The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-04-24
irish courts
WRANGLE over
'SOvIET'S' ACTS
Leitrin Was Exciting
Place for GrabberS
Especial to The Daily Worker,


DUBLIN, - (5y MalD 1t Is one
thing to secure a court judgement in
your favor in ireland, but It Is an en-
tireIy different matter to have that
decision put into effect. The average
Irish peasant has as much contempt
for law as Americans have for prohi-
billion. This is particularly true after
several years of civil war during which
a mans best counsel was trusty
rifle.
One of the most interesting hang
overs from the stormy days Of 1922 is
the case of James Grafton, now a
member of the Workers Party in New
York, versus sundry landgrabbers who
were compelled to disgorge property
they had taken from peasants who
could not or would not pay the rent
demanded by the landlord.
Two of the most popular slogans in
ireland are: "Pay no rent" and: ITO
hell with the king" In Belfast the
latter gives way to ITO hell with the
pope"
Returned To Fight
"Jim" Grafton was a member of the
Irish-American Labor League Of New
York before the fighting in Ireland
proved too great an attraction Tor
him. He returned to his native county
of Letrim to carry a gun against the
black and tans and square things up
with the Iandgrabbers. Grafton knew
that the black and tans we're not the
only enemies Of the Irish workers and
peasants. Acting on this knowledge
he organized society named after
the Irish revolutionist James Connolly
and under his leadership a Soviet
Hall" was built in the district. Soon
things began to hum.
The sequel to those stirring Incl
dents took place in Dublin last sum-
mer when the landgrabber who was
dispossessed by the revolutionary
peasants asked the court aid in hay-
ing his lands returned to him. The
plaintiff testified that Grafton and
diver others decided to take his land
away from him and that the peasants
in the district constituted themselves
into a Soviet, which issued DEGREES
and saw that they were carried out.
Their Guns Barked.
The committee of direct action,
which was the police force Of the To-
cal Soviet, drove this landgrabber's
cattle off the land and playfully fired
shots around his premises in order to
convince him that discretion was the
better part of valor. Free State Of
fcers arrested the cattle drivers and
peace reigned for a while. But IN
october of the same year the COM
mittee of direct action resumed actiV-
ity as the following note will show;
take notice that you are requested
to have the lands Of Lismoyle cleared
of all stock and crops on or before
November 1, and if not 1t will be
cleared for you. You are also request
ed to surrender said lands to the
lands committee, who will have it dis
tributed to those people who are just
" entitled to it; those people whom
you went behind their backs and
grabbed this land while they were en-
deavoring to secure it for division
among the uneconomic holders Of the
district. They intend no longer to al
low any hound to gobble up their
rights and seek to live among them af-
ter you came to the district a mendi-
cant and built yourself up by grabbing
from your neighbors. If you fail to
comply promptly with this notice you
can prepare for the bullets. Remember
Latimer's land is divided and yours will,
be divided when the devil has you.
Your life OF the land Signed) Fair
Play"
Escaped In His Shirt.
The landgrabber took no notice Of
this epistle until a bomb sent him out
thru the window altogether, but dress
ed only in his shirt Not relishing the
idea of being subjected to such thrills
he finally decided to comply with the
demands of the peasants committee.
The victory Of the Free State forces
put the landgrabbers in good humor
again, but in isolated spots the de-
crees Of the Dublin officials do not
count for much.
Grafton, during his brief visit to
South Letrim carried on revolutionary
propaganda and copies Of the DAILY
WORKER are in great demand, and
other revolutionary papers are read
with interest there today.