The Irish standard., 1902-11-29

imous in their assertions that they will
pay no rents unless they are given re-
auctions or the right to purchase their
lands. Their speakers declared tanev
would stand together, even were ala
evicted. If the meeting had been dis
covered by the police, there would
have been wholesale arrests or charges
Of conspiracy to prevent the paying of
rents. The nationalist have adopted
the plan of holding meetings through
out the county on Sundays, in an ef-
fort to try to dodge the police and the
government notetaker, who makes it
his chief end in life to make shorthand
reports of the speeches, to be used in
prosecution of the speakers.
At last Sundays meeting at Balm
luogh, county Roscommon, the speak
ers climbed stone walls and walked in
a roundabout way four miles in the
mud and driving rain. Although many
spies were watching, the police were
unable to follow them. They met a
cart in a secluded place, drove to the
village, and found the people just
leaving the church. All stood in driv-
ing rain for an hour shouting impre-
cations at landlordism and English
rule. Incidents like this serve to show
the spirit Of the people
The claim that threats have been
made to do bodily harm to Lord De
Freyne are not true, but he Is constant
ly guarded by police. Even when he
shoots game on his own demense the
police have to attend him.
The claim that rifles are being pur-
chased in Birmingham and Struggled
into Ireland is vigorously denied by
the Irish leaders, who decry force and
believe that the government must pass
the land settlement act at the next ses-
sion of parliament The leaders think
the determined stand Of the tenants,
who are now refusing to pay their
rents, is the most effective pOncy in
debating the terms of the new meas
ure.
The work of the congested districts
board OH the Dillon estate, recently
purchased by the government, is caus-
ing an upheaval among the tenants.
The Dillon tenants number 1900. All
their holdings are being enlarged, the
tenants resettled, and allowed to pur-
chase their lands. They are now pro-
vided with clean, bright homes. For
merly these holdings were badly mixed.
In one instance one man held ten
acres, composed of thirty-two separ-
ate patches. All holdings are now CON-
pact, twenty, twenty-seven OF thirty
acres being enough to support a fam
lily.
Draingage has been provided, with
the result that 10000 acres Of hitherto
useless land has already been reclaim
ed and turned into good, arabic soil.
Stables have been built and pigs,
COWS, and chickens banished from the
living rooms. The cleanliness of the
new homes is astonishing. The men
have been given work on the drains
and roads and thus enabled to pay
back their rents. All are happy and
prosperous.
A pitiful contrast is supplied by the
Murphy tenants, near the Dillon es-
tate. These live in the most miserable
of huts. Frequently the walls are
cracked from the roof to the founda-
ton, and only held together by props.
Drainage is unknown. and hundreds
of acres are useless, being covered with
water. The public roads are seas Of
mud Pigs and chickens feed in -
trough in the corner of the living room
there being no other way to keep
them. Wan, pinched faces peep out
from the doors. Children tumble in
half frozen mud, bare footed in the
coolest weather.
Naturally the tenants are wrathful
against the holders of the big tracts
used for grazing cattle, and the claim
that such good land should he opened
to agriculture. They never forgive the
herdsman who adds the land on Il ten
ant to his grazing tract
A case at Lisacul crossroads yester-
day illustrates the popular feeling.
A tenant, compelled to give up his
holding to the herdsman. took the lat
ter's children and went to the public
school, The other children hooted
them and called them land grabbers.
The aid Of the police was necessary
to quell the Juvenile riot. The tenants
on the Murphy estate have served no.
tice that they will withdraw their 100
children from school If the two chill
dren Of the herdsmen are allowed to
attend.
The aim of the tenants and their
leaders is to continue the agitation un-
til they will he able to dictate the
terms of the new land purchase bill
promised by Chief Secretary for Ire
land Wyndham at the next session Of
parliament.
REPLY TO FIR. HART.