The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-08-05

NoianQs
New York Sun: There is n belief
current on both sides of the Atlantic, Il
belief fostered by the opponents of
home rule, that Ulster is incomparably
superior to the other three provinces of
Ireland in all the elements of civilian
ton. 1t is asserted by the unionists,
md, hitherto, the assertion has gener-
ally been allowed to pass uncontra-
dicted, that Ulster is distinguished for
education, fog sexual purity, for pros
perity and wealth. That not one of
these statements is we'll founded Is
proved, with the help of official statis-
tics, by Mr.. J. G. Colclough in the Con-
temporary Review.
II listers prosperity were phcnom-
email, as compared with hat of the rest
of Ireland, her inhabitants would be
less eager to emigrate. AS a matter Of
fact, her population by the last census
over $50, 900 in the last fifty wears.
This decrease has been as decided and
persistent as that which has taken
place within the same period In the
center and south Of Ireland. The city
of Belfast has unquestionably grown.
Nevertheless, the total population ofthe
two counties in which it is situated is
smaller by nearly 10000 than it was
ties Of Ulster which show the most
striking decline in the number of in
haPitants are those in which pro-
fAa%o pfc o,.n y,,op% De-
testant Down, for instance, has de-
creased in population faster than Cath
Ole Donegal.
OF her people, Mr.. Colclough shows
only on n par with Munster with re-
s.pect to the percentage of tirst-class
houses; behind both Leinster and Nun
a larger proportion of third-class tene-
ments. If all the Irish counties ale set
down in the order of their first.class
that six counties outside of Ulster head
putable that the people of Ulster arc
less comfortably housed than those Of
Leinstet and Munster.
VAIN S1SN W ioCCl lilu LIlc OlSITl-
button of agricultural wealth, Mr.. Col
clopgh examines the official statistics
on which the rates or local taxes arc
based, and demonstrates that, while
the ratable value of Leinster is seize
per head of population, and that OF
Munster is S14.s71f, the ratable value
of Ulster is only S1a.s4. If the
inces are disregardcd, and the thirty.
two c0rnttao Nf I,o1,~l
in the order of their ratio per head OF
population, Meath will be observed
to head the list, while Down, the
first Ulster county, comes in only
the thirteenth place. The valua,
ton of the city OF Dublin is a dolla,
more per head of population than is
that of Belfast. But surely it will be
said Ulster must be superior to the
other provinces in respect of the in.
comes derived from trade. This, also
is a misconception of the facts. IF we
consider the amount of income returned
from trade. per head of population, we
find 1t to be in Leinster $50 "A; in Nun
ster s34.62t, while in Ulster it is only
S30.5 Thus, ms regards incomes from
trade. as we'll as agricultural wealth,
the utmost that can be said for Ulste,
- ~ = 80 hiohS prosperous Gildu SOu'
naught.
Let us glance now at the diffusion Of
education. The official returns show
that the proportion of inhabitants who
can read and writei is in Leinster74 IA. o. in
Munster iii, while in Ulster it is 7o.7.
Here again, Ulster IN out third.
With respect to sexual purity. we note
that while the percentage of illegiti.
mate births in Ulster is q, in Lem.
ster 1t is only 2.5, in Munster 90 and in
Connaught but O.s. 1t seems, then, that,
as a matter of incontrovertible figures,
Ulster is neither richer, better educa.
ted nor more moral than the rest OF
Ireland.
AS to the further assertion that Ulste,
is protestant and unionist, a few words
will suffice. OF her total population &C
per cent are Catholics, and in five out
of the nine counties Catholics are IL
the majority. 1t is true that, in the
present parliament, ont of the thirty.
three Ulster representatives nineteen
are u%nionists. But a change of COO
votes from one side to the other at the
last election would have placed the
home rulers in a majority. As a mat
ter Of fact Ulster did return seventeen
nationalists to parliament at the gen
sral elections in 1885 and 1886, ant
would have done so again last yea
but for the split in the nationalist
party.
---~ - -