The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-09-23
Mr.. Redmond Has Been For Several Years
the Real Leader Of the Opposition w.
to the Unionists.
He is Ably Seconded by Half Dozen Col
leagues Who, in Point Of Ability,
Would Grace Any Cabinet.

The following high appreciation of
the ability of John Redmond and the
character of his work is from the pen
of w. r. Stead, whose judgment Of
public en- is certainly worthy of
much weight. The article was pub
lished in the September number of
Tom Watson's magazine:
While many things are doubtful
about the Parliament that is soon to
be elected, two things are certain.
One is that the Unionists will be in a
minority in the next House of Com
MONS The other is that the National
list Irishmen will come back as strong
as they have ever been; that is to say,
they will be in majority of more
than five to one over all other Irish
men in the House. And of these four
score stout-hearted men John Red
mond is the fighting chief. His un-
disputed supremacy is emphasized
rather than impaired by the solitary
howl of "Tiger Tim," the outcast ora
tor, the disclassed Thersites, who
roam outside the camp.
If only the Irish had not been forced
by a hundred years of wrong into an
attitude of irreconcilable opposition to
the British Empire and the govern
ment thereof, Mr.. Redmond would
have had better chance than most
men to be prime minister. He has the
qualities for the post. He is gentle
man. He is the greatest OF our mod
.ern parliamentarians. He is an ad-
mirable debater, a superb leader,
man of dispassionate intellect, OF
sound sympathies and of splendid
courage. And he has around him a
group of colleagues, half a dozen OF
whom would grace any cabinet.
1.-THE Irish team" said an observer
who did not disguise his hatred, us
too strong for any of the English min
listers to tackle" The self-infiicted
ostracism of some of the most capable
Representatives of the people is one OF
the many sacrifices which af1ict us as
the indirect results of Home Rule.
Fortunately, no self-denying ordi-
nance forbids an Irish Nationalist
leading the opposition, and it will be
long remembered to Mr. Redmond's
credit, that from 1900-O2 it was he and
no other who was the real leader OF
the only opposition offered to the
government on the subject of the war
in South Africa.
In those black years he proved him
self to be not only the chief Of the
irish National party, but the leader OF
the only effective opposition that
existed in the House of Commons at
that time. In that position he occu-
pied place only second in import
ance to that of the prime minister. 1t
is true that at the time national
prejudices somewhat obscured the
truth from the English and Scotch.
But in the House of Commons the
members in 1900 began to realize
where the center of power lay. Re-
peatedly, in the course of the debates,
Mr.. Balfour referred to Mr. Redmond
as If he, and not Sir Henry Campbell
Bannerman, were the real leader of
His Majesty's opposition. Therein Mr..
Balfour paid homage to facts.
In the midst OF the debris of the
shattered party which then Uttered
the liberal benches in the House of
Commons, we should have looked in
vain for any leadership, had It not
been for the presence Of Mr.. Redmond
at the head of the Irish Nationalists.
Here, at least, we had an organized,
disciplined party, obedient to It's lead
er, undistracted by any internal feuds,
thoroughly united in principle and
capable Of constant attendance at the
House. English, Scotch and Welch
Liberals In the constituencies who
were sick and sore at heart over the
spectacle Of paralytic impotence pre-
sented by the disorganized and dis
tracted ranks of their own representa-
tives, begsn to recognize in Mr.. Red
.mond the only leader Of parliament