent has been earned. But the land
lords have entered into combination for
wholesale pressure on the tenants. Using
their utmost privileges under the land
act. they are applying for ejectment de-
crees by the thousand. and an eviction
campaign such as has rarely ever been
witnessed in Ireland is now in progress
in many districts. As soon as the rigor
Of winter sets in the demand for relief
will be clamorous. The government will
be compelled TO intervene before Parlia-
ment opens, or face an accusation Of
reckless indifference 10 suffering such as
ought 10 overwhelm an English ministry.
With this famine impending. combined
with the revelations OF the Foreign Rela-
tons Commission, showing how Ireland
is annually bled of millions of money to
the advantage of Great Britain, 1t Will be
no wonder II lflSh ulScOntent assumes
more active form than mere jabber over
legislation for home rule.
ELECTION OF MKINLEY.
The leading weekly papers re-echo the
opinions expressed by the daily papers on
the election OF Mr.. Mckinley to the Ameri-
can presidency. The st. James Budget,
under the caption OF "A Curious Allega-
ton" publishes a letter from an Ameri-
can. who declares that the true inward
ness of the defeat OF Mr.. Bryan was the
use of money TO turn the farmer vote OF
the Central West. The writer states that
the insurance companies owning mort
cages on farms In Iowa, Indiana. Illinois
and neighboring States directed their
agents 10 see every farmer whose lands
were mortgaged. and to offer to them. II
Mr.. Mckinley should be elected, five
years extension OF the mortgage at a
low rate OF interest. This plan succeeded.
and Mr.. Bryan, who would otherwise
have been elected. was defeated. Con-
tinuing, the American says that the loss
of interest to the companies would be