The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-30
7. ?. O'CONNOR HERE AGAIN.
CONVINCED THAT ROME RULE
HAS A GOOD CHANCE.
'STay Pay" Somewhat Grayer Than when
He wal Here No Years Ago, but SIN .
vigorous Fighter for ireland Land
ACT Making m m Of landlOrdlsm.


Act Making an End Of lAndIOrdIsm
T. p. O'Connor, NJ. p, arrived on the
Celtic yesterday. II Ia his first visit here
in sixteen years. He has come to attend
a meeting Of the United Irish League in
Philadelphia on Monday. He will re-
main In this country until October "a.
sTay Pay as everybody calls the dis
tinRuished Irish member Of the House
Of Commons. has grown a good deal grayer
since he was here before. He o be
taken in a crowd for az Enslishynans but
his speech IL that OF a true Irishman. He
Is the only member Of the Irish National
party that sits for an English constituency.
He is a member for the Scotland division
Of Liverpool.
When a photographer asked permits
sion TO take a photograph Mr.. O'Connor
waved him away. 1--we got to the age,
said -Tay Pay" with a laugh, when I'd
like to ~ taken as I was fifteen years ago.
Get a picture Of me as l was then"
IThe situation in regard to Ireland
said Mr.. O'Connor, Il compare to the
first day and the last day of sea voyage.
The first day you know you're a long way
Oh from your destination and you're de-
pressed and impatient, you know, but
you're not half as impatient as you are
on the last day Of the voyage when you're
waiting to get a glimpse Of land.
Times were never INC re suspicious for Ire
land than now. We have Ministry at the
head Of which Is a man pledged to Home
Rule, a man who was a membe OF the
Gladstone Cabinet OF 1885. His opinions
have not been changed since then, but
rather fortified. In the last general cleo
ton, when some politicians would have
taken refuge in vagueness, the present
Prime Minister made an open declaration
for Home Rule.
we believe that at the next session an
Irish bill will be introduced and passed.
Such q measure, l do not believe. will have
any chance Of passage unless it satisfies the
Irish party a. TO its strength. The situation
Is like that Of the land act three years ago.
That did not 60 through without the Irish
party favoring it.
"The hatred Of England is deeper to-day
than ever, for the people are more enlight-
ened and they see the inefficiency of the
Government. We are fighting not only an
alien Government, but a weak and inefficient
one.
ireland has sent four-fifth s Of her repre-
sentatives seven times to demand self
government. She has raised a consider
able fund every year for more than a quarter
Of q century in support OF this movement.
To-day she sees all her forces united"
MIR. O'Connor said he attached no i'm
portance to the drafts and forecasts Of
the home rule measure that had appeared.
They were no. better than useless, he said.
The Cabinet undoubtedly had some measure
UP its sleeve but was keeping it guarded.
Il think the measure that Parliament
will give U.S." he went on, will be a gen.
erous one. or course, it will meet with
opposition in the House Of Lords. They
might be counted upon to continue to OPP
pose such a measure, except for the fact
| that the Lords are always filled with terror
when they see the people over whelmingly
In favor of something. We were beaten
in 1885 and then a split came in our forces.
Meanwhile there has been twenty years Of
education. Violence of feeling has been
mitigated. To-day we have a party ma
jority Of $50, the Irish members are all
united md the opposition il a broken and
disunited party, the most broken OF any in
history almost.
more education. The Liberal Government,
of course, is more friendly to us, but it has
to work on the same old system and hat is
puerile and inefficient. II a vote o be
taken in Ireland on the question OF homerule
IL Wouldbe carried by q four-ifths vote. The
other fifth would be made up of three classes,
the landlords, the very violent Professionals,
who AVE unfounded apprehension Of I'M
fair treatment by the Catholic hierarchy,
and the oficeholders. The first class is
broken up, the second class is breaking up
and the ohiceholders will always remain the
same"
The Irish Land act, Mr.. O'Connor said, was
fast putting an end to landlordism though
| many men believed that some OF the tenants
could nave made better bargains. AS
things were working the a ought to
own all the land in ten or fifteen years. In
n county, Wexford, all the land has been
taken up already.
LIVERY man who becomes the owner OF
a piece OF and in Ireland" Mr.. O'Connor
said, instead Of being a worse ia a better
| Nationalist, because the more intolerable
he finds the present alien form of Govern
ment.
Mr.. O'Connor said that the whole atten-
ton Of the Campbell Bannerman Govern
education bill which will be pressed when
Parliament sits in October. The Irish
members and himself, though he represents
part Of Liverpool, were in conflict with the
Ministry in regard to this bill and were in
sisting hat the Catholic schools in Great
Britain should a equality Of treatment
with the Protestant schools. By standing
together the Irish members had got 10 per
cent. OF what they wanted. But said Mr..
OConnor, the other 80 per cent. is very
important"
When asked whether he would study our
political campaign Mr.. O'Connor shook his
| head:
Il may observe II from afar, but that is all.
OF course, / know something about the
issues tina are being raised here, but I'll
have to be- excused from discussing your
politics. Ny own are enough Tor me. /
met Mr.. Bryan in London and found him
very charming. He spoke mainly on inter-
national arbitration. and, OF course, we
liberals and Democrats all favor that.
Naturally, l have a very high opinion Of
Mr.. Roosevelt. Everybody in Europe has
that. remember meeting him sixteen
years ago. II was at a small gathering IN a
club and Mr.. Roosevelt spoke. remember
how 1 was impressed with him Inc l i He
| showed q clearness and thorough eos OF
purpose that was really remarkable. He
has more thar indicated the opinion l
formed then Of him."
Mr.. O'Connor was not the only Irishman
ON the Celtic. She brought a whole lot of
Irish immigrants IN the steeraRe. Mr..
O'Connor watched them embark at Queens
town. He said that he had been surprised
@SA;