The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-14
would be a solo by Robert J. Casey. Mr..

would be solo by R6Dert j. Casey. Mr..
Casey, who possesses a remarkably fine
baritone voice rendered the screen, White
and Gold" most acceptahly, and was called
upon for another selection.
Miss Kate Masterson sang "Killarney,"
after which Gen. Olney Arnold was intro
duced as the chairman of the evening.
Gen. Arnold was warmly greeted, and
said: "Fifty years ago had the honor of
being selected by the citizens of Woon-
socket, of which place Twas at that time a
resident, to preside at meeting given In
honor of the great temperance reformer,
Fathew Mathew, and since that time
have had the honor on many occasions to
preside when distinguished Irish visitors
came to this country, and thought that
past services and age should exclude me
this time, but your chairman and other
members of the committee prevailed, and !
am here tonight for the purpose Of pre-
senting to you another distinguished
Irish visitor, whom we are glad to see, and
hope his visit to this great and glorious
country of ours may be to him one OF en-
joyment. / now introduce to you John
Z. Redmond, Member of Parliament"
Mr.. Redmond was greeted with pro-
longed applause. He said, in part:
81 feel that to many of you it must seem
presumptious for me to talk to you about
the British Parliament, the average Ameri-
can is probably as well acquainted with
our methods as we are ourselves. In the
first place feel / can tell you nothing you
have never heard of, as your argus eyed
correspondents of the press in London
keep you well informed in this respect.
''In the second place, / feel oppressed by
being entirely unaccustomed to this sort OF
speaking, while could advocate the cause
with which i have been identified and
speak of ways and plans, to discuss the
fight, the scenes, the persons and the in
cidents of the fight is a much different
thing.
~ desire to speak in non-partisan
spirit and deal with politicians, but not
with politics. To stand aside from the
conflict and discuss it as a spectator, to
speak of the few great and many remark
able men have met in England. First,
let me explain the political situation in
England during the times Of which / will
speak. When entered the House of Com
mons, Is years ago, the most desperate
period of the Irish crisis was at hand, and
the House of Parliament was deaf to the
cause of Ireland. The first man and the
first Irishman who succeeded in making
John Bull listen to that canse was Charles
Stewart Parnell. Not gifted with fency
of speech, almost all of the Irish members
of Parliament opposed to him, and with
all the unwritten laws and customs OF
Parliament to become acquainted with, he
had only the sympathy Of the great masses
of the Irish to encourage him.
"He soon found ample means to obstruct
| the business of Parliament, but he realized
that he must first obtain the sympathy OF
some of its members and to this end he
advocated the English prison bill, for the
relief of convicts, he advocated the factory
| bill, for the aid of the laboring classes, hs
also took hand In the South African con-
| troversy, but he and his colleagues did not
stop here but took part in every question,
and at last he was more feared than hated
and Parliament awoke to the fact that the
whole machinery had been brought to a
standstill. have seen Parnell stand for
half an hour before he could make himself
heard, and again and again. he and his col
leagues were expelled from the House
| this expulsion lasted "a hours, and they
would go home and quietly rest and come
back refreshed to resume their line oi
battle"
The speaker then spoke of the tactics
| employed by Biggar to kill time, and the
efforts of the Liberals and Conservatives
| to get rid of him. sit was at that perioC
| of the life and death struggle that Il was
| called to enter Parliament" continued the
| apeaker.
| After describing the appearance of the
House on the morning he reached it, Mr.
| Redmond told how he was introduced t<
| the House, sworn in, made his nader
| speech, and was expelled all in the same
evening. He told of the remarkable actor
| of Parnell in moving that Gladstone, be
! no longer heard, and the removal Of 81
Irish members from the House.
The speaker then spoke of the traits ant
I character of Parnell. He said in his fifteer
years in Parliament he had been brough,
! into intimate relations with many inter.
| estipg men, had seenSheir CLEANS of genius
| and the potency of their speech, but coult
most truly say that none presented them.
| selves as strongly to his opinion of great.
! ness, as Charles Stewart Parnell. He con-
| tinued his fight against all parties with hi
| little handful of men and from being the
most hated came to be the most respected
| member of the House.
Mr.. Redmond then spoke of Gladstone
| whom he considered had been the greatest
orator of the century. John Bright, whom
the speaker well knew, was q man Of de.
cisive and c'ear-cut diction, but Gladstone
was undoubtedly his intellectual superior
| The voice Of the "Grand Old Man" wa
| one of sweetness and woderf nj compass
He could sway an assembly as no living
man of the day. al have heard him." sale
the speaker, '.advance the cause of Irelant
and bitterly denounce it, but can truth.
fully say that was lost in admiration ant
had the keeneG sense of intellectual en-.
| joyment. Gladstone could move an audi
ence to laughter or tears, but the English
Parliament cannot boast today of having
| orator.
Mr.. Redmond described Gladstone's de-
| feat in 6Walen dr. ven out of Office and hi,