Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1896 — HONEST JOHN DILLON.’ [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HONEST JOHN DILLON.’

The New Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, John Dillon, who has just been elected chairman of the Irish parliamentary party, la not only an able parliamentarian and politician, but a qualified physician and surgeon. His father waa John Blake. Dillon, of publln, a famous barrister. Mr. Dillon Inherited hia rare power of oratory from his father, who waa likewise a patriotic M. P., sitting for Tipperary in 1865-66. Mr. Dillon’s mother was Adelaide Hart. He was born In 1851, and was gradu-

ated from the Catholic University of Dublin. He is also a licentiate of tbs Royal College of Surgeons, of Ireland. Ho was first sent to parliament in 1880, when he sat for Tipperary. In 1885 he was elected from Enst Mayo. He was re-elected in 1802. He has a good face. An anecdote relates how a noted artist painted that face In a West End London church panel as the countenance of St. Joliu, where it is admired to-day for its serene beauty. Mr. Dillon is a great lover of books. His home in North Great George’s street, Dublin, lias a library rich in rare Hlbernlnna and, Indeed, in many valuable ami Interesting old volumes picked up by their owner through many years of patient search. The neighborhood in which ho lives was a favorlto one with the members of the Irish parliament. It would bo hard to imagine a man of Mr. Dillon’s imaginative nature living in nny but an nucient house with historical associations. At his best Mr. Dillon is ns fine a speaker as nny man in his party. But he lacks constancy, lie lias neither the steadiness of Hoaly nor the readiness of Sexton. Ills sentences are sometimes broken and disjointed. But if bis feelings are strongly moved there is a simple strength about what ho says that, taken with his manner, makes him second to none in impressiveness. 110 has long been affectionately known ns Honest John Dillon.

JOHN DILLON.