The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-09-16

respecting 1T were rewarded so success
fully that it became one of the best pay
ing crops all over the southern and mid
die portions of the island until the time
of Charles H., when the industry was
fampered by adverse legislation, and
finally destroyed in Ireland by the i'm
position of special revenue tax
amounting to f4o, or about 5000, levied
upon each acre OF land under the cul-
tivation OF tobacco
The poet Edmund Spenser also lived
in this county on share allotted him
of the coniscated estate OF the Earl OF
Desmond, and it was alleged that it was
during the years he lived here that he
composed his bst4snpwn poem, "The
Faerie Queen" Spensrr has written
much concerning the wretched state OF
the country as he found it, after its sub
jugation by the forces OF Elizabeth and
the partition Of the lands OF the natives
among the favorites OF the Virgin
Queen. He says that the misery was
beyond description; that the country
was "a land Of carcasses and ashes"
Away off in the southwest OF the
county is Bantry bay, the place fixed
upon for the landing OF the great
French expedition which sailed to assist
the Irish, under the command OF Mar
shall Groucly, in 1896. The landing
was to be the signal for the call to arms
OF the United Irishnlen throughout the
country, but the storm that dispersed
more than hall the French ships over
the angry waters served as reason for
Grouchy to refuse to land with the
5000 lne1, on the vessels that reached
the rendezvous at Bantry, although
Wolfe Tone, the Irish agent, and other
French officers at council OF war
urged him to do so.
The city OF Cork is delightfully."- stu
ated in the valley OF the river Lee by
Which it is divided into almost two
equal parts, connected by substantial
bridges. The population numbers about
10000, of whom about 1900 are EN-
titled to vote Sor councillors and alder
men under the provisions OF the local
government act recently passed for Ire
land, which went into effect last spring.
1t will DE perceived, therefore, that the
right to vote for local purposes for the
county, urban and rural councils is very
nearly as broad in Ireland today as it is
in Massachusetts; in one respect it is
more liberal, as number OF women are
allowed to vote. 1t differs in some
minor respects from the parliamentary
suffrage; the Latter. however, is quite
broad, as is shown by the parliamentary
register OF the last general election
That register shows that about one in
every six. OF the population OF ireland
were entitled to vote for members OF
parliament.
The chief blenish on the suffrage
here, as is also the case in Great Britain,
appears to be the property vote; that is
to say, allowing a person to vote in
every political area in which ones prop
erty is located. Quite number of peo-
pie have more than one vote, few very
wealthy people have as many as twenty
to Thirty votes or over. When the
zone man one vote" question, which
was supported by nearly all the Liberals
in the house OF commons some wears
since, comes to the front again with the
Liberal party i'll power, the issue will
very likely be properly settled The
city can now boast of a newly built cleo
trio railroad within the past year. There
is practically no manufacturing carried
on in the municipality, unless the MAX
ing OF porter and whisky can be called
such. 1t possesses three daily news
papers, two Nationalist, the Examiner
and Herald and one Tory, the Consti-
tuition. have been given to under
stand that the circulation OF the latter is
quite small for the reason that the great
majority OF the people, the merchants,
artisans and laborers, are Nationalist
OF very radical type, who entertain
little respect or love for anti National
lists or their papers. The Examiner is
the paper on which Justin Mccarthy
began his career. 1t is quite able and
Yields great influence in the south OF
Ireland
The present mayor OF Cork is Alder
man Crane, who is alderman, mayor
and member Of parliament all at the
same time; rather unique official per-
sonality from the American point OF
view He was first elected as alderman
by vote OF the people, and then, like
all other mayors in Ireland and Great
Britain, he was elected mayor by a
joint vote OF the councillors and alder
men. He is, OF course, an ardent Ma
tionalist, and succeeds a mayor of the
same political stripe-Alderman Meade.
Many cities and states are designated
by some nickname that refers to some
distinguishing characteristic peculiar to
each, such as Smoky city, Windy city,
Bay state. etc., and Cork is no exccp-
ton among the number. 1t is known
throughout ireland and among Irish
men everywhere as "The Rebel City,"
Ask anyone in ireland which is the