The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-18
O'CONN0R'S VIEWS.
Member of Parliament GiyesIm.
pressiOns of Thursdays Scene.

London. Oct 18-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 conn
mons Thursday. and what he believes
it portends. follows:
4 have seen many strange and ex-
citing scenes in the house of commons,
but that of Thursday was the most
strange and most exciting. 1t deserves
serious notice as a symptom of and clue
/ to the present political condition. john
lO'DOnnell, the chief character therein, is
not the kind of a man one would ex-
pect to see figure in such a scene. he
| is one of those men who show the re-
markable 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 which are most remark
able specimens sOf the wreckage OF cen
turtles Yet 5he speaks eloquently,
chastely, and the strong physique of the
peasant is surmounted by a face OF
sweetness and refinement as well as OF
vigor To see this ordinarily quiet young
man addressing the whole house for
quarter of an hour amid a din which
was tempestuous and in violation of
every rule of order, with the speaker,
ministers and all shouting, and the ma
jority helpless, and then afterwards to
see him cross the floor of the house and
standing in front Of the prime minister.
face; to see this was one of the most
curious proofs of how honest passion
and indignation created by oppression,
can COW even the most powerful OF
OF all the points of that terrible scene,
for it was terrible the most remarkable
was the absolute helplessness, the cowd
! inaction of the Unionist majority, so di-
vided and harrassed by the sense of the
| irresistible doom coming hourly upon
their leaders that they cannot conceal
their depression and are made impotent
| by panic. And there was the other rea-
son that the spectre of Ireland which
was supposed; to be laid. had risen
again, more menacing than ever. And
| finally, there was perhaps some sense
| of shame at the feeling that this man
who was calling for the right to be
| heard in the house of commons ha5
been gagged in Ireland by systematic
persecution worthy of Russia at her
worst. He has spent IS months in Jail
| during the last three or four years and
mas been dragged from platforms by the
police before he opened his lips, and
/ he was recently subjected to a sentence
which is an example of deliberate feroc-
ity, his last sentence Of six months oc-
tober IA having been so given by the
magistrate that O'Donnen had to spend
six weeks on a plank bed and nine days
/ on bread and water. All this suffering
of the past and to come was written in
Ilegible letters on the pale face and in
the excited eyes, this ordinarily quiet
gentleman. This, perhaps. is why the
ssatz cowed. helpless and
abashed at TIE Scene. one of the signs
of some great coming change.
1T is impossible to foretell what it will
be, but for q good reason, Irishmen hope
nit may take the shape of startling,
fgigantic surrender. One of the most
important portents is the eagerness of
nine out of ten of the landlords to at
tend. conference with the irish leaders.
The movement is only kept from. tri
un1ph by the fact 5tllat the leaders Of
the landlordssare wealthy, with estates
in England. and are therefore independ
4 ent of Irish agitation and because they
Eare. ybesfdes, pof8ticfans ffrstS and land
lords afterwards ~s---.--.. *
Ever thinking man. whether land
lord or tenant, believes that two to three
years purchase and small grant from
, the imperial eXchequer are all that is
now standing Between Ireland and 4
final settlement OF the land question and
the recOnqueSt of the land by the Celts
from the English garrison. Among those
who think that a gigantic surrender Is
inevitable within an early day, I have
reason to believe the Irish chief secre-
tary, 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 will be a bigger land bill next
year, and have heard he has said pri-
; vately that coercion might be over II
three weeks III case Oh certain events
whereby l understood he meant that il
the landlords and tenants agree on q
common basis Of settlement.
In the meantime pressure the gov
eminent is coming from various quarters
1t is doubtful if the government can carry
the educational bill without violent clio
sure. which may lead to scenes inside ths
house by the English non-conformists
: very like those caused by O. Donnell, Sc
vehement in party passion and outside il
. may produce outbreaks IN England alsi
of the Irish pattern. The attempt to forcs
the Irish members into the ministerial
lobby on the education bill died tho
! first night of the session when Mr.. Balfou
: insulted Ireland by refusing to give hel
, a day to voice her wrongs.
I ITO sum up, the Irish members fee
: that they have scored. Nobody has a goot
word to say for the maladroit antics o
: Mr.. Balfour. The government is threat
ened from many quarters and is divided
and is I believe. doomed. while IRELAND
has once more rushed into the foremos
place in the great drama of English poll
ties