New-York tribune., 1891-12-27
MR.. DAVIT'rS DEFEAT.
HOW 1T WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND HOW
IT is REGARDED.

SCENES AT AN IRISH CONTESTED ELEcroS-.
THE CONDUCT OF THE CANDIDATES AND
OF THE PoIIcE-PoITIcAL sIGNI.
FIcAScE OF THE RESULT.
Isr oABLK TO rsE rxrBuxh
Copyright. lseI Nv The Tribune A.s,tatten.
London, Dec as.-Mr Davitt does not take his
defeat we'll He proclaimed after the result was
announced that il was due 20 terrorism and
Toryism. The remark was made in seconding
vote Of thanks TO the High Sheriff, and was re-
ceiyed by the audience with cries OF mean
coward "har,p and traitor Fists were
shaken priest advanced TO Mr. Davitt's side
10 cover him. There every hope of free
fight, hut Mr.. Balfour's police were there. They
have been everywhere in Waterford during the
week. and with their usual brutality they stopped
the fght before il began In the hurly-burly the
vote Of thanks was not put But nothing happens
in Ireland quite as it does elsewhere, and the
High Sheriff cheerfully acknowledged the resolu-
ton which had not been passed. lie expressed
his regret that Mr.. Davitt should have insulted
the good and true men of the city ! do not
know that he insulted them. Terrorism can
hardly be deemed by good patriots word of in
suit The Nationalist movement in Ireland has
depended upon terrorism. Ever since Mr.. Davitt
founded the National League, he has lived by it.
He ought not TO complain of it when used against
him, if used it has been.
The charge OF Toryism i. childish. il is not
Mr. Davitt alone who makes it His friends are
cchoing il everywhere, We are favored with
dispatch from Ncw-York, expressing Mr.. Patrick
Ford's opinion on Waterford. lie regrets, nat
uraly the defeat Of Mr.. Davitt, who gave this
chief of the dynamiters the usual certificate as a
Christian philanthropist Mr.. Ford says that Mr.
Davitt's defeat must he attributed 70 the active
but client aid of Orangcmcn and Tories. who
ever heard of an Orangemsn in WaterfordP There
arc. however, Tories The whole number Of Tory
or Unionst votes the register in waterford
n, less than 800, about ne-fOurteenth Of the cleo
.arste. Not more than $50 are believed to have
voted Whether they voted for Mr.. Davitt is a
matter of conjecture. Suppose all of them did
Deduct them all Mr.. Redmond's clear majority
would still be 400, less a. If. however. they voted
on the principle Of doing the most harm to the
enemy. they must have voted for Mr. Davitt.
Nothing could harm Home Rule more than 10
make Mr.. Davitt the leader Of the Home Rule
party lie is very near being the leader 0s il Is.
Had he been elected for Waterford. bis triumph
would probably have compelled the Anti-Pernell-
ties TO install MIN at once as successor 10 Mr..
Parnell Mr. Mccarthy and Mr. Dillon | believe
the last is at this moment nominaly leader; but Ii
might he difficult 20 verify his credentials. and
still more diffcult 20 secure obedience from Mr.
O'Brien, Mr.. Hoaly, and some Others, whose con-
viction Of their superior ftn,ss for the post Is
perfectly sincere.
Mr. Redmond's majority is SAC in a total poll
OF 1904. The total poll is 100 less than was
expected. the majority is five times greater than
cool heads-relatiyely cool-computed IL on cleo
ton day Probably what Mr.. Davtt calls ter
Iraah
way Of giving practical effect 10 the political
wishes Of the people. or of their chiefs Mr.
Davitt was unable 70 hold a single open-ar meet
ing The populace are undoubtedly the side
Of Mr. Redmond" says an observer as impartial
a. any observer in such an atmosphere can bc.
The physical force men the Hillside men, the
Fenians-I do not know that there is any real
distinction between these three classes-were all
Parnellites. This was bitter 10 Mr. Davitt, him
self Fcnian in the past, and ready TO he
Tenian In the future N he sees chance lie
aud his frieHds who freely use intimidation when
they are strongest, complain of intimidation In
Waterford where they are weakest suppose thar
il human nature Their supporters they say,
were afraid 20 approach the polling booths. which
were surrounded by the fighting men Of the Par
nellite party This is denied But % weigh Ms
scrtion against denial in an Irish controversy is
beyond the power OF any hut an Irishman The
police al any rate, were there, and have heard
Of no one but the severely impartial Mr.. O'Bricn
who questioned their impartiality. They were
there 20 keep the peace. and they kept IL. We
shall presently what they did little later.
Order reigncd at any rate. on election day The
dsv passed. saws an Irish witness with sigh Of
regret, without incident.
There seems no reason 20 doubt that every
body voted who wanted 70 vote, and voted without
fear Of bodily violence. IL there was compulsion,
it was moral. not physical. The priests did their
best for Mr. Davitt, but there are places in Ireland
where priests are not all powerful. and Water
ford IL one Of them. The people Of that ancient
city proved stronger than the priests. do not
mean merely the voters. but the whole body Of
the male population The suffrage IN Waterford, as
everywhere else in the United Kingdom, is very
far from being universal There are about 1000
voters on the register OF a city whose Inhabitants
number 10000. At least 1000 probably more.
belong 70 the uuen nfranchised CLASSES. II is com
puted that. N every male adult could vote, Mr..
Redmond would have polcd three-fourtls Of
the entire electorate Meantime the nOn-voters
exercised very marked influence the cleo
ton. They kep. the gentlemen in black robes
in check, for one thing The priests could not, as
10 Kilkenny, In Sligo. and In Cork, brine voters
70 the polls In focks shepherded by themselves
ANY large body seen moving on election duy would
certainly have been attacked and broken IN
pieces Mr. Davitt's sheep had 60 find their way
without "a shepherd The priests, nevertheless.
scrsed Mr. Davitts agents at the polling booths,
where they we've % he seen In great numbers
They did vast deal of work before election day
continuously and secretly but effectively. They
de- not object 20 doing what they think good by
stealth They canvassed with energy. When
they received refusas," says one good witness.
they returned again and again, threatening pains
ard penalties 90 voters who proved stubborn. p
What hampcred them was the fact that the H.
hterates. who elsewhere have been clay in the
.rlo.f.l hands ner.e In Waferfnr oil Gferner sfnn