Parnell had that power.

He had, and used, the right of suggesting names.

But under the constitution of the United Irish League (originally the work of Mr.William O'Brien when reunion was accomplished in 1900) the machinery of local conventions was set up and no interference with their choice was permitted to the central directorate--which could only insist that a man properly selected must take the party pledge.

Whether this machinery was inevitable or no, cannot be argued here; but Redmond himself complained repeatedly in public that it worked badly.

Candidates were often chosen purely for local and even personal considerations, and seldom with any real thought of finding the man best fitted to do Ireland's work at Westminster.
This evil, for it was an evil, resulted from the political stagnation in a country where one dominant permanent issue overshadowed all others.
There being no Unionist candidature possible in the majority of constituencies, any contest was deprecated--and from some points of view rightly--as leading to possible faction between Nationalists.