Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, JUNE IS, 1927. FREE STATE'S VERDICT

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 138, 15 June 1927, Page 8

Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, JUNE IS, 1927. FREE STATE'S VERDICT

A healthy sign of the General Election which was held in the Irish' Free State last week is the relatively heavy polling. It is a remarkable tiling that in a country which had not included political apathy among its many troubles, and where the muchcoveted and long-deferred grant of self-government made politics fiercer than ever, only 60 per cent, of the electors should have come to the poll at the General Election of 1923. On this occasion the proportion has exceeded 70 per cent, and in some districts 80 per cent. The increase was doubly welcome as indicating, not only a closer attention to business on the part of the people, but also, a better chance for die renewed vote of confidence in President Cosgrave and his colleagues which seems to offer the best prospect for the continuance of stable government. An Administration which has an exceptionally difficult task to face in times of financial stress inevitably finds its opponents more enthusiastic than its friends, and in the present case this general consideration was strengthened by the special grounds mentioned by the Dublin correspondent of the "Times."

The heavy poll is expected to favour the Government, lie said, as the Republicans in 1923 polled every available voter, -while the majority of the new voters consist of former Unionists who hitherto have not participated in Free State elections. They voted in thousands to keep out the Republicans, fearing a majority, following De Valera's return from America, equipped with plentiful funds.

There are two .reasons why financial considerations apply with particular force to a General Election in the Irish Free State. One is the scarcity of money, and the other the heavy cost of an election campaign in the large constituencies i required for the purposes of proportional representation. That system appears to have perfectly fulfilled its promise of faithfully representing the opinions of the electors who record their votes, but against this success must be set the increased difficulty of addressing the electors and bringing them to the poll in the greatly enlarged constituencies—a difficulty which of course applies with the greatest force to the rural districts, where apathy and distance are at the best serious obstacles.; But, whatever the weight properly assignable to the various causes—the financial depression, the large electorates, the general dissatisfaction with the Government, and the advantages enjoyed by Mr. de'Valera and his followers in cash, in enthusiasm, and in organisation— the tendency which the "Times" correspondent reported as operating in favour of the Government has been counteracted, and the Government has received an unpleasant set-back. Owing to the length of time required for counting the votes under the proportional system with no less than seven parties competing, the complete returns' are not yet available, but the 138 results reported at the lime of writing out of a total of 153 make the general character of the ultimate outcome fairly clear.

On the most fundamental point the effect of the third General Election in the Irish Free State is satisfactory. With 76 members pledged to support the Irish Treaty against 52 opponents the maintenance of the constitutional status quo is assured. On any ordinary issue such a majority would be ample, and for the purposes of security it is ample on this issue. It is, however, disappointing to find that, after the steady and apparently increasing support which the Treaty had been receiving, it should have been made an issue at all, and that, having been raised, the repeal of it should have already received the approval of one-third of the Dail Eireann. The matter is, however, rather of local than of Imperial concern. The Treaty cannot possibly be tampered with in any way, but the continued demand for its repeal by so large.a section of the Dail keeps a disturbing question alive to prevent the complete alignment of parties on the domestic issues by which they are normally divided in other countries. The' repeal of the Treaty is' not practical politics. It is, on the' contrary, a kind of idealism which prevents the practical issues from receiving the concentrated and unembarrassed attention that they demand. Writing on "Chads in Ireland" in the September number of the "Fortnightly Review," "Macdora" declared that not democracy but autocracy was the real danger of the country, and he instanced a number of drastic measures that the Government had been able to carry almost without debate. . Compelled to take and exercise dictatorial powers during the guerrilla warfare which followed the conclusion of the Treaty, the Government was occasionally displaying the same mentality still. There was no effective check, because the 48 Republicans refused to enter the Dail. "The constitutional dangers surrounding a country whose government has no substantial opposition and a majority which can carry any vote" were declared by "Macdora" to be very grave, and he concluded as follows:—

These facts and others relating there-

to mako people on the Irish side of the Channel realise that hardly anything is more desirable for the welfare of Ireland than the providing of a strong constitutional Opposition for whatever Government may be elected. For this reason it may be taken as certain that tho 48 seats held now by non-partici-pant Republicans will not be held by any non-participants after tho next General Election. No election, in fact, ever held will be so pregnant of good or evil for Ireland. It may decide her destiny and her prospects for a century to come.

It will be interesting to see to what extent this prophecy will be realised. The entry of the Republicans into the Dail was treated in one of yesterday's messages as still an open question. The answer that they give to it and Mr. Cosgrave's interpretation of his unfortunate declaration not lo remain in oiEce unless he won at least 50 seats are matters which may decide the destiny of Ireland at any rale for die next few years.