The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-14
By T. ]. O'FLAHERTY.


THE general election campaign now
being waged in the Irish Free
State seems from this distance to be
a rather tame affair compared to the
political battles of pre-war days, be-
tween the followers of the two fac
tons of Irish parliamentarians or of
the still bloodier wars between the
Parnellites and anti-Parnellites in the
days following the successful attempt
of the old roue Gladstone, to political
ly assassinate Charles Stewart Par
nell, the ablest strategist and the
least corruptible Irish politician that
ever entered the portals of the Eng
hsh house of commons.
Today the main battle is between
the government, party led by Co.'S
grave and the Fianna Fail (Sons of
Destiny led by Eamonn De Valera,
the Spanish Irish-American who has
managed to retain the position of Re
publican leader since the establish
ment of Dali Eireann in defiance of
the British government.
Cosgrave is the favorite of big
business and the trusted tool of the
British government. His party, like
the Republican Party in this country
is more dependable from the capital
list point Of view than the De Valera
organization, tho De Valera is just
as loyal to capitalism, and its spirit
ual handmaiden the catholic church,
as Cosgrave. But behind De Valera
are thousands Of honest nationalist
revolutionists and believers in a
Workers Republic, who believe that
a De Valera in Cosgrave's place
would change economic conditions in
their favor and drive the British rule,
root and branch out of the country
The next party of considerable
strength is the Labor Party, led by
Thomas Johnson, a native of England
and an imperialist to the core, tho
Johnson, due to the necessity of
maintaining connection with the rank
and file of the Labor Party support
ers, gives lip service to socialism"
of the Ramsay Macdonald brand. 1t
is believed that the prestige of the
Labor Party has been considerably
impaired because Of Johnson's offer
to make an alliance with the Free
State government after the death of
Kelvin O'Higgins, at the hands of I'M
known persons. The Free State
spurned the labor leaders offer, who
then turned around and made an al
lance with the Republicans, with the
understanding that if the combination
succeeded in defeating the Cosgrave
government, Johnson would be elect
ed president of the executive council
of the Free State government.
This unprincipled policy did not
work out as expected. Thru the de-
ieccion of a person by the rather ap-
propriate name Of Jinks from the
ati-government coalition Cosgrave
won by one vote and shortly after this
dose shave, again came out victorious
In reflections in the county Dublin.
Johnson, claimed that he was the on
ly man who could stabilize the situa-
ton in Ireland. He did not propose
a single policy that would benefit the
workers or the farmers. He did not
declare for a republic. He simply said
that neither the treaty party led by
Cosgrave nor the anti-treaty party led
by De Valera were able to establish
peace so that the capitalists of Ire
land could pursue the business of
making profits without interruption.
1t is believed that a more militant
policy on the part Of the Labor Party