The Daily Gazette

IRISHMEN AND THEIR WRONGS
JAMES REDPATH'S STORY OF THE MAN WHO WENT TO IRELAND AND SHOT LORD LEITRIM.

About 2,000 men and women assembled in the Academy of Music, Newark, last evening, at a mass meeting of the new Irish Land League of that city. The mother of Mr. Parnell, the Irish agitator, and Miss Ellen A. Ford were among the occupants of the crowded stage. They were greeted with applause. The motto, "Justice to Ireland," was displayed in the proscenium arch. Mr. James E. Connolly presided, and introduced Mr. Jas. Redpath, who arrived from Ireland yesterday noon. He at once began to speak of the land system in Ireland. In certain counties, he said, tenants who have reclaimed bog land were driven out by the frequent raising of their rent. Some of these tenants emigrated to America, but men with "long" families could not do this. "Long" family, he explained, has from nine to fourteen children. A woman who had only four children apologized to Mr. Redpath by saying she had not been housekeeping long. Nine-tenths of the landlords are absentees. "One man," the speaker said, "has driven thousands of tenants to the poor houses and to their graves. If that man is shot I shall not wear mourning. Concerning this subject of shooting, I have been unable to find that any decent landlord has been shot. Wherever there is a decent landlord the people would die for him." As to the eviction of tenants, Mr. Redpath said there has not been so much of it this year. "This," he said, "is because there was a Land League in Ireland. Ireland never had a more honest leader than Charles Stewart Parnell. Parnell has been asked what he wants. He wants nothing except that the landlords shall get out of Ireland. All this year there have been only five cases of "accidental death" that any one can attribute to the tenants. One of the men killed was Lord Leitrim. If he had not been shot, it would have been an eternal disgrace. He ruined thirty pure girls, and the brother of one of them went to Ireland from Chicago, and shot him down like the dog that he was. I profoundly honor him for it," continued the speaker, "and if I meet Jim in Chicago, I will congratulate him on being a good shot. I hope he will disclose his name that we will give him a testimonial. Mr. Froude has condemned that shooting, and I charge him with defending debauchery. It is time to speak out about this thing." Mrs. Parnell and the Rev. Father Carr also made addresses.