The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-08-01

mons. Liberals and Conservatives
We'd with each other in lauding the
measure. The bill as is generally
known, was first suggested by the
King himself, who after settling the
Boer war, deposed Lord Salisbury as
premier; then put the machinery in
motion that promises to settle the land
question in Ireland for all time. Now
as to its costing the British empire
S5OO,OOO,COO the Tribune knows full
well that the empire simply pledges
itself for this amount, which is very
different from being obliged to pay
it. AS all students of British politics
know, some time ago the government
experimental With Il similar measure,
but OH Il much smaller scale, and the
results showed, according to Secretary
Wyndhams statement on introducing
the bill just passed. that while the
government had pledged its credit to
assist some tenants to purchase their
holdings, the tenants had all met their
obligations to a man and the govern
ment had not lost one halfpenny. A COM
mittee appointed to go over the farms
OF some OF these tenants, reported the
farms in a high state of cultivation,
the farmers constantly improving their
holdings and all happy and prosperous.
hn fn,s,
opinions of the change, said they We're
happy and doing well. for they had
something to work for and they all
looked forward to the time when they
would have the purchase price paid.
If the government has not vet lost one
halfpenny OH thousands Of tenants
who are now working under the provi-
siolls of measure similar to the pres
ent land purchase bill, it is certainly
reasonable to suppose that the rusults
OIL a large scale will be equally salts
factory. No, dear Tribune, the land
purchase bill will not cost the British
taxpayers one halfpenny, much less
$5O0,OOO.O00. 1t is certainly an ''agrar-
ian revolution" which the present Irish
tenant farmers and their children will
pay for. and not the British taxpayers,
as the Tribune would have it's readers
believe. The same paper goes further
and says it would not be so bad if
the bill promised success; but many
contend that it will increase Irish dis
content with the British government
by transferring to it the hatred now
felt for landlords: and that it will in
troduce new social divisions by Great
ing two classes of land owners, the i'll
ferior of which will hate the inferior
more than tenant hates the landlord"
No one but the Tribune contends such
a thing. This land purchase bill is not
solely government measure. AS we
all know convention was held i'll
Dublin some two months ago, which,
with the exception of a few Irish
members Of Parliament, was made up
of representatives from every district
in Ireland. Farmers from the north,
south, east and west, convened in the
nations capital to hear the bill read
and to suggest such amendments as
they deemed proper for their own we'll
being. The government accepted al
most all the amendments made. There
were two parties to this bill-the Brit
ish Parliament and the Irish tenant
farlners-the bill is satisfactory to
both, and now to suppose that the Irish
tenant farmers would ignore their
agreement with the government. forfeit
their lands. for which they have been
fighting for centuries past.is too utterly
absurd. The measure is such Il one
as the Irish people having their own
best interests ut heart, have been labor
ing for many years for, and the British
taxpayers need not fear they ever will
be called upon to pay one penny of the
sum for which their government has
pledged it's credit.