Northern Ireland

No ‘contests’ - On This Day in 1924

The Westminster October 1924 election resulted in less than 15 per cent of nationalists voting and Ulster Unionists winning all 13 seats

October 31 1924

The blow struck by the promoters of the recent election “contests” at the present interests and future prospects of the 450,000 Nationalist people who live in the Six Counties was the meanest and most wanton of the many from which they have reeled, helplessly and almost without a protest against their fate, since the apostles of dissension and disruption began nearly ten years ago the foul work of smashing their organisation, splitting them into sections, and destroying the unity which was the source of their strength and their only security against political extinction.

We urged the promoters of these contests to refrain; we pointed to the inevitable consequences of their reckless action. But a sum of money that could not have been far short of £10,000 had been allotted for the reintroduction of dissension and strife amongst the Nationalist people of North-East Ulster: and the treasure had to be spent; the object had to be achieved at any cost.

The tragic consequences of the strange experiment were manifested most painfully in Fermanagh-Tyrone.

[Ulster Unionist] Sir Charles Falls got 37,733 votes in December, 1923; his poll was 44,716 yesterday – nearly 7,000 more.

Making all allowances for increased exertions on the Ascendancy side, it is obvious that 5,0000 of the 7,000 were “bogus” votes.

Mr [TJ, Nationalist] Harbison’s total was 44,000 last year. The highest Republican total was 6,812 on Wednesday. Little more than 14 per cent of our people went to the polling booths. It is vain to protest against the dishonesty of the arguments and assertions based on these ridiculous figures in Belfast and the Six Counties – for the results in Derry County and City were on a level with the others – which the exponents of Ascendancy will promulgate from their platforms and in their Press. Not 15 per cent of the Nationalist population took part in the bogus elections; but if the world outside Ireland becomes convinced that only a miserable fraction of the Nationalist population are opposed to the Partition of their country, responsibility for irreparable wrong done to the people and the nation rests on the shoulders of those who played the game of Ascendancy without regard to the consequences. Who can blame the upholders of Partition and the Northern Government for availing to the fullest extent of the opportunity placed right in their hands?

Irish News editorial on the folly and destructiveness of the republican campaign in the Westminster October 1924 election which resulted in less than 15 per cent of nationalists voting and Ulster Unionists winning all 13 seats.