Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-19
Especial correspondcncc)

Especial Correspondcncc.)
~ UBLIN, Feb. 9.-It Is, of
course en, no o, news o, ,,n in w.a,n A%eFiss CA
confusion into which the general
election Just ending has cast English
and Irish politics one figure rises
above all the rest. and 1t Is that OF
an Irishman. 1t Is no exaggcration TO
say that an Irlshman today holds both
the English parties and indeed tina
dcstinies of the great British Empire
in the hollow of his hand. The Tory
papers throughout England nrc say
ing IL plainly. and the Liberal papers
are not denying It, That Irishman Is
John Redmond, who has been deScrlb-
cd over and over again as the "leader
of the Irish race at home and abroad"
How he has fought his way TO that
position In the face of enormous OBJ
stacles is n romance of human ma
turc and politics. Mr. Redmond today
Is in the position to which 1t was the
goal of Parnell's ambition to be. and
II will be his to reap the reward which
Pnrnell never was able to reach. He
is the absolute dictator in the English
parliament. Neither Asquith nor Bal
four can take office without his sup
port for the votes OF the solid Irish
party constitute an overwhelming
balance of power. II Asqulth goes In
and Redmond leads the Irish MEM
bcrs into the division lobby against
him the Liberal ministry Is lost. II
Balfour takes office and Redmond says
that he must quit, out he goes. Ireland
was never so near home rule as She Is
today and II Is the superb generalship,
the wonderful lighting qualities. and
the marvellous patience OF John Red
mond that have brought her within
sight of the promised land.
CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP.
His dictatorship is unquestioned by
tho English politicians. The English
papers arc full of cartoons represent
Ing him as the captain of the ship of
state. as the emperor of the British,
and as many other things all Of which
amount TO the same thing. Some OF
them are talking about Mr.. Redmond's
cabinet selections and all OF them are
unusually polite. They know that 1t
Will pay.
Now what manner OF man Is this
who has succeeded after long years of
struggle where Daniel O'Connell
Issac Butt and Parnell failed? What
arc the qualities which have enabled
him to attain this wonderful position
in the politics of the British Empire?
Is he greater than those who went
before him or has he simply had more
luck?
Both elements have had a good deal
to do with It, He is greater in some
respects than those who preceded
him. and in some ways his luck has
been better O'Connell was before his
time. Butt was an idealist who could
not descend to the practical. and some
times sordid. details of politics. Parnell
while greater in some respects than
Redmond and also less lucky. lacked
some of the qualities which have en-
abled Redmond to bring the hopes OF
his countrymen within measurable
distance of realization. Parnell while
great leader was essentially an aris-
tocrat He lacked patience with the
honest but often uneducated and mar
row men who composed a great par,
of his following. Redmond, while OF as
good birth as Parnell IS a. great deal
moro human. He can be all things to
all men. and at the same time he
never abatcs a jot of his dignity. He
Is cold as Ice to his enemies. but
genial and hearty to his friends, no
matter how humble they may be. And
he is. n wonderful organizer. He took.
the Irish party when II was split into
half "a dozen warning fragments and
he welded II Into a compact whole.
and made of II a weapon ready to
his hand when the time came to use