Evening star., 1921-05-16
ULSTER HAS BITTER
ELECTION CONTEST
Both Sides Expect Unionist
Control of 80 Out of So
Parliament Seats.
BY WILLIAM II. BRAYDEN.
Dy cable to The Star and Chicago Daily Ne
CopyriCht 1921

Dy cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright 1911
BELFAST. Ireland May 16.-While
the Sim Fein has made complete.
unopposed and unprecedented sweep
OF southern Ireland in the election,
he fight in northeast Ulster has all
the old keenness and every con-
stituency is contested
one side states the issue as tho
British empire versus republicanism
and the other defines II as partition
versus united Ireland but the same
com batantS are Soliilv ranged on each
side, as In all previous elections.
cannon de Valera is standing for
County Down and 900 nominst ton
papers were lodged in his behalf. the
principal one being signed by the
bishop and other Catholic dignitaries.
The unionfsts concede that he will he
elected. They think it probable that
Michael Collins, whom the govern
ment has placed outside the pale. will
be returned for Armagh the cradle
uI oranCeism.
Combine With Republicans.
The constitutional nationalists have
CONFINED with the republicans to de-
ieat tue unioniStS and the repub-
licans are controlling the policy the
"Ss, nee q. which is refusal to sit in
pail .ainent when elected
rms absentation cannot prevent
the establishment of the Ulster par
lament, which can start with half
of it's total membership. and both
sides tell me that the .unionists will
win thfrty-two seats out of the fifty
two. Labor. which was expected to
efnbarrass the unionists. is satisfied
with the seats allotted to it by an ar
rangement with the unionist machine,
and the only laborites appearing in
opposition are socialists whose can
didacy is more likely to hurt than
help the nationalsts. The polling
takes place Tuesday and parliament
will open on June :.
The writer interviewed a leading
un.onist. certain of high office in the
new pa rliament, who refuses to be-
Heve that the minority will carry
out its threat of abstaining from at
tendance.
The parliament has power over
land. labor. agriculture. railways.
housing, education, liquor and licens-
ing. and possible legislation, espec-
1al1y on the last two. will. he thinks.
force the minority to come in and
protect their own interests. Legis-
la,ion diminishing the control of the
clergy in the schools is anticipated
and the prohibition party is very
active to secure the abolition of the
drink traffic.
he ObJectlon raised to the home
rule act on the ground that the
paflfAments it sets up would be bank
rupt fs laughed at in Belfast where
business men are satisfied that their
parliament will begin with a surplus
Of 100000. normally $40, 0OO, 600, and
the southern Parliament, if it consented
to work, would have proportionally
more.
sectional Feeling Bitter.
Sectional feeling in Belfast is now
more bitter than ever. The boycott
OF Belfast goods in revenge for the
exclusion OF Catholic workers from
the factories lest year has exasper-
ated the traders here.
Belfast made great profits during
the war. but now has slack business
ono linen company. the writer was
told. has f1.s s0o. 600 fnominally 81, 500 e00)
worth of goods on it's hands and can Of
ford to hold II. Other traders are in the
seme position. They can easily reduce
their stal1s. and, a. a check on the
southern 0oycett, have decided to dis.
miss their Catholic employees. They are
acting in concert. and I have seen a cir
.N'ar Of identical terms. which will be
handed to Catholic workers BY all
employers, hxing the responsibility
fer the dismissAls on the southern
boycotts, and giving the workers a
week to get the ban lifted. II this
fsfs to check the boycotts, then
counter 6oycottS win Be orRAnizeti
and all southern goods will be ex-
cluded from Belfast.