Evening star., 1899-02-02

that existed in the happy days of Parnell
is shown in the present event Then it
was poor election that could not be sum-
med up in broken heads mobbing candi-
dates and fights with the police. THE
good old times are over said one of the
patriots to me. These things they call
elections with the women voting, too
faughi' His conteupt was TOO great for
words.
Present and Former Systems.
Yesterdays elections were confined to
the county boroughs and urban districts
1t is not until the end of March that MEM
bers will be chosen for the new county and
rural district councils, or for the new
boards of guardians provided for in the
act. But the present results viii serve to
show very well the effect for the time
being of the extended franchise which the
new act confers. Until now every Irish
county has been ruled by grand jury a
presentment sessions and a '.baronial
sessions, the grand jurors being selected
by the high sheriff from the larger land
holders and the baronial sessions compoSed
of a local grand juror, the local magis-
trateS ana number of co-opted ceSspay-
ers. The board of guardians has been
made up one-half of magistrates and the
other half of representatives elected by
system of cumulative voting. Under the
new act al elections are to be conducted
on the parliamentary franchise enlarged
by the addition of peers of the realm and
women. In this respect it follows the
Scotch precedent, and as far as district
ana parish councils are concerned the
English precedent also The first effect of
this change is to give a suffrage interest
in local government to six times the num-
ber of persons who We're able to vote un-
der the old system. 1t puts great deal
more power in the hands of the people
ana reduces in a large measure the gov
erning powers of the landlord class The
mass of the people can now elect their own
district councillors and guardians to look
after local interests instead of hair
ruled by absent high sheriffs and local
magistrates who were nearly always land
lords not in sympathy with the people
Hetters Existing Conditions.
1t is not to be expected that the new
measure will entirely divert the Irish from
the idea of having their own parliament,
but certainly it ought to have the effect of
making permanent the somewhat better
political conditions now obtaining in Ire
land.
1 talked with many nationalists, who
though in their hearts desire home rule as
much as ever thought that the most i'm
portant thing for Ireland was the revival
ard support Of her own industries This
indeed, is a burning question. and thou
sands who do not care at all about politics
want home rule because they think under
it laws would be passed encouraging Irish
trade. The bitterest feelings | found on
this subject. Complaint is freely made that
England has destroyed Irish trade by first
inpoVerishing the country and then flooding
every part with cheap food and shoddy
clothing. There are two great Irish indus
tries-suppying the people with food and
clothing. England ruined one and the
United States the other. say the Irish
In Belfast, the most thriving of ali Irish
towns, they say the linen mills are running
almost exclusively on foreign fax, and no
one can say how much American corn. ba-
and flour enter the island The wool
that is grown in Ireland is mostly sent to
England, their own mills having long since
shut down. L do not seek to analyze these
complaints l only repeat them as they
were made, in order to show that the drift
of feeling in Ireland at the present day is
more commercial than political I'VE don't
care about home rule" said a small mer-
chant to me. we want home industries"
Curious PIaybiiI.
One can make curious finds in Ireland by
little searching in old book shops and odd
corners
Here is a playbill dug out of obscurity
that is worth reading now. when there are
SO many claimants to Shakespeare's plays
This must have been a singular perform
ahce, and it would have been interesting to
know what the people of that learned
natropolsh' thought of the felonious
dramatist of Stratford-on-Avon, who had
perpetrated such an injustice Ireland as
to appropriate such a dramatic gem
Hamlet" However, the claims of the Gel
ebrated Dan Hayes are not backed up by a
cryptogram. and it is just possible that
What the celebrated Dan was responsible
for was the arrangement of the interludes
Here is the bill:
KILKENNY THEATRE ROYAL
BY His Majesty's Company of Comedians.
The last night, because the company go to-
morrow to Waterford.
On Saturday, May 18th, 1893, will be per-
formed by command of several respectable
people in this learned matrapolish, for the
benefit of Mrs. kearns,
THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET.
Originally written and composed by the
celebrated Dan Hayes of Limerick, and in
serted in Shakespeare's works.
Hamlet, by Mr.. Kearns (beng his first
appearance in that character), who be-
tween the acts will nerfnrm Several solos