Chapter Twenty Five
A Political Survey of Ireland, 1896
On January 1, 1896, a monumental work was published in the great Dublin publishing house of Blarney & Sons. detailing the political history of the Irish people and their other peoples conquered since the date of Irish independence in 1836. It was initially looked over, but within a year copies were flying off of the shelves and it kicked off a trend of higher political consciousness among mast upper, middle, and lower classes.
But, perhaps the most famous feature of this book was the magnificent wheel which graced page 1. The magnificent wheel was the very first political spectrum to be graphically represented in a book. It also included what percentages of the population followed a certain ideology and how many seats each party held as of the election of 1896, which had so recently been wrapped up. Here it is:
In addition, it gave a detailed description of the main Irish political parties, and a few non-mainstream ones. Here is a copy of what the book said, going from far left to far right:
1. Anarcho-Liberal:
The Anarcho-Liberal portion of Ireland has been in existence for neary 12 years. First organized in the Netherlands by disgruntled Irish immigrants, they returned to Ireland in 1890 and have since stayed very clustered in the Waterford area. However, their organization, leadership, and political manpower are all lacking severly enough that all attempts to make a serious political party have failed. Their primary motive is to overthrow the current government, and install a dictatorship in which worker's rights will be top priority, next to rebelling from British control and the BCEU. This has coused them trouble, with Queen Victoria denouncing them in 1894.
Political Weight: 1/10
2. Socialist:
The Socialst bretheren of Ireland have been in existence for a little over 4 years, but their message and high stamina politics have attracted many followers in a short period of time. The Socialists, better known as the ISPs, started in the early 1890s in the Sligo area, winning three seats in the elections of 1892 under the young genius James Connolly, who was a mere 24years of age in 1892. Since '92, they have spread their message along the coasts of Western Ireland and have even won much support from factory workers in far-off Groningen, Friesland. Thei primary goals in Parliament are to protect the working classes, raise taxes for the rich to pay for worker's benefits, and to halt any further colonization of Africa. They look to be a strong party with a vibrant future.
Notable ISP and MP, James Connolly:
Political Weight: 5/10
3. Liberal Whigs:
Formerly known as the Duffists, the Liberal Whigs have been around since the great Whig schism of 1863, and are currently the larger part of the Whig Party. Their leader, Charles Gavan Duffy, has been with them since the beginning, and is only recently starting to slow down in political activety at age 80. The Liberal Whigs, or LWs, mainly hail from traditional Whig strongholds in Ulster, Connaught, and Munster, along with all the MPs who arn't ISPs in Friesland. The magnetic and sometimes controversial Duffy, who was the first PM to serve non-consecutive terms, has been the main draw for the millions who have joined this party of the past 33 years. Their primary goals are to improve the constions of Ireland's poor, take a leading role in the BCEU, and continu colonization as a means of self-sufficency in resources. They are perhaps the strongest of all political ideologies, and as such don't appear to be going away anytime soon.
Notable LW, Charles Gavan Duffy from a 1840s print:
Politcal Weight: 10/10
4. Moderate Whigs:
Formerly known as the Mitchelites, the Moderate Whigs have their origins in the great Whig Schism of 1863, when their candidate John Mitchel beat out his opponent Charles Gavan Duffy for the PM-ship in 1863 and in the election of 1864. Moderate Whigs, or MWs, hail mostly from the rural Whig poulations in central Ireland, and the Irish State of Newfoundland. Their main champion wwas John Mitchel, but his untimely death in a parliamentary meeting in 1876 caused a power vacuum, which anotehr bright light in the form of Charles Stewart Parnell filled. Parnell also served as PM for nearly two terms, 1888-1891, until he died suddenly in office too at age 45. Since then, there have been no powerful, enigmatic leaders like Mitchel of even Duffy to re-organize the Mitchelites, and they have sunk from 1st to third in number of seats owned. However, the current PM, John Redmond, is a MW and just might re-vitalize his wing of the Whig party. Their primary motives are to halt colonization, though PM Redmond is pro-colonial, to restructure the budget, to eliminate waste, and to expand the rail-road system.
Notable MW, and current PM, John Redmond:
Political Political Weight: 7/10
5. Conservative:
The Conservative party of history was the orginal dominant party of the land from 1836 until their extinction in the early-mid 1850s. This party is a rejuvenation of the Conservative ideal, and was reborn in a grass roots movement which started in the 1880s. The main roots of this movement are within rural Ireland and Dublin. The leader of the Conservatives in Parliament, the elder statesman T.D. Sullivan has struggled to hold onto his flock of 27 MPs in the face of a resurgent, and nearly united, Whig party. Thier primary motivces are to cut government size and 'needless' worker's benefits, to promote colonizationa s a means of prestige and power, and to strengthen the armies and navy of Ireland so that she is able to defend herself from attack.
Notable Conservative and MP, T.D. Sullivan:
Political Weight: 7/10
6. Reactionary
The Reactionary population of Ireland has been in existence for over 20 years. First organized in Dublin by disgruntled Irish farmers, they have been trying for a very long time to gain recognition as a political force, although none has been forthcoming. Their organization, leadership, and political manpower are all lacking enough that all attempts to make a serious political party have failed. Their primary motive is to overthrow the current government, and install a dictatorship in which taxes will be top priority, next to rebelling from British control and the BCEU, and also to strengthen the arms of Ireland to enoprmous levels by having a mandatory draft of all between ther ages of 16 and 50, even in the colonies. Their radical views have made them outcasts, even by the Conservatives, and have been lurking about the shadows of politics in consequence. At first, the banning of all reactionaries in England as of the Reactionary Removal Act of 1881 inflamed Irish reactionaries, but later they used it to their advatage by importing British reactionaries. As such, half of the British in Leinster are reactionaries.
Political Weight: 2/10
