The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-05-16
THE SAl1E OLD nlSERY.
The 1rish-American points out: a pecn
lar phase Of Irish landlordism when i

liaT Phase Ol AIloA idAuiohoASAAA y 49, -
teays: 1880 .& ,'z
ts..ssssTl,e utter ruthlessness Of Irish land
.lordfsm was recently illustrated In the
Middleton district OF Cork county, in
Gaze which was noted in Our Irish news
columns; a few weeks ago. 4 tenant
named Michael Mccarthy, Of Gpft1tn
finding that, owing to the fall tn i y
of agricultural produce, he couldnot
farm his: holding Of twenty Lone {! acres,
on Lord Mfdleton's property, With any
chance of making the rent required OF
him. and at the same time supporting his
family, endeavored to sell his holding by
public auction; but his case having at
traeted universal sympathy in the dis dis
trict, collection was made for him. IN
order to help him to pay the landlords
claim. Encouraged by his assistance,
Mccarthy proceeded to plough up the
land, and had just got 1t ready for seed
ing. when the landlord pounced upon
him, and had him summarily elected on
an old decree, for arrears of the "hang-
ing gales that had come down from
former years. of bad seasons and crop
failures. Thus the landlord not only con-
fiscated, to his own profit, not only the
improvements of the tenant and his
forefathers in the land, but also even the
public funds subscribed, in the present
time, to enable the evicted tenant to put
his farm in shape to support his family
for the coming year, and to meet the
exorbitant charges of the landlord. The
crops that grow on the soil will now be
the landlords absolute property, the
tenant being reduced to the position OF
a mere "caretaker," at q nominal Zee OF
twenty-five cents week, the acceptance
OF which, according to English law IN
ireland, bars him from ever recovering
any remuneration for his outlay or Inn
provements on the land--and all of
which 20 to the landlord, though he
never contributed q cent towards their
production. This Is the system Of spolia
ton which English law has been used to
maintain Tor generations In Ireland, and
which the present Tory-landlord minis
try think they can safely put in force
again.; at the present time, owing to the
helpless condition to which the Irish Ma
tional Party has been reduced by the dis
sensions in its ranks. AS far as English
parties are concerned, their policies are
always the same towards Ireland; they
are all landlord parties; for, the possess
sion and control of the land that should,
Of right, belong to the people who fer
tilize it, has been the gage OF battle be-
tween England and Ireland ever since
"Strongbow'' and his freebooters set
their robber feet on the Irish shore. Nc
matter under what name, or auspices,
the struggle may have been waged, the
issue, as far as the people OF Ireland are
concerned, has always been the same;
and this case OF Michael Mccarthy. of
Gurtuina, is only one Of the latest illus
trations of the fate of millions of his
countrymen and predecessors, who, like
him, have been evicted from their native
soil, and have had the proceeds OF their
industry confscated to the use Of the
foreign invader. Ireland will never be
free or prosperous until. the last vestige
Of British feudal power is eradicated
from their soil, even as it was swept
from the American colonies By the ''em-
battled farmers, % who, at Bunker Hill,
fired the shot that was heard around
the world and gave to humanity the
only free country. the world has ever
known.