IRELAND AND HER LEADERS.
November 29th was spent in Dublin, the 30th at Belfast and en route
to that city from Dublin. Dublin is a very substantial looking
city and much more ancient in appearance than Belfast, the latter
reminding one more of an enterprising American city. We did not have
a chance to visit any of the industries of Dublin, and only a linen
factory and a shipyard in Belfast, but as the linen factory, the
York Street Linen Mills, was one of the largest in Ireland, and the
shipyard, Harland & Wolff's, the largest in the world, they gave
some idea of the industrial possibilities of the island.
The lord mayor of Belfast, Sir Daniel Dixon, gave us a history
of the municipal undertakings and extended to us every possible
courtesy. To one accustomed to the farms of the Mississippi and
the Missouri valleys, the little farms of Ireland seem contracted
indeed, but what they lack in size they make up in thoroughness of
cultivation. Not a foot seemed to be wasted. At Birmingham I saw
some Kerry cows, which I can best describe as pony cattle, that
they told me were being bred in Ireland in preference to the larger
breeds; they are certainly more in keeping with the size of the
farms. The farm houses are not large, but from the railroad train
they looked neat and well kept.
My visit to Ireland was too brief to enable me to look into the
condition of the tenants in the various parts of the island, but by
the courtesy of the lord mayor of Dublin, Mr. Timothy Harrington,
and Mr. John Dillon, both members of parliament, I met a number of
the prominent representatives of Ireland in national politics. A
luncheon at the Mansion House was attended by some 75 of the Irish
leaders, including Archbishop Walsh, John Redmond, John Dillon,
Michael Davitt, William Field, Patrick O'Brien, several members of
the city council, ex-Mayor Valentine Dillon, High Sheriff Thomas
Powers, and Drs. McArdle and Cox, and other persons distinguished in
various walks of life.
The dinner at Mr. Dillon's gave me a chance to meet Mr. Bailey of
the new land commission, and Mr. Finucane, lately connected with
the Indian department, and to become better acquainted with the more
prominent of the Irish leaders whose names have become familiar to
American readers, and whom I met at luncheon.
[Illustration:
T. P. O'CONNOR MR. MICHAEL DAVITT
MR. JOHN DILLON MR. JOHN E. REDMOND]
Archbishop Walsh is one of the best known and most beloved of the
Irish clergy, and he endeared himself to the friends of bimetallism
throughout the world by the pamphlet which he wrote some years ago,
setting forth the effect of the gold standard upon the Irish tenant
farmer. It was a genuine pleasure to make his personal acquaintance.
It may be added, in passing, that the tenants of Ireland will be
more than ever interested in the stable dollar when they have
secured title to their lands and assumed the payments which extend
over more than sixty years. Any increase in the value of the dollar
would increase the burden of these payments by lessening the price
which they would obtain for the products of the soil.
Mr. John Redmond is the leader of the Irish party in parliament,
and, having visited the United States, is personally known to many
of our people. He has the appearance of a well-to-do lawyer, is
quick to catch a point, ready of speech and immensely popular with
his people. He has the reputation of being one of the most forcible
of the Irish orators, and I regret that I had no opportunity of
hearing him speak.
Mr. Dillon is a tall man, probably six feet one, with a scholarly
face and wears a beard. His long experience in parliament, his
thorough knowledge of the issues of the last quarter of a century,
and his fidelity to the interests of the people of his land have
given him a deservedly high place among the great Irishmen of the
present generation.
Mr. Michael Davitt has also had a conspicuous career, but is not now
in parliament, having resigned as a protest against the Boer war. He
is the oldest of the group and shows in his countenance the fighting
qualities that have made his name known throughout the world. He is
not a diplomat--he has not learned the language of the court. He is
not a compromiser, but a combatant, and his blows have been telling
ones.
The lord mayor of Dublin, Mr. Timothy Harrington, has been honored
with a third election as lord mayor, a position first held by
Daniel O'Connell, but he is always at Westminster whenever there
is an important vote in parliament. He is a typical Irishman,
good-natured, full of humor, well informed and a natural politician.
