New-York tribune., 1905-11-13
ERlN'S "D0N QUIXOTE."
Colonel Saunderson, Grand Master
of Orangemen, To Be Peer.

Colonel Edward Saunderson. Nj. P, who is about
to-be raised the peerage IN the next Creation"
has sometimes been described the Don Qutxote"
Of the English House OF Commons. and. in view Of
the fact that he is the head OF the anu-Home Rule
party In Ireland. It is interesting TO recall that
his grandfather. who member for Cavan in
the old Irish House of Commons, not only bitterly
opposed the union. but even declined the offer Of
q peerage and OF large grant of money the
price Of his vote IN favor Of the union Of which
his grandson Colonel saunderson, OF to-day is 80
vigorous q champion
The colonel is typical well born Irish
man. and might have been born IN Of the
novels of Charles Lever He is racy Of the SOIL
a Donneybrook romance ell to himself He began
life Liberal, and served the profession OF arms
IN the North Cork militia, which is about ali the
soldering that he has ever DONE although he con-
veys the impression Of beau sabreur.' or Of the
heavy guardsman-
A big angular man, with long arms. square shouI-
ders, broad chest strong resonant voice, tinct-
ured Just a little with brogus and face which.
ders, broad chest. strong resonant voice, tinct
ulent, Colonel saunderson IS fighter, and, like
most of his countryen. prefers the offensive to the
defensive.
Longer in Parliament than any other Irish
Der. he is heard out of Irish environment IN
this that he speaks about anything
the suferings and trias Of the Irish landlord
and the wickedness OF the Irish Nationansts. In
fact. he is one-idea and one-speech man He
manages to bring Ireland into nearly every ques-
ton that comes before the house and into every
debate. Just "'Mr. Dick brought in the head Of
King Charles IN David Copperaeld."
Although he spent all his parliamentary life In
fighting the Natonalists he is quite popular among
them; and while he champions the cause OF those
landlords who. by their absenteeism and greed
are SO largely responsible for all the Nationalist
and agrarian movements, yet he is known through
out Ireland kindly and open handed a land
lord that not IN the very days Of Gap
tain Moonlight would any have dreamed Of
attempting to shoot him
While the colonel invites humor 1t cannot be
said that he is humorst- He is SO terribly in
earnest His method is to read the Irish papers
sedulously and to cut out and put aside for use
day such bits tell against the Nationalists
and the priests and the ways of both. When the
house Colonel Saunderson diving into the
pockets OF his perennial frock coat II knows that
points" coming into action and these points
never fail TO carry home: and when the word
passes, "Saunderson up terrace, dining room and
smoking room empty IN hurry and the house
fills Immediately.
He is very clever artist, and has painted
admirable pictures In and landscape, and IS
also a caricaturist of no mean skill, one OF his
most successful cartoons being that OF Mr.. Glad
stone-of the Mr.. Gladstone of the heated days of
Home Rule, just Colonel Saunderson saw him.
It expresses precisely those negative qualities
which the artist summed up into the true type
and inwardness of Gladstonianism. Besides, Colo
mel Saunderson is a skilled boat builder, certi1-
Gated member OF the Institute OF Ship Builders.
and is qualified to build and to rig three master
from her keel to her "sky-scrapera" His yawls
are celebrated in the north OF Ireland and In the
Solent and Of them is IN the possession OF
the Kaiser between whom and the colonel there
exists a warm friendship.
Let me add IN conclusion that the member for
County Armagh IS the Grand Master of the Order
of Orangemen. Is married 10 a daughter or the
third Lord ventry and boasts of having been the
first to introduce bicycling IN Ireland Mounted
on those huge wheeled old velocipedes which pre-
ceded the present style Of machines. he presented.
especially In the dusk, terrifying spectacle. as
weird as the banshee itself. he sped along, his
tall gaunt figure apparently treading the air. and
many is the Irish peasant who. after encounterng
the colonel In the cleaning rushed terrorstrcken
to the nearest cabin, exclairning. "Bedad' an
met the divil."