The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-14
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fair rents for the first statutory term
of Is years. For the second statutory
term, rents have been fixed in 67,618
cases, with an average reduction of
22.1 per cent on rents which had al
ready been reduced. The total reduc-
ton of rents from March 81, 1881, to
March 81, 1901, was 41,667, 1856 per an
mum on judicial tenancies alone.
Besides we have created 5,307 peas
ant proprietors. These men have pur-
chased their holdings under the pur-
chase acts. They are now paying
about Is per cent under the old rent.
AS a matter of fact, the peasant pro-
prietors do not pay rent at all. They
pay a terminable annuity which, besides
being less than the old rent by 20 per
cent, is reduced every 10 years, and
after a certain term of years, 1t ceases
altogether, and the land becomes the
property of the tenant farmer and his
heirs forever. So much has been eff
fected for the farmers of Ireland by
constitutional agitation during the last
20 years.
"These benefits have resulted from
laws wrung from the British Parlia-
ment by the Land League in Ireland
and America and by an Irish Parlla-
ment led by Mr.. Parnell in Parliament.
But these benefits are small compared
TO lDe mighty IllellOll N4LNCNSN
in the moral and social condition of
the people. The breath of the Land
League revolution has changed the
face of the country, the white slaves
are now emancipated no landlord can
raise his tenants rent, or confiscate his
tenants improvements No landlord
can evict a tenant so long as he pays
a rent fixed by law. The notice to quit
without cause assigned is merely a
memory of the past. 1t is to complete
the work of making all Irishmen the
owners of their own land, socially and
politically, that the United Irish League
which we represent has been estab-
lished. and we ask our friends in this
great country to take a hand in COM
pleting the work begun by Michael
Davitt and MF. Parnell 20 years age"
Thomas Riley of Boston, one of the
leading members of the Suffolk County
bar, was the last speaker and although
the hour was late, the audience listened
to his fiery denunciation of Engl1sh
methods with evident delight. He re-
ouested that no applause be given him
as he SPOKE, but the audience did not
heed his request, and frequently inter-
rupted him with hand clapping ana
cheers. He said the absolute worthless
ness of England's army in a stand-up
fight is shown by the Boer war, and 1t
has opened the eyes of the world to her
weakness. Who will say, in view of
this weakness, that when 1t is put to
the test. her navy will not be as weak?
Among all the nations of the world she
has but one friend and that is Turkey,
whose throne she has propped up with
her bayonets for many years. NOW she
looks longingly and hypocritically
across the Atlantic and tells US that
she loves us and that the only MT COM
panion for the Stars and Stripes is the
Union Jack. Speaking the same IAN
guage, being of the same race-the
Icing Jade, she says we could rule
the world. When did she show her love
Cor us?
Mr.. Riley then told what England
did TO the people of this country IN
1875, in 1912 and in 1861, and said that
showed how she felt toward us when
we were weak and she was strong. he
closed by urging the Irish to ag1tate
their cause, because agitation WIN ac-
complish a lot toward their independ-
ence as it will open the eyes Of the
world to the injustice that is being
done them by England.
1t was nearly IL o'clock when the
meeting broke up and the big audience
left the hall to the inspiring strains of
The Star Spangled Banner" on the
organ by Mr.. Foley.
After the meeting. the Irish ENJOYS
were given an informal reception at the
Bay State House, where the Worcester
Gaelic League presented to Mr.. O'Don-
nell an address in the Gaelic language.
The presentation was made by James
Moriarty and responded to by Mr..
O'Donnell. A light collation. brought
the exercises to a close.
The visitors win leave Worcester for
Boston this morning at 9.25 o'clock.