River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-11-30
IRELAND
Conditions Past and Present
BY KATE CARPENTER PRINDIE.
CONTINUED from last week.

/
In some parts of Ireland, thous-
ands of tenants have been evicted
and their farms made into great es-
tates given up to game, as in the
estate of Lord Kenmare, near Killar-
ney. The evicted tenant was forced
TO starve or emigrate. During all
these years of strife and struggle
there have been laws. Laws passed
and laws rejected; bills turned up
and bills turned down; land acts
that acted, and more that didn't.
Agitators and agitation unceasing.
In the words of a small boys COM
position, ireland got beat by the
English, and has been put out ever
since"
We need not look deeply into Ire
lands past history to learn of her
condition to-day. A visit to the
green isle tells its own tale. The
utter pathos of their lives makes
ones heart ache; the grinding pow
erty from which they have not been
able to rise. Their little huts. are
huddled close together in the small
villages, or are scattered over the
rockiest, poorest, boggiest portions
of their landlords estates.
In one of these Doggy homes,
hardly fit for the pig that formed
one of a family of nine, l visited a
hut of one room: turf roof and turf
floor. At one end was smoky peat
fire over which hung their pot of po-
tatoes boiling for dinner. AT the
| other end was hole made for the
door. For this home, including
some acres of impossible land, this
tenant paid Is pounds a year. Does
one wonder that their faces, even
the faces of the little children, are
careworn and sad? For this is but
one of many such homes in Ireland.
On the road between Killarney and
Glengarriff Bay little children will
run behind the coach for miles to
catch the stray pennies which the
passengers may fling to them. Half
clad, Withholding children living in
the mountains, among the most
beautiful scenery in the world.
! Although much has been done,
and much is still being done for
Ireland, i will take years to raise
thousands of her people out of act
ual want, and to keep the most seri-
Gus and costliest of her exports, her
children, Ireland's young men and
women, at home. The Land League
of 1879, although in active existence
but two years, did much to rouse
Ireland out of the slough of des-
pond" 1t brought reductions in
rents. 1t brought protection to the
| tenant. 1t blended all classes of
the Irish people into compact
mass, resolved to win by constjtu-
tional means, the right to make her
own laws. From that time on per-
sistent effort has brought many con-
ceSsions for Ireland. The Irish
American, the Irish-English and the
Irish-Irish are all stubbornly for
freedom, and Ireland S rights. The
final passage Of Ireland's last and
most important Land Bill, and the
King and Queens recent visit to
Ireland are events which are great
in promise for Ireland, marking q
new and happier era in the relations
between the countries.
One of the greatest advantages of
the new Land-Purchase Act is that
it will bring about conditions more
favorable for obtaining national
self-government. This, and only
this" (says the Irish World) will
satisfy the aspirations of the Irish
people. England must right the
great wrong she perpetuated in de-
stroying the Irish parliament. 1t
must be restored, and with added
powers and privileges before there
can be any approach to friendly
intercourse between the two ma
tons"
Tie United Irish League stands
out in bold relief in the affairs of
Ireland. For, is it not the lifeline
thrown to save the sinking people
as they seemed going down, slowly,
but helplessly out of sight? This
great movement, headed by bright,
far-seeing men, like tidal wave, is
sweeping strongly over Ireland and
surging up 10 the shores of America,
the homes of thousands of Irish ex-
lies, enlisting strong, brave hearts
in this cause of humanity and right.
The glorious fruits of her harvest
is now before the world-the Land
Purchase Act. This is, this must
be, the wedge opening the way for
Home Rule, and independent Ire
land. John E. Redmond says this
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