The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-13

I This is the altar Of the true God"'
\ he said
! ST. Patrick's Ireland as it is to-day.
| has a people who are all Christians and
! country that is all fertility. The
| crops come up in early spring and on St.
! Patricks Day the Irish farmer is ready
! TO put his pillow in the ground. The
/ ground is rich and from it grows pota-
| toes in abundance and all kinds Of fruits.
| Nuts grow i'm ireland. as nowhere else.
! and the most shiftless landsman can sit
down and wait for his crops TO mature
| It is a beautiful country, and even those
who have left il and come TO another
| land 10 live, admit that for beauty Of
! scenery. for abundance Of fruits, for
healthlulness Of air for a bountiful wa
! ter supply, for a clear atmosphere. a
shining sky and general abundance there
IS nothing away from ireland that COM
pares 10 Ireland.
But the shadow Of poverty is over St.
Patricks land. Ireland needs her rich
men 10 return TO her and improve her.
The Irish peasants need money and the
Irish landlords need capital. Ireland is
disheartened. It belongs to "A country
that Is different from it in religion and
different IN race traits and character.
The heart OF the Irishman is as warm
as the heart Of the Englishman is cold
tho Irish tongue is as soft as the Eng
lsh accent Is accurate: the Irish educa-
ton IS as fiowery as the English is sta
ustical; the Irish hope is as optimistic
as the English s. pessimistic. the Irish
love Of family and soil Is as anectonate
as the English is critical, and Ireland
chafes at being linked with a horse that
goes different gate and pace.
Yet Ireland as you see il to-day IS
fairly prosperous. No one is starving 10
death, yet all are poor The landlords
became discouraged during the days Of
ParneH and since then have been IN
willing 70 improve the condition OF the
tenantry. And the tenantry has become
moro and more robelious. To escape
paying rent they flee TO a country where
though they must pay rent. they have
moro liberty; and so the condition OF
those who remain I'm Ireland becomes
more lonesome and more forlorn That
Is the lower class OF Irish-those who
dig the ground and bring to town the
vegetables FOR which it's Is famous MANY
Of the vegetables of Ireland are sent TO
England and 10 France
But Ireland has beautiful spots as well
as wretched ones. There are in Ire
land to-day five hundred castles I'm which
live the descendants Of the old kings
that ruled Ireland years ago. Many of
these castles were standing then. and
the richest legends gather around them.
Lying around the castles are great es-
tates IN which live the farmers ana their ,
families. They raise crops upon them
and take them TO market and sell them !
and pay rental to the estate which rents |
them the land.
IL st. Patrick could see Ireland to-day /
he would mourn over it and doubtless
Tor ne would have the head and heart
10 Strengthen matters out-be able 10
right II soon. This trouble. where there
Is trouble IN Ireland, lies with the ignor-
ance OF the gentry. The estate of the
Earl OF Ava contains an Irish castle
with five hundred acres Upon this five
hundred acres live fve farmers. Years |
igo they paid certain rent to the over
'eer. To-day they cannot pay that rent
ret the overseer demands 1t. When thew
Jay that the land is growing poor and
leeds fertilization no refuses fertilizer.