The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-11-12

The Irish reform association was
born in storm and has been been
bred up in q whirlwind. The thirty
six Irish landlords who form the asso-
citation are being roundly and soundly
berated by hords of their brethren
Mr.. Michael Davitt, on the other hand,
brings no gloves to the handling Of
them; he thinks they are drawing a
red herring across the home rule trail,
says Seumas MacManus. He is speak
ing and writing on the subject without
ambiguity. William O'Brien and his
following in the country for
the present is only showing itself in
Cork and in Mayo-are giving to the
association every moral support. Not
withstanding Mr.. O'Brien's support,
the association is, for good or for evil,
bound to prosper. Mr.. Redmond heart
lily approves of and welcomes the asso-
citation, and Mr.. Davitt goes out with
his lance at tilt at it, and the Free
mans Journal bestrides the fence, dis
creetly approving on all sides. It is a
knotty problem to discover what will
be the final attitude of the Irish par
liamentary party, as a whole, towards
the little cherub, the Reform associa-
tion.
Here is what the Star Nondon)
thinks about the association:
'The Irish Reform association is
a league Of landlords which has been
formed under the presidency Of Lord
Dunraven for the express purpose Of
promoting 'devolution' of legislative
powers from the imperial parliament
to local representative body in Ire
land. Now it is not true that rose
by any other name would smell as
sweet There is no truth in the saying,
Give dog bad name and hang him.
Call home rule devolution and you i'm
mediately get rid Of vast mass of
prejudice. It is believed that Sir
Anthony mcdonnell and Mr.. Wynd-
ham are in sympathy, If not in actual
alliance, with the Irish Reform asso-
citation, and altogether it looks as If the
Tory party has got back again to its
Carnarvon period, and is preparing to
make deal with the Irish leaders.
That Mr.. Chamberlain is behind the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. kite
hying is certain, for he wants the Irish
votes for his dear food policy, and he
has already on various occasions
thrown flies over various Irish fish that
are carefully watching the greatest
political angler Of our time. The Irish
pig, for instance, was not to have his
food taxed"
Land purchase under the new act
moves forward with strange and spas
modfc strides. Quite recently there
have been a number of purchases
made upon most unequal terms. One
estate sold to the tenants at so low
figure as thirteen and one-half years
purchase. 'In the County Antrim
twenty years purchase has been Civ
-en, and on the MacMurrough- Cavan-
.agh's estate the handsome figure Of
thirty-seven and three -fourths years.
purchase was agreed to. Some tenants
will, undoubtedly, have reason to bless
the land purchase act; others will, I
fear, be cursing it by and by. Be-
tween blessings and cursings, then, it
goes merrily forward. There are many
estates in Ireland on which land is too
dear at any price, and on which a SEN
sible man would not accept land un-
less he were in some way awarded
for undertaking it.
The land commission sat in Castle
,Feagh recently for the settlement of
rents upon Lord de Freyne's estate,
and pathetic We're the tales told by
some OF the Giants as to the quality
OF the land. usDwyer, who was
'burdened W. acres Of it, said
that ne not n not pay rent,
but could himself nv
his sorry 'ssnot for
the money s In
America. ifef
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