g. An Irish
steward has no control over them. They don't care for him. And he runs
more risk of shooting than an English or Scots steward.

"There was an Irish bailiff where I was steward, and he saw how I
managed the men, and thought he'd do it the same way. So once when he
and a lot of diggers went in for the praties and buttermilk, the
praties were not ready, and he gives the fellow who was responsible a
bit of a kick behind with the side of his foot, like.

"The very next night he got six slugs in his head and face and one of
his front teeth knocked out. That taught him to leave kicking to
foreigners. Once two men were speaking of me. I overheard one say,
'Ah, now, Micky, an' isn't it a pity that Palmer's a Black Protestant,
an' that his sowl will blaze in hell for ever, like a tur-rf soddock
ye'd pick up in the bog?'"

"Settle the land question and you settle Home Rule. The bad times made
Parnell's success. He was backed by the low prices of produce, and the
general depression of agricultural interests. The rent has been
reduced, but not enough to compensate the drop in the prices of
produce. Why, cattle have been fetching one-half what they fetched a
short time ago. Potatoes are twopence-halfpenny a stone! Did you ever
hear of such a thing? Yes, it enables the people to live very cheaply,
but how about the growers? If every man grew his own potatoes and
lived on them, well and good, but he must have no rent to pay. That
price would not pay for labour and manure. Oats are worth sixpence to
ninepence a stone,--a ridiculous price; and we have not yet touched
the bottom.

"The land question should be settled. No, it is not satisfactory.
People have to wait seven years for a settlement, and meanwhile they
could be kicked out of their holdings at one day's notice. The people
who bought under Ashbourne's Act are happy, prosperous, and contented.
The people who are beside them are the contrary. Home Rulers, bosh!
Farmers know as much about Home Rule as a pig knows about the Sabbath
Day. The land, the land, the land! Let the Tories take this up and
dish the Liberals. Easiest thing alive. How? Compulsory sale,
compulsory purchase. Leave nothing to either party. Then you'll hear
no more of Home Rule. Let the Unionists hold their ground a bit, till
it dies out, or until the rival factious destroy each other. Loyalty?
Why those Nationalist members have themselves told you over and over
again that they are rebels. Don't yo