Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-08

show. Several prominent English peers
have estates in Ireland inherited from
ancestors who have intermarried with
the Irish nobility. The Duke of Devon
shire for example owns enc of the larg
est and finest estates in the kingdom, at
Lisnore, Q few miles north of Cork. The
| late duke. who died year or so ago.
took a great interest in the property and
spent great deal of time there.
A few years ago. by order of parlia-
ment. an investigation was made TO as
certain the habits of the large Irish land
owners in connection with their estates,
and the following table shows the result
No. of Acres Rents
landlords. owned. collected
the property. $3.50 ssso549 f4,71s. 497
Residing elsewhere
in ireland and
occasionally
property . 377 s52sls 81, 1923
in Ireland -. 4s5 1862 44s 2,1as, go
Residing out of
Ireland. hut
casionally
property ....... $50 1888, BAT Col .o72
ireland -. l443 3,145,514 1.53s,o71
Owned by chart
able institutions
corpora lions. 161 5Si :'21 234, 6iS
Not ascertained. $50 615.30S :i3l ,633
Bitterness of Politics.
The people, as a rule. are respectful
toward the, nobility. and treat them with
a consideration which is not always de-
served. Tie bitterness of politics is more
intense in Ireland than in any other coun-
try, and as Mr.. Sydney Brooks, in his
recent book on ireland in the Twentieth
Century" says, class distinctions are not
mitiSated by political agreement Differ
ences of creed are not asSudged by har-
mony of economic interests. The cledv-
ages of racial temperament are not as In
other countries, bridged over by sense
of national unity. On the contrary. all
the bitterness of caste and creed. of po-
litcal and material antipathles and con-
trast, instead of losing half their vicious
ness in multiplicity of cross-currents.
are gathered and rigidly compressed In
Ireland into two homogeneous channels.
Throughout the country, you can infer
mans religion from his social position:
his social position from his religion, and
his views on all Irish questions from both
and nine times out of ten you infer right
ly.'
That is strictly true. Nowhere in the
world is mans politics so Influenced by
his religion and his social position as in
Ireland Although you will find home
rulers in all classes of the English popu-
lation you never find them in but one
class in Ireland. If you are told what
business man is engaged in or what
church he belongs to in Ireland, 1t is not
necessary for you to ask his politics.
Irish Aristocracy Perishing.
Mr.. Brooks continues: The end of the
nineteenth century saw the ruin, and
the beginning of the twentieth century
will see the final extinction of the Irish
aristocracy 1t is curious that it is per-
ishing through mistaken loyalty. The
aristocracy has quite forgotten that Its
grandfathers stood for Irish nationality
They have chosen TO call themselves Eng
i1rh In "a
| them as stupid and blind almost beyond
belief, but no one will call them coward
/ ly or base. At different stages OF the
struggle they might have saved them
selves and led a really united Ireland IN
a great battle for nationality, but they
never did ard never would. They con-
ceived themselves an English garrison
| and held loyalty TO England as their
| prime duty. Never has loyal fneeh SO
| hopeessly misplaced. England has be
| trayed them again and again. ana has de-
| Iiberately sacrificed them not once or
| twice bur many times.
"ltnionism is played out. lhree-quar
! ters of il has been crushed In open nSht
and The rest pensioned off. There Is
| lust as much chance of It's resurrection
as there is that the Bourbons Will rule
| again in Naples and the Carilsts III
| Spain
A New Aristocracy Coming.
While the ancient nobility of Ireland is
gradually becoming extinct, and their es-
tates are being divided up among the
farmers who till them. L new aflstocfacS
is developing The sons OF what Is called
the middle class are invading the sacred
haunts of the ancient ar!stocracy and tax
/ ing the places of the dukes and earls as
the latter retire. Every peer that mas
been created in Ireland OF late years mas
been the son of manufacturer, trades
man or a country gentleman of the mid
die class, and at the present rate the de-
scendants of earls and marquises Will De
compelled to stand back and give the
| sons of brewers. distiiiers and other
manufacturers their places at the front of
| the stage.
A century or even half century ago
| no Irish trader or contractor. lawyer or
| doctor, unless he could produce the proper