The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-18
TIE ELECTIONS IN IRELAND.

It is of little practical moment, at
least for present purposes, what the
Irish constituencies cid in the recent
elections throughout Great Britain. The
great opponent Of Irish Home Rule the
man who disrupted the Liberal party by
his opposition to the Irish Nationalist
programme and made that programme
practically alaImpossibility. at least in
this generation, Joseph Chamberlain, mas
been enthusiastically irdorsed in ali his
policies, and more particularly in those
which are constitutionally hostile to the
allowance of. the Irish demand But
there is ever sufficient of general in
tcrest in the progress of political af-
fairs in Ireland to attract the attention
of all students of contemporary events.
j may be in its nature mere academic
interest: but it is none the less real and
springs none the less surely from sub
stantial interest in the political and So
ciai welfare of that remarkable race.
When the elections came they found
the Irish parliamentary party broken
into fragments The bitterness of polit-
icaI faction and of personal hostility
which broke loose when. Mr.. Parneu was
driven from political life still animated
the different political leaders of the Irish
people. Save through the. possible in
strumentality of the United Irish League
founded by William OBrien there did
not present itself single agency through
which any uni1tcation Of political forces
in Ireland seemed possible. But the
United Irish League when the time came
was found to be a potent force in Irish
social and political life; and through it's
influence great results nave been
achieved in the political ends sought by
the mass Of the people of the country.
While the object of Mr. O'Bren's or
ganization seemed to be of a purely
agrarian character, Including chiefly the
lowering Of rents and the bringing back
OF the people to the lands now occupied
for grazing purposes which their fathers
titled, it has been effective as the Land
League, started ostensibly for like pur-
poses, was in uniting the people for po-
litical ends. With the introduction into
Irish political life of something akin to
our own system of county conventions
the selection of representatives in parlia-
ment of the various burroughs was Of
fected by the immediate constituency
affected, rather than, as in the past,
through the action of the heads of the
party in nominating the several candi-
dates and sending them, often unknown
men, to be accepted by the voters.
The activity of the new organization
was effective IN bringing all the dis
cordant elements Of Nationalist politics
into union, save Mr.. Healy alone The re-
suit was the election Of the former
representation of about 50 Nationalist
members of parliament out Of total
3 representation Of 1O3. Political sentiment
g had rarely been at so low an ebb in Ire
land as it was at the opening of the
elections. To-Day the old spirit which
Parneu evoked is again showing itself
among the people. Mr. HeaIy stands
virtually alone-a party of one. All The
other members are organized in opposi-
ton to him. are under the recognized
leadership of Mr.. Redmond, and include
- Parnellites and and-Parnelltes of ever,
shade.
1t is of course difficult to forecast the
probable results of this strange develop
ment. It was unlocked for. Friends o.
the Irish political cause had practically
given up the case of the present parlia
mentary leaders as hopeless, and indeed
the intelligent thought of the country