The Irish standard., 1897-02-06
He Does Not Expect England Will
Ever Pay Back What She
Has Stolen.
If She Did Would the Money Go
to the Landlords or
Tenants?
Better Keep the Cash and Give
Ireland the Justice
Due Her.

h = q -:
Regarding the new movement" and
! the oyertaxation of Ireland Michael Da-
witt writes the following to the West
| minister Gazette:
In Mr.. Standish O'Grady the Irish land-
lords have a scholarly advocate, able
and adroit in his championship In their
cause and possessing as well a deserved
measure Of popularity in Ireland for his
many delightful contributions to our
store of national literature. The cause OF
an unpopular class could not be placed
| in better hands when an attempt is being
made to rehabilitate with political power
the Irish aristocracy. This also is task
which Mr.. OGrady has labored long and
zealously to accomplish, and he has put
his purpose and the case OF his clients be-
fore YOUR readers with skill and clear
ness in his article under the above cap
| tion in Thursdays Westminster Gazette.
This case, as summarized, reads and
pleads as follows: The Irish aristocracy,
| "a comparatively small BODY OF men,
alien in race, language and religion TO
the vast majority of the Irish people, led
the revolution of 1872, and then parted
company with the people eighteen years
later because they demanded political
rights, Lord Glare secured the consent
of the landlords to the act OF union by
working on the fears of the class as to
what might happen in an Irish Parlia-
ment to landlord property If Irish ten
ants and Papists were accorded votes.
| This policy of fear has controlled and di-
rected landlords political action more or
less down to the present time. Things
are now, however, changing. The I'M
perial Parliament has just listened and
|.surrendered to the demands Of the Irish
tenants, and has passed land acts
which have conferred valuable rights
upon them, despite the protests and
oppositions OF England's loyal Irish gar
rison The centre of landlord fear is
found now in the British legislature
rather than in the mass Of the Irish peo-
pie More land acts will be the ruin of
the landowners. Therefore, behold in the
report of the Financial Relations Com
mission a possible way out of our dam
gers, difficulties, and-debts. Let us,
therefore, lead our otherwise fear be-
getting opponents and Land League ad-
versaries in an attack upon the British
Exchequer. "The Irish popular mind is
not complex or subtle; it cannot hold in
view at the same time two considerable
purposes. The people cannot pursue an
agrarian war directed upon the Imperial
Treasury. The redress of Irish financial
grievances even to a moderate extent,
will be distinctly of benefit to themselves.
1t will enable the people to pay their
rents more easily and cheerfully."
Here we have presented to US by the
wisest and ablest of landlord advocates
the case for the popular leadership of
the Irish people by the Irish aristocracy,
| and will venture to assert that g. more
cynical or more unscrupulous combina-
tion of motives and means to an end
cannot be paralleled outside the pages of
Nicolai Macchiavelli. AS one by no
means friendly to the Irish landlords as
| article. 1t is worth, in my judgment, a
hundred Land League speeches. But let
that pass. The point to be considered
is the new movement and the chances
which it has of obtaining restitution
from the Imperial Treasury of the 12O or
more millions of which the Irish people
have been unjustly deprived through un-
fair taxation. Will the Unionist Govern
ment, placed in power by the aid and
sacrifices of the Irish landlords" as one
of them has said, give back these mil
robbed Ireland? In my humble judg-
ment, we would stand far better chance
of getting home rule in preference from
Lord Salisbury. For what would resti-
tuition imply? The extra taxation of the
predominant partner; and what the Cas-
tletowns Dunravens, and the other
lights of the new movement have to do
to achieve their purpose is to persuade
or frighten Sir Michael-Hicks Beach in
| to adding an extra sixpence on the iny
come tax and quadruple duty on beer
in Great Britain until the Irish demand
is satisfied. 1t is only by measure of
this kind that restitution can be made in
whole or In part and the Chancellor Of
the Exchequer who would propose q
compromising act of justice like this
would hurl his Government from power
lin single sitting OF the House Of Com
mons
| But, In the improbable event Of even
partial restitution, how would the Irish
landlords stand when the question arose.
- II Inevitably would rise, @ TO how