The Irish standard., 1897-09-25

ually returned to Parliament and called
to the Irish bar AS parliamentary
debater, a platform agtator and prac
ticing barrister, his success FOR a while
was phenomenal. He was one of those
obscure Irishmen who was lifted into
prominence and position by politics, for
instead of dingy lodgings at Newcastle
he was soon enabled to occupy man.
sion at Mountjoy square. Dublin.
Joe Chamberlain, on his last trip
to America, told an audience that Tim
Healy was incomparably the ablest man
OF the Irish party. Joe may or may not
be good judge, but certain it is that
he fears the sarcastic tongue of Tim.
whom he once described as political
barge" Mr.. Lucy, in a late number Of
the North American Review, says that
Tim is 1.-THE only member of the Irish
party who makes an attempt at wit
His is peculiar style. He does not
brim over with the quality Of wit or
humor to be found in some Irish char
acters. He possesses the power of us
ing biting sarcasm which hurts o6
amuses as he wishes
l remember once in the House of
Commons when Mr.. Parnell had finished
a very conciliatory speech and was fol-
lowed by a member of the Jewish per-
suason who compared the tone of the
speeches made in Ireland with those
made in the House, and wound up by
charging the Irish members with gross
Inconsistency" Tim, replying to the
charge of inconsistency, said: eve are
charged with inconsistency. Consist
ency, moyragh! The Jews say they
don't eat bacon. Still. when | walk
down Houndsditch + see them chawing
bacon. Consistency, moyragh!" There
were roars of laughter, to the utter dis
comfiture of Mr.. Rothschild, the MEM
ber in question, who never afterwards,
while member of the lower House,
referred to Irish matters or Irish M. P
While Gladstone was passing one of
his land bills through the House he de-
clared that Mr.. Healy and himself were
the only two members in the House who
understood its details. This praise was
the cause of getting. Tim large prac-
tice at land cases in Ireland, by which
he amassed a considerable fortune. Since
the split his practice at the bar has
greatly diminished. Before the split he
was very popular especially in Dublin,
where he made his famous Don't speak
ITO the man ait the wheel" speech in
favor of Parnell's leadership; but there
was a revulsion of feeling when he
wrote against Parncl the Stop thief"
article, and he was afraid to walk the
streets of the city unattended. On the
platform and in the press Tim does not
conceal his hatred and contempt for
Mr.. John Dillon and his leadership, and
some of his admirers, as well as those
who disagree with him, go as far as to
say that the chaotic condition of Irish
politics do not disturb him in the least
If we go by the meaning Of English
words such as davit, bodkin, sexton, ETC.,
and consider the patriotism OF some men
with certain names in Ireland at the
present day as we'll as In the past, we
must say there was good foundation for
the phrase Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis.
Michael Davitt was the son OF small
farmer in county Mayo who was evictcd
from his holding When very young he
went to reside at Washington, the high
est market town in England, where he
was employed in a cotton mill and
where he had the misfortune to lose
his right arm. He tells himself with
what delight he rushed home to his
mother to present her with the first
weeks wage which he earned. After
the loss of his arm, which prevented
his working in the mill, he was EN-
ployed as n letter carrier, and attended
high school.
His teacher found him very recep-
tive pupil, and was. years afterwards,
! a very proud man when he presided as
chairman at great public democratic
meeting which was addressed by Davitt
after his release from prison.
Early in life Davitt joined the Fcnan
movement He was arrested, tried and
imprisoned for a great number OF years.
In a book treating of his imprisonment
and of prison life generally, he tells us
of the great hardshps he was compelled
! to endure The primary object of this
book was the segregation of political
prisoners.
On his release he was welcomed by
| Parncl, and with him addressed the
! first Land League meeting which was
| held at IrishtoWn, county Mayo, ncal
| the place from which his family was
F, evicted. Davitt's speech on this oc-
casion had an Illuminating influence "n
the Irish tenant farmers and had far
reaching effect. Since then his conncc-
tion with the Irish agitation is well
known to most of. my readers.
Mr.. Davitt makes his livelihood by
writing correspondence for American
and Australian newspapers. Though
sometimes rugged he is a very trench
ant writer. OF late years he has devcl
oped into good speaker. When Sill
Charles Russell retired from the Parnel