The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-08-17
THE THREE IRISH LEADERS.
The Men Who Are Leading the
Irish People to Victory and
Home Rule.
PARNELL, DAVITT AND 0'BRlEN,

How They Work and the Part Each
Plays in the Agitation for
Ireland's Rights.
Edward 3. Rankin writes to the Sun
day Herald at follows: While it is uni
versally conceded that the prominent
and central figure In the leadership Of
the Irish Home Rule party is Charles
Stewart Parnell, there are, neverthe-
less. elements OF strength in furthering
the movement for local self-government
in Ireland, the loss of even one of which
would prove a serious setback to the
cause. The crucial test to which Mr..
Parnell has been subjected for many
years while at the head of the Irish
party, his conservative leadership at all
times, his dignified bearing under most
trying circumstances, and his eminent
social respectability have won over
many English and Scotch adherents to
the Irish movement; but without such
distinguished coadjutors as Michael
Dayitt and William O'Brien have
proved to be, home rule would never
have made the strides it has. Each of
the three men has his own peculiar line
of duty to follow, and his own work to
perform, and each one is leader in
himself. 1t is, indeed, most remark
able political trinity--Parnell, Dayitt,
O'Brien. Among the Irish peasantry
none of the leaders IS SO we'll known or
so popular as O'Brien. They speak of
the one great parliamentary leader as
Mr.. Parnell, they refer TO the second
member of the great tribune as Michael
Dayitt, and men, women and children
everywhere know the nervous, excitable
and castle hating journalist as ''Willie''
O'Brien. The peasantrV look upon him
as one Of themselves; as the man in the
gap, who throws himself to the front ON
every occasion calling for determined
action; as being who apparently lives
for them alone; suffering almost con-
tinually the brutal treatment Of the
constabulary and the rigo1s Of prison
life; undergoing the torments Of hunger
and thirst and cold in damp, dark cells.
all for the cause of Ireland. and, there
fore, Il Il the poor rack-rented tenants,
who need only a hint that ''Willie''
O'Brien is to speak somewhere in their
country to flock in thousands to hear
HIM. The little children on the noun
tain sides and in the bogs are taught by
their fathers and mothers to honor and
revere his name and to love him as if he
were the jewel Of their hearts. His
great value as factor in Irish politics
is conceded by his colleagues, and by
none more than Mr.. Parnell; indeed,
Mr.. Parnell and other prominent men
in the Home Rule party do not hesitate
to say that Mr.. O'Brien has lately
PUT HIMSELF TO THE TEST
of a strain of excitement and physical
endurance too great for man Of his
delicate constitution TO withstand for
many months, and that the result must
ere long prove serious to his health, and
consequently a misfortune to the cause
in which he is SO energetic a worker.
William O'Brien does not come of
long lived ancestry; indeed, although
still young man, being under 40 years
of age, he is the only survivor of large
family. Some of his friends assert that
if it were not for the whirl of excitement
in which he is constantly turning his
health would have failed him long ago,
but the fact remains that he is COM
PEELED to exist without excitement while
behind the prison bars, save such as he
gets by demanding and enforcing his
rights as political prisoner rather than
as convict criminal. His movements
when he is enjoying the free air of
heaven are so quickly conceived and so
hastily executed as to defy the watch
full eyes Of the constabulary inspectors.
When they have positive information
that O'Brien is still at the Westminster
Hotel in London, he is likely to be the
central figure at a great mass meeting
of the tenantry in some distant part of
Ireland-a meeting unknown Of to the
police, not called through the newspa-
per press or by public announcement,
and consequently not proclaimed by the
government, and not disturbed by the
presence of single representative Of
the batoned and carbined guardians of
the governments peace. And vet in
his younger days Mr.. O'Brien never
gave any indication Of the fire that ragged
within him, nor did he promise to de-.
velop into a leader Of men. He Heattended
private school in the town Of Mallow,
and was then frail, weakened lad. at
whom fun was poked by his school
mates because of his devotion to his
books. Il was his custom to leave the
house Of his parents at q very early hour