This is what is called “boycotting.”  Captain Boycott was its first victim.  He not only refused to lower the rents, but, according to the story of the peasants, he reduced the wages of his laborers by a system of petty fines.

Acting on Mr. Parnell’s advice, the laborers refused to work for him, and the tenants refused to have any dealings with him.

It was harvest-time, but the crops were left rotting in the fields, because no one would lend a hand to gather them.  The farm servants left the farm, and there was no one to feed the cattle or milk the cows.  The country people round would sell neither food, clothes, nor medicines to any of the family.

The peasants cut Captain Boycott off from the rest of the world, and kept him thus isolated until the Government had to interfere.

A gang of laborers was sent down, under the escort of a troop of soldiers, and gathered in the crops, and when the work was done, under the protection of the soldiers, the Captain and his family were taken from their home and safely guarded until they reached Dublin.

In describing this most extraordinary affair there was no word which properly applied to it, and so the word “boycotting” was coined, after the man who first suffered from the system, and in the new editions of the dictionaries “boycott” and “boycotting” appear as regular words of the English language.

* * * * *

We may have an Arbitration Treaty with England after all.

President McKinley is in favor of an understanding between England and the United States, and it is said that a new treaty has been prepared.

Sir Julian Pauncefote has refused to take any steps in the matter until the United States has made a formal offer to his Government, but it is understood that he is as much in favor of the arrangement as the President.

The new treaty will differ in many respects from the one prepared by Mr. Olney.  It will be expressly stated that all matters relating to the Nicaragua Canal and the Monroe Doctrine shall not be included as subjects for arbitration. (For Monroe Doctrine, see p. 210.)

It is intended to find out the feeling of the Senate toward the measure before the new treaty is signed.  A second refusal to ratify might make bad feeling between the two countries.

It is not expected that the new treaty will be sent to the Senate before December.

* * * * *

The terms of peace between Turkey and Greece have not yet been agreed upon, nor has the amount of money which Greece must pay been finally decided.

It is rumored that it will be about twenty-three million dollars, which is the largest sum that Greece is able to pay.  It is also reported that Turkey is now willing to give up Thessaly without further trouble.

This may be true, but Turkey is posting guns on the mountains that mark the frontier between Greece and Turkey, and is despatching additional troops there.