The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-02-08 00:00:00

Prom the Standard.

The contests in Dorsetehire and North Shropshire have
been of a singular character. In both counties the candi-
dates who went to the poll were Conservatives, aud the
struggles, if they may be called no, attest the strength of
the Cmservative party. In the one county the so-called
tenant-farmers' candidate has triumphed over his oppo-
nent by a majority of 37, while in the other he has been
defeated by a majority of nearly 1 2011. We have already
stated why we think it undesirable to break tip the House
of Commons into a number of small cliques representing
particular interests without fear of destroying its
supremacy; and that it can be done in Dorsetaire and
Shrolzh:re shows how powerful in those counties the Con-
servative contection is. The experiment, however, must
not be repeated too often; though but for these reasons we
should be very glad to see, hot merely the representatives
of tenant farmers, but tenant-farmers themselves in
Parliament. As nothing sobers an Oppositior. lire being
suddenly vested with the responsibilities of government,
so nothing is better calculated to temper the seal of over-
sanguine politician' than actual experience of the House
of Commons. If the tenant farmers imagine themselves
neglected, either by the country gentlemen who
represent them or by the Minister* who profess to
be their friends, by all means let them return gentlemen
of their own order to Parliament, and try what they can
do for themselves. They would soon find out how small
a part of the expectations which are fostered by zealous
partisans it is passible to realise, and with how many con-
flicting considerations Government has to reckon before
it can even partially gratify the claims of its most disin-
terested supporters. The presence of tenant farmers,
therefore, in the House of Commons is from this point of
view decidedly desirable' nor is this, of course, the only
advantage to be gained by it. Men who represent the
tenant farn:ers would extinguish • good many fallacies
which at present pass muster in that Assembly, and
correct many micrepresentations of agricultural feeling,
the exposure of which by country gentlemen is set down
to interested motives,
. . . .

THE COUNTY ELEL.TION.
DIK:LattaTION or nil POLL
About four in the afternoon f Friday the country
generally knew the remelt of a contest which, while it
excited the greals...t interest in the county. MY looked
forward to g,herally t.ith curiosity relative to the
result which would attend the efforts of an influential
section of the constituency to obtain a class represen-
tative. Class representation as a rule LISA hitherto
proved a failure. Mr. Macdonald an the leader of one
~f the most powerful unions in the country has found
his footing in the Mouse, but it would puzzle his
warmest admirers to any what benefit they have
derived from the fact. Mr. Reed bar also gone in
with grand expectations which have resulted as far
as the agneultural interest is concerned—in that they
have had Acts given to them of which they find it
difficult to say 3 wort' ill praise; and as regards Mr.
Reed in his quarralling with his colleagues and throw.
ing up 1:1,500 a yeah. North Shropshire has also
elected a tenant farmer but a few days age—by the
skin of his teeth; and this addition to Ifr. Heed's
colleagues will not probably bring the realisation of
his ideas one whit the nearer. These almost twisted
examples have no doubt attracted wile attention and
become to be regarded as preowlenta. That it has
failed in the prese;i* case perhai a is hardly a surprise,
even to Mr. Fowler himself or any of his supporters.
Mr. Fowler simply put lamer...if forward as a repre-
sentative of the farmers, and upon general matters
gave opinions which were somewhat vague. The
productive of an icanueiese
.
...ontuesiatt,
ohfoV/goe:de.r,
has
has been
shown the farmers that they
have an squid stake in the countr7 with the land-
owners and the days of the "sauw' are things of the
past. hut, further, it otiaht also to have convinced
them that no one class can be relieved of burdens at
the expense of another. The agricultural interest and ,
the landed interest fought the battle on equal terms,
but the general public stepped in and said we must
have a general representation, and cannot consent to
the trangerance ,A pressure to our shoulders when we DORCHESTER.
consider we are already heavily laden.
That the poll would have shown le; large a majority I Bthlurre irrisiolpoltlices lLarrereß•ilvirAinvedAruPriAll.LS. -16
cicrks
for Captain Dishy we fancy must have been an agree-
able surprise to tie hon. gentleman's supporteni. Mr. recision of the Great Western authorities as rooft6ehier
I future employment. Some will be drafted to Paddington,
Fowlers advice that promises should be considered • w'h• othars will leave, at the end of this month, without
singinrilY constituted to ine-cruat may well have 11 situations. Tho men It the locomotive department are
raised the fear that'll might be perhaps largely adopted; gradually leaving foe (idler outrters. at Swindon and
but looking at the promleas of support which kir. 41"15re

As political parties grow powerful they tend to develop
these distinctions When weak their only gaiety lo :u
cohesion, and in presenting an unbroken front to the
enemy who surrounds them. But with the feelings of
security created by strength and number independent
action is quite certain to ensue, and within certain limits
is a promising and healthy symptom. As long as such
differences do not touch essential articles of faith they are
preferable to absolute uniformity' and it is to this class
of differences that the Legitimate in Dorsetshire and Shrop-
' shire are exclusively due. Liberals may try to make more
out of them, but up to the present moment there has not
been the faintest indication of any disposition on the part
of the farmers to waver in their allegiance to Conmervatism.
The question is, will they support a Liberal candidate
against a Conservative in order to secure the more
affective presentation of their own views! That remains
to bc ...se They have never done no yet, though the
chance has lima offered to them; nor do we believe they
will do it when the chance L offered them. The better
class of Englieh tenant farmers are something more than
mare farmers they are gentlemen of property ;id gduce•
don, whose political opinions red nut bounded by their
professional horizon. And, though, eseterk periling, they
may prefer a special candidate to represent them, they
would not prefer him at the cost of any sacrifice of
principle.