DAVE MANS8LL which had 200 members who, theoretically, determined policy. In fact real control was exercised, from the start, by a caucus of a few landowners, businessmen and local professionals whilst the day-to-day works was carried out by a permanent staff and a small executive standing committee. The first secretary of the Council had to resign because of ill-health in October 1906. He was replaced by R.D. Bates, a Belfast solicitor. By this time the Home Rule scare ha died away because the Liberals had been returned to power with a massive majority and were not dependent on the Irish parliamentary party for their tenure of power. Nevertheless Bates got down to meticulous organizing of the U.U.e., acquiring an intimate knowledge of the local unionist associations and vigorously disseminating to them his view that all Roman Catholics were Nationalists and ali Nationalists were traitors. The propagator of this Manichaean picture of the basis of politics in Ulster was to retain his position as secretary of the U.U.e. until 1921 when he became Minister of Home Affairs in the first Unionist government of Northern Ireland. Bates's work was crucial to the development of the U.U.e. into a politically important instrument since popular enthusiasm for the unionist class alliance in Ulster had waned since the defeat of the 2nd Home Rule bill in 1892. In the country districts in the 1890s Ulster tenant farmers had joined in the general demand for redistribution of land. The conflict of interest between landlord and tenant had at times split unionist forces in Ulster putting safe parliamentary constituencies at risk. The 1903 Land Act removed this source of friction, and since the Irish parliamentary party had to denounce the measure to retain their credibility as the party of Home Rule, most of the Ulster farmers had no difficultv in returning to the unionist ranks. · WORKERS UNITE? More serious challenges to the unity of the Unionist front carne from the organization of a Labour Party in Belfast which fought both the municipal and the parliamentary elections; and from dissident workers within the Orange Order who broke away, on the basis that their dernands were not reconcilable with those of the industrial bourgeoisie (who now dominated the Order) to forro an Independent Orange Order. For 42
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