THE O'DONOGHUE ON THE LAND QUESTION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 356, 13 February 1880, Page 16

THE O'DONOGHUE ON THE LAND QUESTION.

The following letter has been addressel to the editor of the Cork Examiner :—: —

Dublin, Nov. U>, 187i>. Sir,— l hope you will afford me space in the Cork Examiner to suggest to the farmers of the Killarney district to assemble, on as early a day as possible, in older to express their determination to hold their farms for ever, subject to the payment of a fair rent. I take the Killarney district as extending from G leu desk to Rathmoro, Farrenforc to Killorglin, and across the Launc to Dring Hill. lam confident that in no part of Ireland are the people more ardent in the cause of tenant right than in Kerry, and it is equally certain that in no part of Ireland are the rights ot the farmers so persistently and virulently assailed as in the Killarney district. It is especially incumbent upon us to join our countrymen in the great movemeut on the land question, by making solemn and public profession of our real opinions. We must not forget that a majority of the guardians of the Killarney and Cahirciyeen unions, professing to speak for the farmers, declared against fixity of tenure, fair rents, and right of sale. An attempt is made to b:and as dishonest the opposition of the farmers to the exaction of rents which landlords fixed to suit their necessities, arbitrarily overriding the objections of the tenants. We caa afford to treat this charge with contempt, because it is as base as it is baseless. There is nothing in the world more certain than this, that there is no moral obligation whatever upon tenants to pay rent which they have been compelled to assume under pain of the deprivation of the means of livelihood. The man who maintains the contrary to this must be a rogue, an ass, or a lick-spittle. It is perfectly notorious that there is not an occupier to ba met with in a position to secure for himself the possession of his farm on fair terms. Everything depends upon the pleasure of the landlord, and under a multitude of petty despots things have come to such a pass that it behoves the whole population now to combine to put an end to a system which has become simply intolerable. I see no reason why we should not here, at some convenient place near Killarney, hold the greatest meeting that has yet boon held on the land question. A few simple arrangements would enable the people to displa - their strength and the ardour of their feelings. I shall ouly add that I will be ready to give all the assistance in my power. — I a:n, sir, your obedient servant, O'Doxoghue

A letter from the lloruan correspondent of the Standard, hcatlcl '• The Papacy in Italy," contains an inaccurate statement winch it may be well to notice and correct. Writing about the recent municipal elections in Home, the correspondence says : "There were certainly as many as five of the newly elected councillors, whose election was mainly due to clerical votes and influence. But it is certain that all their forces did not vote : and this not from any negligence or slackness of discipline, but because a certain portion of the higher clergy have by no means reconciled themselves to the policy ofLoo XIII., but arc still attached to that of Pius IX., and cannot bring themselves to abandon his favonritejforiuula, 'uYc elctti tie cletivr?. This division of the clerical forces will" however, gradually disappear. The policy of Leo XIII. will become the rule and guide of conduct of all the friends and adherents of the Church, and we shall then sec what the clerical paity, coming to the polls in full strength and perfectly disciplined, can effect." This passage is based upon a misapprehension of tho facts. The '• policy of Pius IX." did not apply the maxim " tie eletti, ne elcttori " to municipal elections. Oa the contrary, under the late Pope, Catholics were earnestly exhorted to take part in those elections. And the " policy of Leo the XIII." has not abandoned that maxim in respect to Parliamentary elections, to which, under " the policy o£ Pius IX,' 1 it did apply.