Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23
DISTRESS IN IRELAND
A STATEMENT OF ITS CAUSE AND
ITS REMEDY.

To the Editor of The Star:
| take the liberty of again addressing my
fellow-citizens of Washington on a subject
1 know TO be always of interest to them
the condition of affairs in Ireland
AS you are aware. the United Irish
League. under the superb leadership of
Mr.. John e. Redmond, NJ P, a worthy
successor of O'Connell and Parnell, has
succeeded in bringing about a wonderful
amelioratioh of conditions. Owing to it's
efforts over 100000 of the tenant-farmers
of Ireland now own their own lands In
fee-simple and many more are in a fair
way of doing SO. The owners of these
lands have thus become independent and
self-reliant. Absentee misunderstanding
curse of any country-is becoming a thing
of the past The landlords themselves are
also benefited, for instead of spending
their time in dleness and diss ton abroad
they now reside on the portion of the es-
tates which they have retained, at home,
in friendship among their neighbors Peace,
contentment and prosperity exist wherever
this condition of affairs prevails.
But, unfortunately, this is not the condt-
ton universally and especially in the west,
where the people were driven in the past
by cruel laws, to the boys and mora sses
TO exc out an existence, while fatted kline
tentment on the fertile fields adjoining
The result has been that the people in these
lands worked out a precarious existence at
the best of times and in bad years suffered
from want This condition of affairs was
forclby and eloquently discussed at a
meeting in Dublin on the Tth of this month
by no less parsonage than Lord Dudley,
the lord lieutenant of Ireland After
picturlng conditions 1 have described
them, he said
1t was obyious that Such , .+,+. 80
Things could not be allowed to go on. and
no government worthy of the name could
shlrk its responsibility In this matter
Temporary relief was not sufficient: some
tning more drastic was required If the con-
dltlon or the western peasant was to be
permanently benefited. In other words
they must seek to cure the chronic pow
erty or the west by enlarging the holdings
In the congested districts to an extent
which would return a profit in good wears
over and above the ordinary necessities of
existence. They must obtain the space
necessary for that operation by. migrating
numbers OF families from the existing
holdings in these districts to lands which
were at present cntenanted."
In other words. Lord Dudley proposes
that instead of the Irish farmer tenant
migrating to foreign country he shall
migrate to the fertile untenanted lands of
his own country. He would make Ireland
as prosperous and happy as Canada and
Australia whose millions of Irishmen and
tented people.
What a change has come over the feel
1ngs OF British statesmen, And this has
been brought about within brief period by
the efforts of united Irish party in the
house of commons; for at no time In a CEN
fury has the Irish cause made such a graft
Tying progress as during the past few
years. Less than two years ago the Irish
people were being cOerced and trampled
upon under the provisions of a vigorous
correction act. Landlord rapacity was given
full play; the peoples leaders were thurst
into prison. and the right of public meet
ing and combina ton ruthleSSly denied and
brutally abrogated.
Within brief period all this has been
changed. The people have become masters
of the situation, and their efforts are at
present directed to considering the quickest
and most eficacious means by which the
wretched system of Irish landlordism may
be finally destroyed But these beneficial
conditions have not yet been accomplished
to any great extent in the west
1t will be necessary, therefore, to sustain
the hands of the Irish parliamentary party,
by providing them with necessary means
in the coming struggle for supremacy in the
house of commons An election is immi-
nent, and may be precipitated at any mo-
ment. Meanwhile all possible effort must
be made to sustain our people in the poorer
districts. and prevent their emigra ton till
a more suspicious era dawns for them as
has dawned for their more fortunate breth-
rem elsewhere.
In this connection, early in May, some
practical steps will be taken in this city
to afford its residents a chance to join in
this work.
1t may be recounted with pride that in
''the days that tried mems souls" In the
darkest days of the revolution, Ireland
and the Irish were liberal in their assist
ance to the suffering patriots here, and 1
am proud TO say that since then Ireland
has never appealed to America in vain, and
L am sure she will not do so now.
WILLIAM F. DOWNEY,
President of the District Branch of the
United Irish League.