The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-08-24

tween May l, 1879. and February, 1898.
Two hundred and thirty eight families,
approximately fifteen hundred souls,
were evicted, the costs to the rate pay
ers Of this country included: Police at
tending evictions, $4,000. Affording
protection to the emergencymen, or
"blacklegs" in possession of the evict-
ed tenants holdings. s7l,l5O. Costs Of
prosecutions arising out of the evic-
| tions. $14.500. Costs of arrest, con-
veyance Of prisoners to Jail, 1885.
Cost of prisoners maintenance in Jail,
$4,000. Amount awarded as "blood
money to people injured. under the
Crimes Act. $4,000. Charges for out
door relief to evicted tenants on the
estate. s1.500. So that the cruel and
heartless eviction carried out by this
absentee landlord between the dates
mentioned cost no lless a sum than
$147645.
One of the latest exploits of this
heartless owner was the eviction of the
unhappy town tenant, Martin Ward.
The extraordinary. circumstances are
still fresh in the public mind. Clanri-
carde, through his agent. declared
Ward to be a good tenant. who had
paid his rent punctually. He compli-
mented him on his industry. on his
great business enterprise and abil-
ity. and then he declared his inten-
tion of evicting him for venturing to
act as the secretary of the United Irish
League. For this Shocking offence"
the Marquis attempted to drive Mr..
Ward out of the house and home, to
ruin his trade. to conhscate his busi-
| ness, his improvements and the good
will of his business. establishment built
up by his industry and enterprise.
For this unjust and wicked purpose
the forces Of the British Government
were drafted into Loughrea in hun
dreds. until the little town seemed to
be like a place in a state Of siege. The
late Chief Secretary made no secret of
his disgust and indignation at the ac-
ton of clanricarde, hut he felt COM
PEELED to give tlie sfoFtsl ( " the crown
in execution Of his. decree, on the
ground that the Executive. had no
power to deny the means of execution
of the DEGREES Of any court, however
immoral and iniqutous might be the
law under which the decree was grant
ed. Out Of the evil, however, cometh
good. Ward was evicted. and is a.
broken man today. but the extraordin-
ary hardship and injustice to which
he was subjected demonstrated to the
world the monstrous and horrible pow
er for evil resting in the hands Of one
bad man, as we'll as the necessity which
existed for amending such an unjust
law, and the Government in the last
session of Parliament passed a mea-
sure which will be the means Of pro-
tecting the homes and properties of
people from similar rapacity and in
justice.
But this is not all. The vengeance
of this landlord against his tenants
does not appear to be yet satisfied. At
the Assize Court held at Loughrea in
January Of this year, he had number
of tenants before the court, for ar
rears of rent due FIR many years back
One after the other the poor people
appealed to the Judge, pointed out that
in some instances they had actually
paid in hard cash to the agent, two,
within the preceding nine months. Still,
! 1t was no use. The judge could do
nothing. The law. bad and cruel as it
was, existed, and should be carried
out. He granted DEGREES, and as a
consequence this reasonable landlord
can at any moment requisiticn the
forces of the Grown and evict out Of
their homes number Of hard working
people to add to the swollen list.
This was the sequence of events on
the property which compelled Mr.. Bir-
rell to say that it might be necessary
to deal with him after the fashion Of
the Marquis of Townsend. And who,
knowing all the circumstances con-
nected with the management of this
vast property. covering $1,000 statute
acres, and running from the sea to the
Shannon, distance of forty miles, will
deny that Mr.. Bi.rell has correctly
grappled the situation when he said:
I'm such a case the State should say,
Stand on one side. You are UNFIT for
your obligations. We will discharge
them in your name"
>aeAr Arhle