The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-03-07


Reviews for February is an interest,
ing article on the Irish question by
Mr.. Walter Wellman, who recently
visited Ireland as the special cor
respondent of the Chicago Record
Herald. Among other things lie says:
For centuries, landlordism drained
agricultural Ireland of it's produce.
Every year 100000 acres of produc-
tive land titled by five or six millions
of people, had to pay tribute averag-
ing $5O,OOO,OOO year, most of which
was sent out of the country. Ireland
was impoverished. The people could
acquire no surplus, because what
would otherwise have been a margin
of accumulation OF savings went to
the tribute collectors. The prosperity
of any purely agricultural country
must be matter of slow growth. In
any one year, in any one decade, even
under the natural and sound system
of individual ownership, the margin
of surplus must be small indeed. A
little is gained one year, or by one
generation, and this is laid by as a
foundation for future years and future
generations to build upon. In the
fullness of time these accumulations
amount to sOlidity, resourcefulness,
genuine prosperity. In America-say
in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ne
braslSa, or the Dakotas-we have seen
how in one general ton, under favorable
conditions and the sound principle of
individual ownership. the naked
prairie may be converted into fer
tile. highly titled, richly productive
well-improved, and fully stocked farm
1t takes time, even in America.
In Ireland, there has been time
enough, Heaven knows, as the period
has been measured by centuries, not
by generations. But Ireland has
never had a chance to profit normally
by this natural law of development
One generation has acquired little OF
nothing from that which preceded it
There have been no small yearly mar
gins to merge at last into family ac
cumulations which spell independence
and comfort. The tillers of the sol
have drawn from it barely enough tt
keep body and soul together. and the
remainder has gone to the landlord
and through the landlord to England
or to the Continent-to the wine
grower, the distiller, the race-track
the gaming table, the purveyor of lux
uries. the vampires of vice, the none!
lenders. For three hundred years thu
system has annually skinned Irisl
agriculture of the last drop of cream
and yet, there are superior persons
who wonder why "the lazy Irish arr
only skinned milk.
Let us suppose that two hundred
years ago there had been British
conscience and British craftsmanship
such as there are to-day, and that a
the beginning of the eighteenth in
stead of ut the beginning Of the twel
tieth century the government .ha'
righted the wrong of the conquest an
contiscation by giving the tenantry a
opportunity to purchase their hol(
ings. Before the century was hal
gone the land would have been pal
for and would have become the proT
erty of those who titled it: the yearl
outflow of tribute money would hav
stopped; the earnings of the Ian
would have remained upon or nea
the land; every year fifty millio
dollars would have been devoted
betterments-to houses. farm built
ings. clothing. tools, horses, cattl
sheep. education, superior food, and
reserve of savings. If fifty year
earnings had been devoted to payir
off the legal (or historic) equity
the landowners. one hundred year
earnings would have been left to a
crue to the people.
Is there one wise enough to est
mate what would have been the soci
and economic effect of this diversit
of seven and half billions of dolla
from the channel Of tribute to the a