Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-06-22
CHARLES EAS0N.
The Partner Of w. H. Smith, the Origi-
nal Of Sir Joseph Porter, in the
Opera Of Pinafore,"
Visits st. Louis, and Is There Inter-
viewed Touching the Movements
Of the English Liberals,
And as TO the Chances for Home Rule
for Ireland-His Impressions of
America.

st. Louis Post- DiSpdth: 4 small sized,
gray-haired, white whiskered gentleman.
Just entering upon the sixties, but whose
bright eyes, energetic gestures and quick
ness of intellectual perception, as evil
denced in brilliant conversational powers,
seemed to place him in the category OF
much younger men-such is the Hon.
Charles Eason, a gentleman who is de-
scribed as the eminent British statistician,
but who in the course of brief half an
hour this morning clearly demonstrated to
Post Dispatch reporter that his power lay
in the direction of a much more interest
ing and valuable field than that of dry,
though valuable figures and statistic s.
The reporter found him at the residence
of DIR. O'Reilly, whose faculty for enter.
tanning lions from abroad has become
prOverbial. AS general rule it is the Irish
lion which is TO be found at the doctors
beautiful home on Washington avenue,
but this time it was a genuine British
article, even though it did hail direct from
Dublin and bad been resident so
long on the could sod" that the
sonorous English voice had caught
just a pleasant dash of the brogue
and the proverbially cold English manner
been replaced with magnetic Latin ell
thusiasm. Mr.. Eason is in fact rara
ans in the shape of an Englishman who,
after a residence OF twenty odd years in
Ireland, has become an ardent supporter
OF home rule and detester of the various
forms of tyranny under which the Irish
people have for so many years been groan-
ing 81 canrot say that the condition OF
the national cause in Ireland is as favor
able as | would wish," Mr. Eason said;
"butthere are many things which we have
reason TO be thankful for. One glorious
result OF all the agitation is the fact that
THE IRISH PEASANT
now feels and knors that he is free man.
The landlords are now very free ~ -,
knowledge that the treatment OF their
tenants has been for generations OF most
cruel and oppressive. kind, but they claim
that they are not to blaite for what their
ancestors did. This is very true, and We
only look to them for a non. perpetuation
of the crimes of which their ancestors were
guilty. The great drawback now to the
advancement OF the cause lies in the very
general advantage which the landlords
are taking of the power to appeal to the
higher courts. Facility of litigation
in the primary courts is, as far as
it goes, an excellent thing for
the tenants, and it has undoubtedly
done theiu much good but then, when the
landlords, Theft defeated, take their cases
to one higher court and then tE another
and SO on, it is easy to see that the ten
ants are placed at a great disadvantage.
Another thing which will greatly work
against the rapid advancement of the
country is the lack of diversified occupa-
ton. The young people grow up and
there is practically no work for them to
ENGAGE iu but agriculture. One result of
this is that the competition for land be-
comes keener, and up go rents. OF course
land will rent for what is offered for it,
and when landlord is offered twenty-five
shillings an acre by one man he could not
be expected to accept twenty shillings from
another"
"What do you think of the dynamite
policy which some OF the Nationalists
favor2"
"Of course we are opposed to such hor-
rible crimes. 1t is such work as this
which hinders MANY English sympa izers
from
OPENLY LENDING THEIR sUPPoEr
to the Irish national movement"
From the Irish national question the
conversation drifted to the new busin IS
in which Mr.. Easton occupied the position
of representative in Ireland of the we'll
VIM. II. Smith, member of Parliament for
Westminster, England, and of world
wide fame as the first Lord of the Admit
ralty who supplied the original for Gilbert
and Sullivan's "Sir John Porter" The
fact having been denied that such was the
case, the reporter asked Mr.. Easton to
settle the point, and he said: whether
or not Gilbert had Mr.. Smith in his mind
when he drew the character, | do not
know, but it is fact that the actor who
first played it reproduced Mr.. Smiths per-
sonal appearance and peculiarities SO ex-
actly that the audience were convulsed
with Laughter. Mr.. Smith is a very re-
markable man. He is a great organizer,
and as such he will be a very important
| factor in any conservative government
which may come in power. He is no de-
| batter at all, but in council he is indispen-
sable. His case is a coed deal like that of
| Sir Charles Ward, whose presence in all
| the cabinets of Lord John Russell was
| such a matter of surprise to everybody.
| Sir Charles was finally made Chancellor
| Of the Exchequer, and this appointment
| provoked so much comment and derision
| that an explanation became necessary, and
| then it was made known that Sir Charles
| was so generally useful that the Cabinet
| could not do without him. His ability as
1
| knotty financial questions were under de-
bate, to make such clear statements OF
| them that the Cabinet invariably looked
| to him when such came under coDsidera-
| ton. His common sense and
CLEARNEss OF JUDGMENT
enabled him, when intricate and involved
| matters OF almost any kind arose, to see
| through them quickly and to present
/ IL 10, ,h thnf
| their administration has greatly facilitated.
| In this way he became so useful to bis
| colleagues that they could not get on with
! out him and this they had to confess
| finally. Just sach man as Mr.. Smith and
| the success he achieved as statesman was
| secured With the exercise of the same tai
ents which have built up his present enor.
nous business"
| "When did its success begin?"
| "In lS4S; but its great impetus was re-
| ceived about twenty years ago, shortly
after the removal of the tax on paper. II
| will be interesting to note the fact that
his father was, years ago, engaged in the
| work of promoting rapid transit of news
paper mail. At that time an edition OF the
| Times used to be published some hours
| after the departure of the stage coach, and
| Mr.. Smith, sr., used to start after it with s
bundle of papers in a light vehicle drawn
by frequent RELAYS OF blooded horses. The
son is doing on the railroads what the
father used to do in the days OF stage
coaching. 1t would be perfectly impossi
BILE for the newsagency to handle
THE ENORMOUS QUANTITY
of papers which leave London every morn
ing, unless by the present system of dis
| tribution and packing on the morning
train. Take the Edinburgh train, 70
| instance. Attached to it are three car
| for the exclusive use of the agency. To-
newspapers are placed on these cars in tn
open sheet, and are arranged for distribu
ton as the train moves northward. Ol
this train there are probably 10000 copie
OF the T'mss, $4,000 Of the Telegraph, an
thousands upon thousands more of tn
other papers. AS the train moves thes
are separated into different parcels, folde
and addressed, and, by the time the trai
is three hours on its way, the distributio
to stations which have been passed hs
been attended to and all is ready for tn
remainder"
"Does the agency sell anything beside
newspapers
"Yes; books and periodicals and article
likely TO be used in travel, such as playin
cards, reading lamps, stationery, and sue
, | matters. We do not sell on the train
: you do here, as tine formation Of our trair
is SO different from yours. At the station
there are stalls, and when one has M
time to leave the train and secure what
| | wants. he will be sure to find an employ
ready to serve him from a basketfu
which he is supplied with at the maj
stall. We have not the train boy wit
his peanuts and candy and cigars, and eve
if the system OF cars IN England We
eventually to be so changed as to NAL
. the train boy possible, hardly think Il
I British public would take kindly to him
Mr. Eason described the growth of Il
. x-ru-s