The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-02-15
AN EXILE'S SENTIMENTS.
A Kerryman In Australia on Irish
LandlOrdiSm,


The assumption is false that Irish
men residing in Australia or Canad;
become needless as to the welfare OF
their native land or that they are dis
posed to condone the base acts of hel
oppressor. Prosperity and liberty
which are denied them at home, only
serve to develop their love of country
They long for the hour of Ireland's
freedom. They would readily fight fol
it if the proper opportunity offered.
We find testimony of this watchful
devotion in an article entitled Irish
Landlordsm in Il Kerry Village
published in that radical maga-
zine, the London Westminster Re
view for January. The writer,
Il. M. Donavan, of Queensland,
thus describes his Irish home be-
fore it was blishtcd by that land
lordism which is part and parcel of
British rule in Ireland:
''In the seventies our village was
almost unknown. ut least unnoticed
even in Ireland Ten years later it
gained throughout the United King
dom all unenviable notOriety. Looking
down from SleHve Nish on one of the
finest valleys in Munster, one would
have then thought that here surely
peace and plenty reign supreme; that
the conditions for happy existence
were ut ones feet; that the busy toll
ers below reApcd an ample reward for
their hard but wholesome labor; that
rural comforts in abundance was the
lot Of its lucky inhabitants.
Crime There was practically none.
The people seemed contcnted and
happy. They thronged the public roads
and the borcens Oh their way to Sunday
mass. In the afternoon the younger
men and women came out to the cross
roads and danced until shutdown.
Here was Il lot Of young fellows
jumping and throwing the weight;
there, over yondcr, in the big meadow,
an excited crowd kicked the football;
not merely looked on, the whole took
sides, fought and tumbled good hui
moredly. Away opposite you can see a
group of sportsmcn with grey-hounds
crossing Cael-naSpir and down
underneath Il few of the boys are
fnNv1intr A
look for your strict Sabbatarian.
There is little parson, with his mill
tary gait, walking along the Killarney
road. He is only Il curate with con-
gregation all told Of half-a-d dozen; but
he is loved and respected by the peo-
pic, for they know that he is Il gen.
tleman and scholar and a convinced
Home Ruler.
'"lNhere are fishermen along the
banks Of the river There are Tom, old
james and Martin casting their lines
leisurely alone. Patsy-most cunning
Of the anglers and MASTER era ftsman
at fy-making, is going home with
full bag. The Riddles are diving into
Big Malachy. The cows with burst
ing udders are lowing on the hill-sides.
In the village the mothers sit on the
door-steps and look approvingly on the
flowers Of May, swinging round and
round to a merry glee.
appearances Notwithstanding there
was no solid peace or comfort
in that valley. Over it lay the heavy
hand of merciless landlordism which
ground exceeding fine the lives of the
people; brought poverty where there
should have been plenty; a mean and
desperate struggle for a living where
there should be room and abundance
for all and which was undoubtedly the
root-cause of all the crime and de-
moralization that followed in the sue
ceeding decide. Where are these boys
and girls that grew up with me in that
far-oif Kerry village? Most of them
are in America; some here in Aus.
tralia, few at rest on the banks of
the Tugela, the remnant still strug.
Cling at home. Sleave Mish still lis.
tens to the heart-rending parting cries
at the railway stations-more harrow
ing to a home loving race than the
ullagoane Of the wake"
Mr.. Donavan proceeds to compare
the condition of the tenant with that
of the freeholder. He says:
Look at the green fields climbing
up the surrounding hills. A genera:
ton ago this land was waste and bar
rem, covered with heath and furze.
Our hardy grandfathers and their
sons with herculean toll, made the
land to grow oats, potatoes, fax and
grasses. The landlord-in his grand
demesne, in the county club, in Lon.
don or Homburg-draws two pounds
an acre annually for this tenant-made
land, which his grandfather could not