IRISH ELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 19666, 20 September 1927, Page 6

IRISH ELECTIONS.

The Irish elections must be a sad disappointment to Mr Cosgrnve. The two by-elections whose result decided him to put his fortunes again to the test without delay gave a promise of a decisive majority for the Government, which shows no sign of being realised as the outcome of the new general appeal, Jt is clear enough that Dublin, and Dublin County are nob Ireland or even Southern Ireland, and the instinct of Irishmen for being against the Governmnnt remains too deeply rooted to have been more than shaken by recent experience of its unprofitableness now that they are in the position of being rulers in their own country. The election does iiot promise to boar out any of the high hopes which were felt for it when tho Government declared for its “whirlwind campaign." Though the number candidates was reduced, the number of parties in tho field was once more tho same, except that the most extreme party, Miss MacSwinoy’s Sinn Fein, chose to withdraw' itself in dudgeon from this contest. The indications are that tho smaller groupings will he reduced in strength, but if the seats which they lose are to bo more or less equally divided between the Government and Mr Do Valera’s Fianna Fail no one stands to be benefited much by that diminution. With tweutythree members still to bo elected, the position as we write is that Mr Cosgrave’s party has a lead of tlircc over Iris chief Republican opponents. He had a load of two after the June election, when Sinn Fein could boast also of six members who refused to sit. The combined Government groups arc three ahead of the opposition groups, which is better than a majority by the Speaker’s vote, but hard treatment for a much-tried Prime Minister. The only deduction that can he safely drawn from the returns to date is that Irish politics are obviously very much divided, Mr Jinks has lost his scat, presumably because he saved the Government by voting against his party—the National League—in the Dad’s last crisis, though ho professed to have voted then in accordance with the wishes of his constituents. At tho same time his former party lias been reduced; and Mr Johnson, the Labor leader, wdio was ready to combine with Mr Do Valera against the Government, has been unseated. A schism had been caused in his party by Mr James Larkin, an old disturber in Ireland. Since all the Ministers who stood have been returned, it is impossible to find in this election even an exemplification of the saying that “ people vote their resentment, not their appreciation,” unless that principle has been applied in the least personal manner. Ireland needs new parties on now issues. Then elections may he more satisfactory than they tend at present to be. it is something that new groupings, which may take the place of the old Treaty divisions, are beginning to show themselves.