" Captain
Wynne being called on by the authorities for an explanation, charged the
gentry of Clare with putting their servants and dependants on the lists
for public works without being proper objects for them, and that they
were indignant with him because he took such persons off in great
numbers. He did not, however, deny the insult Major M'Namara had charged
him with giving his brother representative for the county, Mr. Cornelius
O'Brien.[151]
As to the complaint made by Colonel Jones about the preparation of the
lists, there does not seem to be much in it. Men of influence would
naturally try to get their own people on the works in preference to
others, but the efforts of such parties would be calculated to
neutralize each other. The balloting for the lists is explainable on
very legitimate grounds. Great as the extent of the Relief Works
undoubtedly was, these works were lamentably short of the wants of the
time. Let us suppose that five hundred men in a district were, every
one, urgent cases for the Relief Works, and let us suppose employment
could not be given to them all, a very common occurrence indeed, what
more natural--what more just than to select by ballot those who were to
be recommended? It is hard to see what else could be done, unless the
system of influence and favoritism against which Colonel Jones
complained, were adopted.
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