Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-11-26
LandlOrdism Can Be Made a
Curse to Landlords as Well
as Tenants.
The Folly of Prohibiting Public
Meetings Apparent to the
COnstabulary.
WIN. O'BRIEN AwAKENs ENTHUSIASM

On Sunday large, enthusiastic meet
ing was held in Castlerea in support O
the principles of the United Irish League
says the Dublin Freeman's Journal of re
cent date. The Government appeare,
to have recognized the folly and fulfill,
of the measures taken in Ballinrobe AM
Irishtown to suppress the right of publi
meeting. and they refrained from pro
claiming or prohibiting the meeting o
Sunday.
There were in fact only three Consta
bles and District Inspector of Police il
evidence in the town, and the unique
position of Ireland among the nation,
was made emphatically clear in the fact
that, owing to the absence of the police
there was no breach of the peace and nc
disorder of any kind. The meeting was,
despite the most unfavorable weather,
rain falling without cessation throughout
the day, one of very large dimensions.
Contingents came from districts from
miles around.
Mr.. William O'Brien, who was the
principal speaker, was received with
loud and continued cheers, and dealing
with the Government neglect of the peo-
pie in the famished districts, he said;
"The remedy is before their eyes. A
board nominated by Tory Government
have acknowledged that they have no
power to enforce it. Four years ago the
Congested Districts Board confessed that
this name of congested districts is hid
eous lie, and that there are lashings of
splendid land within rifeshot of the poor
little mountain rookeries to which land
lordism has banished the people. That
is what it is the business of the United
Irish League to point out and to insist
upon.
Several months agoswe asked that a
royal commission such as was appointed
in Scotland should be appointed to go
around Connaught and mark out all these
immense rich plains and pastures of
Mayo and Roscommon which are lying
idle in the hands of half
graziers, lands sufficient for
the support in humble comfort and hap
piness of four times the population of
hose so-called congested districts. This
was done in Scotland. Why should it
not be done in Ireland? Our request was
not heard; no royal commission was APP
and now we are going about
>onnaught on rough and ready COM
mission of our own, pointing out and
.ar-marking all those square miles of
grass lands in Mayo and
2oscommon and Galway which are avail
Ible on the same terms as the deer
orests of Scotland to put an end to this
plague of mendicancy and hunger in the
Nest-that is our crime.
The Royal Commission scheduled near
y two million acres of land to be appro-
,riated for the peoples benefit, but the
moment we point out still better lands
n Mayo and Rosscommon we are driven
IF with baton charges and proclama-
ions. 1t is quite true we say this thing
must be done compulsorily without the
cave of the landlords. The Royal
Commission said the same for
scotland and the Congested Dis
riots Board four years ago said the
anne for Ireland. They passed unani-
nous resolution, but without compul-
DRY powers they could do little or moth
ng; but the compulsory powers never
anne and the famine did.
Well, then, we have got to go a step
urther now, and we say, pending COM
ulsory powers from Parliament, we will |
ring into play the compulsory powers of
ublic opinion and of perfectly legiti-
nate trades union combination.
We are willing that the landlords
hould be fully compensated, and that
ne graziers should be fully compensated.
quarter of million of the million and
half that is squandered every year upon
olice terrorism in one of the most peace
II countries on the earth would end the
hole difficulty.
believe we have got nine out of every
m respectable graziers in the West per-
.ctly willing to join us in begging the
government to take these lands of their
ands for the peoples benefit upon rea-
,nable terms.
Well, but if the Government won't do
, if the landlords won't do it and if the
rabbers won't do it, we propose to show
lat the people have only to hold aloof
together from those who are keeping
lese lands from them, not to buy from
lem, not to sell to them, not to NOW
II them, not to herd for them, not to
IT, shuttle nor deal with them, and this
hole unnatural grazing system will
Imble to the ground like house of
lrds; and the means by which we in
BIKE the Legitimate pressure and COM
nlsion of public opinion are precisely
lie same means by which the trades
nionist fights the capitalist and the
Iackleg. They are precisely the same
aouc hv ,.,hici, the loudiOrdo a.. fta;s