The Irish standard., 1906-06-30

stay. Then away through the west.
Nearer and nearer as he came to his
own the testimonies of affection and
grew. Almost every little
farmstead and cottage in the fields
had its group patiently waiting. Old
women with their little grandchildren
caught by the hand pointed to the
train. Then the sign Of the Cross was
made, and the genuflexion told of the
murmured Hail. Marys' for the rest
in peace of the soul that was gone"
Was ever the like seen at funeral
demonstration in Ireland before? But
we'll might those men and women Of
the little Irish farmsteads and cottages
in the Irish fields come out to do honor
to and show their reverence and love
for the memory of Michael Davitt.
For it is to him they owe it that to-
day they have, as many of them have,
secure farmsteads and cottages in
their native land, and they know it
right we'll The old women pointing
to their grandchildren the train that
carried the dead body of Michael
Davitt we'll knew of their debt to him
"a debt of homes saved from ruth
less landlordism, of human comfort
and happiness that no felon landlord
hand can now dare destroy. They
know, these men and women of the
farmsteads and cottages in the fields
in Ireland what they were and how
they stood before the work Of Michael
Davitt and the Land League. In those
times it was the unexaggerated truth
that in Ireland, as Thomas Davis
wrote of "The Penal Days:
"The peasant scarce had leave to live,
Above his head
A ruined shed,
No tenure but a tyrant's will"
Before the Land League that was
the condition Of the Irish peasant. He
had mo tenure but tyrant's WILL"
no leave to live except the pleasure of
the landlord. He might be evicted
with cause or without cause, whether
he paid the rent or didn't pay and the
landlord was the sole judge as to what
the rent should be. That that isn't
the condition of the Irish peasant to-
day and why it isn't, every Irishman
knows. And in thinking of why it
isn't the first thought and name that
come to the mind is Michael Davitt.
AS surely and quickly as we think of
George washington in connection with
American Independence, or of Daniel
O'Connell in connection with Catholic
Emancipation, we think of Michael
Davitt in connection with the downfall
of landlordism in Ireland. With that
great and beneficent work for the
country his name shall forever be in
separately associated.
No wonder then that the funeral Of
Michael Davitt was made National
demonstration Of the peoples love and
gratitude. But the demonstration was
not confined to the obsequies alone
to the funeral services and ceremon-
les and the thousands who participat-
ed therein. 1t may be said that the
great manifestation of popular senti-
xr,1,1
every part of it, in every county and
city and town and almost in every par
ish meetings of representative bodies
and organizations were held and reso-
lutions of sorrow and sympathy unan-
imously passed, and for several days
large portion of the space of the
Irish daily papers was occupied with
reports of such meetings and resolu-
tions. And not alone from every cor
ner of Ireland did such messages come
to the bereaved family of the dead
patriot, but from all quarters of the
civilized world-from England and
Scotland from the United States and
Canada, from Australia and New Zea-
land and South Africa. And many Of
those messages were of a character to
demonstrate how worldwide the es-
TEEN in which Davitt was regarded
and the sorrow felt at his death by
people of all nationalities. From Lon
don, Mr.. H. M. Hyndman, distin-
guished Englishman, for many years
known in connection with British
popular movements, wrote to Mrs.
Davitt that:
All over the world men and women
whom you know and whom you do not
know will share with you your sorrow
at your noble husbands DEATH"
And another prominent Englishman
Mr.. R. B. Cunninghame Grahame. sent
sympathetic letter in which he said
that:
His single minded life and efforts
on behalf Of his country endeared him
to thousands whom you will never
know, and who will preserve his name
with honor as that of great patriot
and honest man."
A. great patriot and an honest man
that is the worlds judgment on
Michael Davitt. AS such his name
takes it's place in the worlds history
What higher eulogy could be pro-
nounced on any citizen in any land in