Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-10-27
OUR NEW YORK LETTER,
John Il. Redmond who Is Rails
ing Parnell Memorial Funds.

NEW YORK. oct. 81 Special. Con
siderable interest has been manifested
here in the current visit to this country
of John Edward Redmond, the Irish
member Of the British parliament who
represents what is left of Parnellism
But the enthusiasm shown is by no
means equal to hat which used to preet
him when he came here This is nuito
in accord with the situation in Great
Britain and Ireland for since the death
of Mr.. Parnell there hasn't been much
of an Irish question in politics even there
that is to say, in the old sense, for,
while Mr.. Redmond represents the Par
nell ideas, they do not dominate any lon
ger In fact, the Irish movement is not
now dominated by any consistent idea
or set of IDEAS There is an Irish party,
but it has its divisions. which are so
widely separated that they might almost
be spoken of as separate parties. Mean
while so many concessions to Ireland
have been made by the Conservatives
that many of the reasons for the Irish
party's existence have Disappeared.
Mr.. Redmond's purpose in coming to
America at this time is to raise funds for
a Parnell memorial and his first meet
ing was Il huge success.
Redmond In Politics.
John +. Redmond is only II. He still
shows in marked degree the good looks
that gave him the name in 1881. when he
first went to parliament, of being the
handsOmcst member of that legislative
body. He was elected, of course, as a
Parnellite, and he was known to be more
of an Irishman than that great leader
inasmuch as Redmond's lineage was en-
tircly Irish, while Parnell's contained an
American strain.
Both the father and grandfather of
Redmond had been members of parlia-
ment, so that John e. came honestly by
his prediction for politics. He was
known to be a good speaker and to pos
sess immense popularity among his coun-
tIymen and therefore when he entered
parliament was received with ELUSIVE
enthusiasm by all classes. 1t was hoped
that he might be susceptible to social in
fuences, and therefore every courtesy
that could be devised by the English was
extended to him. These made little i'm
preston upon him, however. His pur-
pose was to work along the lines laid
down by Parnell, and nothing could dis
suade him from his chosen course In
the words Of a reverent admirer, Fash
ioning himself after his grim and stern
leader, Redmond held aloof from the
magnetism of English social blandish-
ments and soon became a favorite disc-
pie of that most resolute, implacable and
eXasperating Irish leader with whom
England ever had to DEAL
A Man of Persistence.
In those days the Irish party was a
unit against both English parties, and
the English parties were united against
the Irish. 1t was before Gladstone had
been converted to their cause, and the
Irish members met and resolved to send
"to the four quarters of the earth in or
der to secure resources with which to
battle against their jeering enemy from
the scattered members of their race.
John e. Redmond and his brother VIII
liam, younger than he, were selected to
make collections in Australia. They
went there. but it was long time before
they could make any Roadway. The
newspapers were against them. They
could get no halls in which to make
speeches. In fact, Australia seemed
closed to their efforts.
But John e. Redmond was not the man
to surrender. He persisted in his work
against the most discouraging obstacles,
and in time he succeeded in getting
place to speak in. From then on his
work was series of brilliant successes,
and he soon had the satisfaction, as he
toured the country from city to city, of
finding all halls open to him and seeing
them filed with large and enthusiastic
audiences whenever he was scheduled to
talk. Before he returned home he was
able to send to Ireland the sum of $780,
600, the proceeds of his mission. His
party was electrified, and the struggle
was renewed with such vim and vigor
that Gladstone was forced to yield. In
side of three years his home rule bill was
introduced.
There is no doubt whatever that Red
monds success in Australia had much to
do with the vitality with which the Irish
party was infused for years thereafter,
and on his return Parnell greeted him
with the words: "You have saved us,
John. You have shown that there is no
such word as fail in your lexicon"
RedmOnd's Personality.
John +. Redmond is of medium height
and sturdy but not heavy build. His
face is full and wears what might be
termed a genial expression. 1t is smooth
shaven, save for a small mustache. His
hair is waving, not to say curly. His
eyes look out from under heavy brows.
Though he has tried to model himself
and his conduct as far as possible upon
the personality and conduct of Parnell,
Redmond is far more companionable
than that mysterious Irishman ever was.
There is nothing approaching the cold
ness, the impassivity and the apparent
unresponsiveness that characterized Par
nell about Redmond. Still he is not UNI
duly impulsive. lie is warm hearted,
generous and of course fluent in CONVEX
sation, but he has not the unrestrained
nature which characterizes many men of
his race. He smokes cigarettes "almost
necessarily"
BY profession Redmond is a lawyer,
having been called to the bar in 1856.
He was unusually successful in winning
large and lucrative practice soon after
he entered the profession and, had he
devoted himself to it exclusively instead
of bothering with politics, might un-
doubtedly have been very rich man by
this time. However, he is by no means
poor, having been left a very comfortable
competence by his father whose family
belonged to the stratum known on the
other side as the "squireen" class.
As an orator Redmond is better than
the average. Perhaps his status as a
speaker may be best indicated by COM
PARSONS. He is not as dramatic as the
late Daniel Dougherty nor as caustic as
Wendell Phillips, but he has the precise
ness Of philline and the warmth of