People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 19 May 1910, Page 788

People We Hear About

, 9 n Good Friday the King of Spain graciously pardoned twenty-three prisoners who were condemned to death, 4. Mr* Edison, who draws £I2OO a week from moving pictures, hopes to visit England in a year or so, and see the country from a motor-car. , , The centenary of the birth of Sir Samuel Ferguson, the fumous Ulster , poet, was celebrated in Belfast, and Dublin on March 10. Mr. Alfred Percival Graves, the ell known litterateur, delivered an address on Ferguson and his work in Belfast. , A feature of the Federal elections (says the Southern Cross) is the number of young men returned. Two of the Victorian successful candidates for the House of Representatives are members of the ‘ Catholic Young Men’s Society Mr. Parker J. Maloney, who won Indi in such sterling fashion, and Mr. J. Scullin, who so soundly defeated Dr. J. G. Wilson for Corangamite. Mr. Frank Brennan, another brilliant young C.Y.M.S. member, ran fc>xr John. Quick unpleasantly close at Bendigo. The health of Queen Maria Pia of Portugal again gives cause for concern, and King Manuel, a devoted grandson, is as much with her as his duties permit. Her Majesty never really recovered from the shock of the double tragedy two years ago,, and even yet the names of King Carlos and e Crown Prince Louis cannot be mentioned in her presence. Queen Maria Pia is a sister of the late King Humbert of Italy, and married King Louis of Portugal when she was still some days on the junior side of her fifteenth birthday, m -w n Kettle, the Nationalist M.P. whose speech on tariff Reform aroused much interest in the House recently, is the son of a distinguished Irish politician of whom Parnell thought a very great deal, a fact which gives point to the following story Mr. Kettle and Dr. Tanner Were once addressing by-election meetings at Carlow They were speaking within a short distance of each other, and Mr. Kettle, who had been doing some strenuous campaigning, had become so husky that he could scarcely be heard by his audience * > Ah, . exclaimed 1 Dr. Tanner, who observed the uval orators plight, ‘Parnell’s Kettle has lost his spout!’ Bn 1 9 nv , ato a/ 0 {"rites Mr. F. Cruise O’Brien in the Dublin Leader Mr. Redmond impresses one with-the ample manner, the generous and spacious ways which one loves to associate with Athens. To me there has always seemed to be something of Greek evenness about him, of Greek abhorrence of extremes. And then with what courtesy he bears himself; his smile of disagreement with one makes one almost want to change one’s opinion in the instant; when ho rules 9ne out of order he does it as gracefully as if he were making one a presentation. And one feels as it he weie too! He has the large tolerance, the genial bonhonne of the polished man of the world. One feels that he understands and allows for one’s different point of view if one disagrees with him, and that he would be delighted were one to agree^ with him. .Heis a man who love! the hli+f llf ab ? ve all, but who is not afraid of the smoke of battle when it must be battle. A man, in fine, who is the last to seek, and the last to leave the field. To one who has followed the writings of Mr. T P +i,?°Tv- 1( i r ’ and who has . watched his great political fight iii the Insh and Catholic interests, the anticipation of seeing him in the flesh and hearing his voice was very Seat Would he disappoint or confirm those pleasant conceptions which had been formed through the medium of parliamentary reports succinct and penetrating reviews and meditative and philosophic writings, in which latter he invariably appeared as the great apologist. His first appearance gave one the impression of ‘ bigness,’ which was accentuated by a tendency to embonpoint. Large-boned and heavy-limbed his walk brought to mind the many descriptions of the great American 1 resident, Abraham Lincoln. But there 8 the likeness ended. With a face essentially Irish, wearing his sixty odd years well, ‘ T.P.’ would always be taken for fvhat he was proud to proclaim himself—a son of Erin But it was the voice that made the deepest and most lasting irepression. At times low, soft, and clear, the cultured language flowing freely and easily, so modulated that as it rose and fell its cadenced volume reached and held all who listened. Then came a change. As' the spirit of the speaker entered into the heart of his subject the words flowed quick free, and strong; fact upon fact was piled up easel of intrigue and deceit exposed, and instances of chicanery denounced and condemned. Another change, and in pen 7 Mating soul-stir ring language he depicted the hard grim lives of many thousands of workers. Then to the’ other » wioS*' 1 rz icSS of genius the various points of his +Lri anCe could understand 1 partially the dominating influence 1 which commands success. • The Irish cause i« fnr+,! 16I i. Ce . w ‘-T 1 leaders, of, whom ‘T.P.- is one of the greafi" He” haf given unstinting!,? to it time, labor, and intellect and in best o ''" "'“ rdS ’ :t “ S 61>ltapl1 might be written-- Hi d”d’wl