Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-19
IRELAND IS IN FIRST PLACE
0Oonnor Writes Of Scene in the House
of Commons.
GREAT DRAMA OF ENGLISH POLITICS
irish Member of Parliament Says the
Feeling f. that Irish Scored,
Notwithstanding the Tenn
pOrary Result.

LONDON, oct. 1s.--T. P. O'Connor, NJ. p,
has written for the Associated Press his
impressions OF the scene caused by the
Irish members in the House Of Common
Thursday and what he believes It portends
as follows:
I have seen many strange and exciting
scenes In the House OF Commons, but hat
most exciting. II deserves serious notice
as a symptom OF and clue TO the present po-
character therein. is not the kind OF man
ore would expect to see figure in such a
scene. He is. one Of those men who show
the remarkable power of Irishmen rising
equal to great situations, however humble
and unpromising their origin.
He was born in a little cottage on one Of
those small patches of land in the west of
ireland where exist most remarkable speci-
mems Of the wreckage of centuries. Yet he
physique OF his is surmounted by n face OF
Ekweetness and refinement as well as vgor.
dressing the. whole house tor a quarter Of
ian hour amid a din which was tempestu-
with the speaker, ministers and all shout
Ing. and the majority helpless, and then
afterward to see him cross the floor Of the
ter, who sat pallid with a sickly smile on
his face. TO see this was one Of the most
curious proofs of how honest passion and
lindignation. created by oppression. can COW
oven the most powerful Of tyrannies.
scene Was Terrible.
OF all the points Of that terrible scene, for
II was terrible. the most remarkable was
the absolute helplessness, the cowed inac,
ton of the .%lnionist majority. so divided
and harassed by the sense of the irresist-
able doom coming hourly upon their lead
ers that they cannot conceal their depres-
sion and are made impotent by panic.
And there was the other reason that the
spectre Of Ireland which was to be laid
had arisen again more menacing than ever.
And there was probably some sense Of
shame. that this man who was calling for
fha riuhf To ha hard IN Sha House ~ Conn
mons had been gagged in Ireland by sys-
tematic persecution worthy of Russia at
her worst.
He had spent eighteen months in jail
during the last three or four years and has
been dTSS s oSs1 from { plaiftf ito a,6 Sy ht the SI police Ice
Gently subjected to a sentence which Is an
example of deliberate f~erocity, his last sem
tence of six months, October IL. having
been so given by the magistrate that
O'Donnell. has to spend six weeks on a
plank bed and nine days on bread and
Helpless and Abashed.
All this suffering of the past and to come
was written in legibie letters on the pale
face and In the excited eyes OF this ordi-
nartly quiet gentleman. This perhaps was
why the ministerialists sat cowed, helpless
and abashed at the scene, one OF the signs
81 s some t6 great taTete eHm Hbst G II REl be- but m if%
a good reason Irishmen hope IT may take
the shape OF a startling. gigantic surren-
der. One OF the most important portents
Is the eagerness OF nine out OF ten OF the
landlords to attend a conference with the
Irish leaders. > .
by the fact that the leaders of the land
lords are wealthy, with estates in England
and are, therefore, independent Of Irish
agitation and because they are, besides
politicians first and landlords afterward.
Every thinking man, whether landlord OF
terant. believes that two to three years
purchase and a small grant from the i'm
perial exchequer are all that Is now stand.
Ing between Ireland and a final settlement
of the land question and the re-conquest OF
the land by the Celts from the English gar.
rtson.
wyndham Urges Conference.
Among those who think that a gigantic
surrender Is inevitable at an early day is
have reason to believe, the Irish chiei
secretary, Mr.. Wyndham himself. He urged
the landlords TO consent to a conference
even travelling long distances to their homes
in. order to put personal pressure on them
He has already announced that there vii
be a bigger land bill next year, and l hav'
heard he has said privately that coercion
might be over in three weeks in case OF
certain events, whereby / understand h,
meant that II the landlords and tenants
agree on a common basis OF settlement.
In the meantime pressure on the govern
ment Is coming from various quarters. i
is doubtful II the government can carr
the education hull without violent closure
which may lead to scenes inside the housi
by the English non-conformists very lk,
those caused by O'Donnell, so vehemen
is party passion, and outside II may pro
dqce outbreaks in England also OF tn,
Irish pattern.
The attempt TO force the Irish member
into the ministerial lobby on the educa
tfon bill died on the first night of the SEES
sion, when Mr.; Baltour insulted Ireland b,
refusing TO give her a day to voice he
wrongs.
To sum up the Irish members feel tina
they have scored. Nobody has a good wor