Evening star., 1899-02-04
A Silent Revolution Has Been Going
on in Ireland.
EFFECT OF THE RECENT ELECTIONS
Parliament Costs the English People
Pretty Penny.
SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

newspapers here somewhat chagrined that
their advice has not been in the least fol-
lowed nor their prophecies proved true A
new force has come into action in Ireland
and what is practically new party Gre
ated. This is labor party which bids
fair to swamp old factions and bring to
life new conditions in Ireland that will
change, in a very large degree, the polti-
cal situation in a country that has been
cursed with politics. The fact that the
Irish people have not taken their advice
and voted for their political opponents has
surprised the London papers, and the emer-
gence of a great labor party in the munich
palities has quite got on their nerves, and,
in the case of the Times at least conjured
up q. new Fenian scare. And yet it is ali
very simple. The voters in the Irish towns
have played the game according to the
rules. The rules We're not made by them
they were made by Englshmen. In one
of these rules they found it laid down that
a man could and should vote just as he
liked and in another that the majority had
always to be given way to by the minority.
NO political idea could be easier to work
out, and the new electors proceeded to
work it out if to the manner born. The
obvious results of that voting are already
known. All over Munster, Lenster and
portions OF Connaught it has produced
new energetic and powerful labor party.
and 1t has SO scattered the nominees of
politicians and political organizations that
In some cases they are not likely to come
together again. The Healeys, the Red
mondS and the billions hardly know where
they stand. For the first time in Irish pol
itics the voter has sidetracked his mas
ters and followed his own bent. To be sure,
the leaders were unable to guide a large
portion of the votes, and the nationaliSts
have been triumphant generally, but what
causes the rift in the lutte is the fact that
labor as an organized body, will have to be
reckoned with in the future. 1t upsets call
culations, but it is the dawn of new in
dependence for Ireland. Most of the labor
candidates were natonalists, it is true but
they were not, in many instances, the ones
chosen by the political bosses. Even in
Dublin where perhaps the purely political
boss is strongest, nine labor candidates
were elected out of sixty, and in Limerick
tWenty-three were returned out of forty.
Those Who Are Disappointed.
Three classes of people are disappointed
at the result of the elections, Irish poll
tlcians. whose power Is weakened, those In
England, who have opposed the passage of
the local government act and predicted all
sorts of evil as results of its working and
finally the landlords who have practically
been deposed. The last named take the
situation philosophically, however as may
be gathered from the following taken from
the Dublin Daily Express, the organ. of the
from power. We cannot tell" saws the
Express what may happen, but one fact
stands out with unmstakable clearness-
namely, that the new electorate admires
independence and courage, and will stand
to men who show these qualities. Another
point which has, perhaps been less noticed
than it deserved to be- is the perfect order
and decorum with which the elections
passed off all over the country. A verita-
bic revolution has been transacted without
so far as we have heard. the damage of a
single pane of glass. The fact speaks vol
umes for the good sense and good humor
Of the people. If they show these qualities
as signally in the MANAGEMENT of their
business as they have done in taking up
the reins of power we shall have every
reason as Irish citizens to be proud of
the result"
In the Liberal Party.
There is evidently distinct cleavage in
the liberal party, with Sir William Har-
court and John Morley on one side with
their followers, and Lord Rosebery, Sir
Edward Gray and Mr.. Asquith on the other
with the rest of the liberals. Sir Henry
Campbell-Bannerman occupies sort of
middle position and for this reason will be
chosen as leader Of what just at present
looks like a fOrlorn hope. His acceptance
of the somewhat thankless office may be re-
sarded, however, as proof that he does
not consider the situation too bad for re-
covery. He is all around the best available
man for the post. In the first place. he is
fairly acceptable to the Irish members of
parliament and may be the means of main
tanning the working understanding that ex-
lists between the liberals and the national
lists, which is of the utmost importance to
the strength of the party.
He is rich, is personally agreeable and is
esteemed good counsellor and competent
man of business. His record at the war of
fee is excellent and to him belongs the cred
1t for having been able to persuade the
Duke of Cambridge to resign the position of
commander-in-chief of the army. This re-
quired diplomacy and tact.
The Man Needed.
He is not regarded as a first-class debat-
er even in the English parliament, where
sometimes second-claSs oratory ranks high
but he talks well and has sound opinions.
He is nekher an ardent imperialist nor is
he a little Englander,' and therefore has
a chance of drawing both sides to his sup
port. At the present juncture he is the man
needed as for some time to come the differ
ent factions among the liberals must meet
in safe middle course. Later when a de-
cided policy is mapped out, a stronger and
firmer man will be needed. The man is of
course, Lord Rosebery. He is too strong
for the present liberal digestion and must
Nait until the reorganiZed party has passed
beyond its milk diet.
Another point in favor of Campbell Ban
herman is that he is persona grata with
the ever-increasing labor party in commons
and ability in securing an eight-hour day
at the Woolwich arsenal His work is al
ready cut out for him, and he will doubt
less devote all his energies to the reorgan-
iZation of the opposition an effective
fighting force.
Cost of Parliament.
Parliament meets the 7th of next
month and will be in full swing for some
time. OF course, it is well known in Amer
lea that members of the British parliament
receive no salary, and this condition of
things is often contrasted with the pay
ments made to American congressman. But
let no one run away with the idea that par
lament is cheaply worked on this account
or that there are no salaries paid in connec-
ton with it. 1t appears from the parlia-
mentary estimates for this year that the
house of lords costs the country over f10S-
600 This includes the salaries of the lords
of appeal (f24 ,000). The lord chancellor re-
ceives IA 600, speaker of lords besides
$1,000 president of the supreme court.
His sergeant-at-arms gets fl, 800. The
chairman of committees enjoys a salary of
f2 500, and his department costs IA 400 in
all. The chief clerk receives f2000, while
his deputy gets IL $50 Other clerks in this
house get from f100 to Fl 200 year.
The gentleman usher of the black rod a
al nffifn x.rI,a