The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-21
THOMAS POWER O'C0NNER.

The drawing room OF the Glcepinr car
Duluth is not a large apartment md there
fore il wal filed last evening by q deisga-
tion busily engaged In shaki nR hands with
a tall, finely built and we'll dressed young
man. Col. James Sullivan. Col. G. ID. Chr
tbs, Manager John Maguire. Assistant Man
nger Lawrence Daily. Alderman G.. L. Con-
molly and a few newspaper men made up
the party. The reception lasted but a few
minutes, for the steaming locomotive was
in waiting to pull the long train eastward.
The young man, who had a i pleasant smile
and a hearty handshake for each WAS
Mr., L. +. OConner, the famous Irish
leader, member of parliament, politician
and journalist. A half dozen words will
convince Ii tyro in human nature that Mr..
O'Conner is az bright as he looks. He is
perhaps thirty-cight years old. though his
age is IL difficult matter to de-
%termine, for he has been we'll
known to the public for ten
years or more. He is the youngest Of the
Irish leaders and il regarded as the best
politician of all, with the possible excep-
tion of Mr.. sexton. While Parneli, Dillon.
O'Brien and the others have allowed their
zeal to bring injury at times to the cause,
Mr.. C'Connor has played politics and
strengthened the Irish issue by bringing
prominent Englishmen under the home rule
flag.
In appearance he might be taken for a
smart young business or professional man.
He is fully six feet in height, broad shout
dered, full faced. Two bright dark eyes
are Watching you constantly while an oc-
casional smile chris over an expressive
mouth partially concealed by q close brown
mustache. lie wears a modest Prince Al
bert suit. revealing Just n touch of the swell
in the combination of a striped shirt and Il
red and black scarf and white collar. His
close cropped black hair was covered by q
light brown derby.
IN
"Mv plans said Mr.. O'Connsr. "They
are these: i go to st. Pau to stay a day Or
so. Then ! visit Duluth and from there to
Chicago where l shall remain possibly for n
few hours. A flying trip to Washington
then to New York and off for Europe. In
May ! shall start a new paper in London to
be called the Sunday Sun. l have sold the
Star and am no longer connected with it.
Now about the Irish situation. Let me
say that / believe it the duty of every friend
OF Ireland to stand by the majority in the
opposition to Parnell. / have the fullest
appreciation of his past services to the
Irish cause. | recognize the power of his
leadership and his wonderful control ever
men. You know the Irish party extends
from Connemara to New South Wales. de
is a great man but no man is greater than
the cause. My opposition to him
dates only from the time of his manifesto.
He held his leadership until after the d.
vorce case and the feeling against him did
not arise from his relations with Mrs.
O'Shea. His manifesto made one of two
things necessary. We must either stay
with him and thus destroy our chance at
the next general election. which would re-
suit in the setting back of home rule for
eight or ten years. perhaps a generation, or
go with Gladstone and the liberals with
chances in favor of winning"
"Gladstone is a leader with wonderful in
duence. He is a Scotchman by birth and
Scotland is with him. His wife is a Welsh
woman and he ia strong III Wales. In Eng
land he is a among all classes but
particularly with the masses. Now
then, if we ever have home
rule in Ireland it must come through
English assistance and this must come
through the liberal party. We therefore
cannot afford to ALLEVIATE that party. II we
secure home rule it is not our intention to
maintain inimical relations with England
but rather to establish friendship between
the two countries. Standing by Parnell
means the STRENGTHENING of the tory party
and that We can not afford to
Ia. Do I think ParnelI will re-
sumo his leadership? He may after
. time but the future is hard to read Nr.
O'Conner said that OBrien and Dillon will
undoubtedly be obliged to serve out their
sentences, and then when asked about the
future of Ireland he said: II do not favor
holding public meetings to raise the re-
sources which are needed. | believe this
should be done by small conferences of
those interested. Public meetings. as mat
tsrs are now, tend to arouse disturbances
and therefore | do not approve of this
method" Mr.. OConner's chat was here
interrupted by the conductor who an
nouuced that the train was about to move
out of the station. With a CHEEKY good bye
he shook hands once more and returned TO
a game of cribbage with Mr.. p. A. Oar
rel, the well kown Tacoma journalist who
accompanies Mr.. OConner to st. Paul.