The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-24
Peace in ireland?

The British parliament reassembed last
week. taking a more complacent view Of
the torturing Irish problem than is usual.
The conference of Irish landlords and
Irish nationalists in January resulted In
the formulation Of a program for peace
and prosperity for 1.-The ould sod" which
ought to receive the earnest attention of
parliament Even Mr.. Redmond expresses
the belief that the giving to the measure
statutory effect will compose the differ
ences between landlords and tenants
which have been at the bottom Of all
the lawlessness, bitterness and unhappi-
ness in the past; have, for the past twenty
years, made the occupants Of the Irish
benches in the commons the most form
liable body of legislative obstructionists
In the world
What shall be done with Ireland?' is
q question long asked by English states
men, and generally answered in the wrong
way--a way calculated to stir up the Irish
nature to deeper bitterness. Mr.. Glad
stone did his best to answer it in ra-
tional way and split his own party and
antaEonized the Irish in the attempt, al
though he succeeded in removing great
injustice when he disestablished the Irish
Episcopal church, which Roman Catholics
had been compelled to aid in sustaining,
and his party had made Ireland share In
the educational act of 1870
The fundamental trouble in Ireland is
the anita gonism of landlords and tenants
the everlasting land question. The land
acts of 1870 and 1881 wrUng from parlia-
ment by agitation have given scant relief
because neither of them eradicated the
landlordism so detested by the Irish. What
is proposed now is apparently no make
shift, and if the conservative party gives
it statutory effect with their large major
ity in parliament they will be deserving
of all praise
Twenty years ago MI Sexton demanded
the extinguishment of the interest of the
landlord in Irish soil, so putting an end
to the conflict between landlords and
tenants. Lord Justice James adopted
something of the same proposition when
he proposed that landlords should be en-
titled to call on the state to purchase
their property at a fair price, twenty
five years, purchase on the average net
rental received by them. Following this
principle. the present proposal seems to
be, that landlords who want to dispose Of
their estates, or a portion of them, can
obtain a fair price, and payment or guar
antee for payment from the state. There
are some estates in Ireland which have
passed into the hands Of the tenants I'M
der arrangements made by the owners
with the tenants. The principle involved
works no conf1scatory process. If a land
lord wants to sell a part of his land or
all Of it the state stands as guarantor of
payment. There is no other way appar-
emily, to compose the Irish land question,
which otherwise will be a perpetual tor
1nenting thorn for the British government
There is no interference with the rights
of property in the method outlined. The
landlords look favorab bly, upon it. The ten
ants favor. The Irish nationalists plb-
fess to favor it warmly. The latter claim
1t will extinguish the aged feud which has
wrought disaster in Ireland. It is true as
was stated by the secretary of the. Jan
nary Irish conference. that it would be
nothing short Of a national calamity if this
opportunity of restoring peace is allowed
to pass, disregarded by parliament.