At a dinner given a few days later at the National Liberal club in
London by Mr. T. P. O'Connor, I met several other Irish members,
among them Mr. William Redmond, brother of the leader of the Irish
party, and himself a man of great ability and long parliamentary
experience, and James Devlin, one of the most brilliant of the
orators of the younger generation. The oldest person at the
O'Connor dinner was Mr. O'Brien, the last Irishman who enjoyed the
distinction of being sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. The
host, Mr. O'Connor, while he represents a Liverpool constituency
and is not, therefore, technically speaking, a member of the Irish
party, is one of the most prominent and influential of the Irishmen
in the house of commons. He has lectured in the United States as
well as in Europe, and is now editor of two weekly papers of large
circulation. He showed his friendliness toward America and his
appreciation of our country's resources by taking unto himself an
American wife--a beautiful Texan.
At Glasgow I met another member of parliament, Mr. William McKillup,
who, though a citizen of Glasgow, represents an Irish district and
takes an active interest in everything that affects the Emerald isle.
Mr. Harrington and Mr. Redmond took me to the Dublin cemetery and we
visited the graves of O'Connell and Parnell. The tomb of Ireland's
great agitator is under a massive pile of granite, made to represent
an old Irish tower. No monument has yet been erected to Parnell.
The memory of the two dead statesmen and the presence of the
living leaders recalled the struggle to which so many of Ireland's
sons have devoted their lives, and it was a matter of extreme
gratification to find that substantial progress is being made.
It is true that home rule has not yet been secured, but the contest
for home rule has focused attention upon the industrial and
political condition of Erin, and a number of remedial measures have
been adopted. First, the tenant was given title to his improvements
and then the amount of the rent was judicially determined. More
recently the authorities have been building cottages for the rural
laborers. Over 15,000 of these cottages have been already erected
and arrangements are being made for some 19,000 more. These are
much more comfortable than the former dwellings, and much safer
from a sanitary point of view. The recent land purchase act, which
went into effect on November 1, seems likely to exert a very great
influence upon the condition of the people. According to its terms
the government is to buy the land of the landlord and sell it to the
tenants. As the government can borrow money at a lower rate than
the ordinary borrower, it is able to give the tenant much better
terms than he gets from his present landlord, and at the same time
purchase the land of the landlord at a price that is equitable.
The landlords are showing a disposition to comply with the spirit
of the law, although some of them are attempting to get a larger
price for their land than it was worth prior to the passage of
the law. The purpose of the law is to remove from politics the
landlord question, which has been a delicate one to deal with. Most
of the larger estates were given to the ancestors of the present
holders and many of the owners live in England and collect their
rents through a local agent. The new law makes the government the
landlord; and the tenant, by paying a certain annual sum for 63
years, becomes the owner of the fee. He has the privilege of paying
all or any part, at any time, and can dispose of his interest. The
settlement which is now being effected not only removes the friction
which has existed between the tenant and the landlord, but puts the
tenant in a position where he can appeal to the government with
reasonable certainty of redress in case unforeseen circumstances
make his lot harder than at present anticipated. The assurance that
he will become the owner of the fee will give to the Irish farmer an
ambition that has heretofore been wanting, for he will be able to
save without fear of an increase in the rent. Not only is the land
question in process of settlement, but there have been at the same
time other improvements which make for the permanent progress of
the people. There is a constant increase in educational facilities,
and a large number of co-operative banks have been established.
Agricultural societies have been formed for the improvement of crops
and stock, and the trend is distinctly upward. The Irish leaders
have not obtained all that they labored for--there is much to be
secured before their work is complete, but when the history of
Ireland is written, the leaders now living will be able to regard
with justifiable pride the results of their devotion and sacrifice
and their names will be added to the long list of Irish patriots and
statesmen.
[Illustration: CHARLES S. PARNELL]
In Dublin I paid my respects to Lord Dudley, lieutenant governor of
Ireland, whose residence, the Viceregal Lodge, is in Phoenix Park,
and found him so genial and affable a host that I am led to hope
that in his administration of the executive branch of the government
he will make the same attempt at just treatment that parliament has
made in the enactment of the recent land measure.
There is a general desire among the leaders of thought in Ireland
to check the emigration from that country. They feel that Ireland
under fair conditions can support a much larger population than she
now has. Ireland, they say, has been drained of many of its most
enterprising and vigorous sons and daughters. It is hardly probable
that the steps already taken will entirely check the movement toward
the United States, but there is no doubt that the inhabitants of
Ireland and their friends across the water contemplate the future
with brighter hopes and anticipations than they have for a century.
[Illustration: MEETING OF THE WATERS--KILLARNEY]