The Irish standard., 1902-02-08
A Vast Difference in the Administration
of Justice in England and
the Emerald Isle.
No Peace in Erin Until Landlordism Has
Been Broken and Smashed by
a Resurgent Race.

At Il great United Irish League
meeting recently held at Manor-Ilam-
ilton, county Leitrim, Mr.. John Dillon,
NJ. T.. delivered the following spirited
address to Il mighty throng of farm
CTS gathered on the fair green:
What is the first work which n re-
united Ireland has undertaken to do?
The first work which they have un-
dcrtaken to do is to complete the work
of the Land League by destroying the
curse of landlOr,lism in Ireland.
Twenty years ago, when, in Mayo,
Michael Dewitt raised the standard of
the Land League (cheers), lle told the
people that they never would get JUS
tice in Ireland so long as landlord
ism was supported in the country in
any shape or form. and rccollect
,oyself, twenty years ago. in the coun-
ty Tippcrary, for which then was
member, telling the people when the
laid act Of 1881 was introduced. that
TINT land act and no land act which
left inndlOrdism in the country would
bring Justice to the people (lear, hear,
for said then, what experience has
since proved to be absolutely true,
that no courts appointed by the Castle
of Dublin would ever do even-llantled
Justice between the people and the
landlords. How could you expect It?
Has the Castle ever been the friend
Of the Irish people. C"Neverv) Win
it ever be the friend of the Irish peo-
pie" ("Never")
And when you are compelled to
come before the courts the judges and
commissioners of which have been ap-
pointed by your enemies and THE
friends Of the landlords, how can you
expect to get fair rents from such
courts? l say now, and know that
AM speaking the mind and the senti-
ment of the masses of the people in
Ireland when say it, that the So
called fair rents settled by the land
commissioners are not fair rents, but
are landlords rents, and that these
rents are in most cases rents placed
upon the improvements of tenants
(cries Of "Certainly"), and are really
robbing and rack rents, just us much
almost as If they were fixed by the
agents themselves. And, then, again,
what kind of justice can the people
expect when they have to rely upon
lawsuits In order to get their rents
fixed? 1t is like getting from the fry
ing-p into the fire (hcar, hear).
remember twenty years ago telling
people that when it came to law the
poor man had no chance against the
rich nian. The latter will always get
the best lawyer, and lie will always
get the best Of you, because he has
social influence, when it comes to the
law; and what between packed courts
and the influence Of the landlords,
say you have no chance Of justice in
the Land courts.
You never will have peace, you
never will have Justice, you never will
have freedom from robbery in Ire
land until landl0rlism is broken and
smashed In the dust (cheers); and the
first task which q reunited and or
ganized Ireland has undertaken is to
set free the soil Of Ireland forever
(hear, hear) from the grip Of the con-
fiscating cxterminators of the Irish
people (cheers), who have plunged our
nation now for generations in poverty
and suffering and misery; who, by
their robbery and their exactions and
by their evictions have been the cause
Of all the disturbance and the crime
that has taken place in this country
(hear. hear, and whose system-the
system Of landlordism imported into
Ireland by an alien and hostile Gov.
ernment-has been, from the day ii
was planted in the soil Of Ireland
down to this hour, the curse and the
blot on your nation, which has re
duced the population Of Ireland tt
one.balf Of what it was before-to
day the population of Ireland is with
cring and shriveling away--and which