The St. Louis Republic., 1902-08-29
AFFECTING CONDITION
OF irish PEASANTS.
Edward DevOy Says the Suffering
Among Farmers Cannot Be
Believed Until Seen.
ENGLAND'S PLAN FOR RELIEF.
st. Louis Man Finds Worlds Fair
Well Advertised Abroad, AL
though Some Mistaken Ideas
Need Correction.

Need b0rTectlOn.
After spending the summer in Europe,
Edward Dewey of No. 5S$7 Gates avenue,
president of the Dewey & Feuerborn Coal
and Coke Company, has returned to this
city and has many observations to make,
the result of his tour, which bear upon the
coming Worlds Fair. and upon conditions
abroad of interest to a portion of the United
States emigrant population.
The unfortunate state of the bulk Of the
people in the Western Ireland agricultural
districts, and the attempt of the English
Government to alleviate suffering, especial
Iy were impressed upon him.
Without claiming to have seen enough or
to have stayed a sufficient time to become
thoroughly conversant with the Irish Ques-
ton, Mr.. Dewey came away with the dis
tinct conviction that the hopeless and pow
erty-stricken state of the poor of Ireland Is
a disgrace to the English nation; that the
attitude of the average Englishman in or
out of Parliament is criminany Indifferent,
and that some Of the recent moves of Irish
leaders are mistaken.
In regard to the Worlds Fair, he found
that It is well advertised in all the coun-
tries which he visited; that intense interest
is taken in II, but that a wise move would
be the distribution of more specific infor-
nation for the benefit of desirable exhib-
jtors. He learned that in Venice manufac-
turers of lace and furniture were under the
impression that duty would be charged on
exhibits.
Landing in Queenstown, ireland, he went
to Cork first From Cork he visited the
southern section of the island, then Dublin,
and then the western part. He went by rall
as far as County Roscommon, and then by
stage into the heart of the agricultural dis
trict.
MIR. DEVOY DESCRIBES
THE IRISH PEASANTRY.
1.-The destitution and poverty of the peo,
pie is something which cannot be realized
plots of ground about the size of a half
city block Most of the people are old men
or women, or children. All the young men
have either gone into the army or have
emigrated. AS early as you rise in the
morning they will be up before you, and az
night they are working until daEk; ana
that means in June and July until or ~
''Their faces betoken hopelessness abso-
lutte They seem downtrodden to the limit
and to have given up trying. The land IS
all owned by landlords, who live abroad
either in Paris or London, and who seldom
visit their estates. The tenants are ruled
by agents, who, as rule, squeeze them
to the last dollar.
comparatively low rent obtains an ap-
. parently barren holding. From the valleys
below he carries up earth by the barrow,
until he has an artificial soil, capable of
yielding a crop. In twenty-five years he
may make a good acre or SO where before
was nothing. Then the agent raises the
rent. The value of years OF labor Is taken
away.
familiar with such hardships, to go among
these people. Despite their forlorn lives
they have at surface. many OF them, the
Jrishmans happy traits. They say funny,
humorous, penetrating things and their
laugh is contagious. But this surface or
good cheer is belied by the underexpression
of distress. 1 have gone into their novels
and in nearly every case was invited TO
partake of the best which they had. though
1t was very little. l think could have
taken everything in sight and been well
come, yet had l offered money they would
have been insulted.
ENGLAND'S PLANS FOR
RELIEVING THE SUFFERING.
"The question of relief is too broad TO
master at once, The efforts of the Ameri-
can-Irish organizations do much good in the
way OF providing money for needed chari-
operation, by which the tenant can acquire
at an extreme limit of fifty years, and in a
shorter time by special effort, the owner
ship of the land seems good one It is very
complicated, however, and does not seem
to be fully understood by all the Irish jour-
mails. and therefore will not attempt to de-
scribe IL.
''The. election of Lynch as a member OF
Parliament seemed very foolish move He
was an English rebel, having served with
the Beers He also seems to have proved
almost an impostor. He was said TO have
been leader of the Irish brigade fighting for
the Beers, while it has developed that there
were only a handful of Irishmen in the Boer
brigade.
ALSO the actions of Member of Parlia-
,ment McHugh in claiming immunity from
arrest because of his position, and in insult
ing English Magistrates when brought be-
fore them. was foolish. All these sensa-
tional stands by the leaders, so far as l
hav fhtro for
only harmed the unfortunate farmers who
are the real sufferers. They only insult and
manifestly a rebel could not be expected to
be force If tolerated in Parliament.
1rnornnt tne of 3bk 3ba OF the English either are
so lndifeTent that they do nothing. Sew
sbrneEedg sEai Engiishmen thG,r - with whom talked
guess they are in a bad way but it's large
ly their own fault. you know; the Irish are
SO impetuous, you know; so unreasonable,
you know To which I could only answer:
les Yes. l know; but do you know that great
IIop pIIopor.tqn ~ IN OF the American nation are enc
Inies OF england because of your treatment
or ireland; that no measure favoriny Eng
iand mas a chance in our Congress to-day
because the representatives dare not vote
Ior II, fearing TO lose the support of their
lrish-American constituency?'
foreign Ireeand eang ENGLAND is spoken of
states. our country is spoken of in terms
In Berlin, Mr.. Devoy came in contact with
>: Flerpont Morgan Immediately after his
conference with Emperor William He
states that Morgan is greatly feared in
england: Germany and France His mans
VIII ne fought tooth and nail abroad
WATERS WILL COME
TO GET FAT TIPS
walters In hotels, other attendants NOR
chants, and all whom he met were greatly
interested in the Worlds Fair The walters
an want to come TO st. Louis and make
fortune, ana the city may expect an frf1n-
datlon of the most ingenious tip-gatherers
In 1909. In Dusseldorf, Germany he attend
ed a local exposition, wherein were many
exhibits which would be of interest and
Mr.. Dewey has drawn President Francis's
attention to the fact that II would be worth
while attempting to secure them The
standing of Germany as a manufacturing
nation particularly impressed the visitor
and he came away with the impression that
they are the Yankees of Europe and can
show genuine Yankees many pointers along
certain lines.
1t was in Southern Europe that the manu-
facturers seemed doubtful about the Fair
They gave their reasons largely as an OBJ
lection to paying the duties, though duties
were not Imposed for the exhibits at the
Chicago fair and will not be imposed IN the
case of st. Louis Exhibits of such things
rare laces, carved furniture and other
products of the more advanced European
art, Mr.. Dewey thinks, are needed IL the
Fair is TO be complete