It is a pity that Mr. Churchill, in referring to
the Southern Irish elections, should have said that " Proportional Repre- sentation cast its baffling cloak over a defeated minority." We should have thought that it showed up the real weakness of the minority more clearly than the old voting system would have done. The Irish Times justly points out that, if the single- member constituencies had been retained, very few independent candidates would have dared to appear. As it was, only one independent ventured to stand in Galway, with its seven seats. But under " P.R." his appearance gave all the Galway electors— not merely those in one part of Galway—an opportunity of expressing their views on the " Treaty." There were so many independent candidates elsewhere that three-fourths of the Southern Irish electors had a chance of voting. Thus " P.R.," far from being a " baffling cloak," helped to illumine the situation. Of the total votes cast, 471,276 were for the " Treaty " and only 114,507 .against it. Thanks to " P.R.," we now know definitely that the vast majority of the Southern Irish have no sympathy with Mr. De Valera and Mr. Rory O'Connor, who stand out for a Republic.
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