The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-07-05 00:00:00

THE SCHOOL BOARD ELEC [ION.

Ix what light are we to look at the recent
School Board Election ? It has differed, cer-
tainly, from most of the elections which have
taken place elsewhere, if only by presenting the
new and unaccustomed feature of a " Church
and Nonconformist Agreement." Bat the really
cnrious part of the story is. that the partisans
of this agreement have been beaten. The drum
ecclesiastic has not sounded more convincingl)
because asso&ated with the shriller tambour
of dissent. That which is the Church party
" by exeedsnce." bus to regret that on the first,
land prolooly the last occasion ?) of is
hands citli the dissenters, it has joined with
them to so little purpose. It will be in greet
danger ..f saying, to itself '• If this is the result
of trending the new macadamised road of uni-
venal con,i.i dion ander Irish engineers, well,
we do tot kn:w but what thu old ways of
bi2otr liAter."
thee, it is the vi.,!ory over a
ci„l ; we (C r, es,entially
aild winch hits long widn i to bestai le our little
town like a colossus. For this was the real
meaning of those appeals " for the Halm of peace
and economy," and " Vote for the Six, because
they have managed their own affairs well."
This" managing one's own affair s well" is a crest
virtue with people of a .2.. itaia teraper:AMl.t ;
It is, in fact, the one virtue thn` they wppr,:iiite.
And yet the eli4ue seeina to have inana,,e,l its
affairs not over well in this particular C 13,..
Fr there ct,: I ;il Ii t t pr,•ty st-ong.
proles had l,.ti ruler, d. Of M W dl's 2,019
votes it is probaLde that nearly the half are not
Sonimisk and they therefore represent the

same °anent of feeling which gave 4,678 vot44
to the other independent candidates, in opposi-
tion to 4,401 tendered to "the Six." This
majority for the independents cannot he refined
away. We say again it is a very odd thing that
the Church and the Nonconformists should
nnite together and be beaten.
Our wonder diminishes when we look into
the fActs of the case. Let us suppose that the
two sectional meetings, which negotiated so
swimmingly, and which joined together to offer a
COIIIIIIOII insult to the civil authority, in the
person of the Chairman of Commissioners, and
ignored the ratepayers in public meeting law-
fully assembled—let us suppose, we say, that
these were really full and influential meetings
of their own pewholders. Still, for religious
congregations to manipulate political elections,
is a proceeding that will always rouse the
British public by a just and true instinct of
opposition. Is it asserted that the Education
question is a Church question ? But that is just
what we deny. That is just what the indepen-
dent party in Stourbridge has sprung
into existence in order to deny. It has
already denied it at the polling-tables. And
we Imve been really anxious to know how the
adherents of" the Six" felt, after the just but
rather severe application of Holloway's ointment,
which they received on Saturikiy. It is, *we
believe, warranted to work wonders. There are,
however, a certain number of rather difficult
cases, which we fear meet, be pronounced incur-
able. Such, for instance, are the gentlemen
who themselves believe, and get it affirmed in
local newspapers, that • they are " the only
persons in Stourbridge who understand the
Education Act " ; and who can afford to sneer,
through the same journalistic niedium, at the
" simplicity " of those who think that any one
beyond their owo set can possibly be a useful
member of the School Board. Their state of
mind is really a matter for some anxiety, but
they have our best wishes for their speedy re-
covery.

_ _ I
Sp ,me forbids as to descant upon the subtle
I preparations for a contest, carried on by the
ethyl t under thd pretext peace, economy,
anti retrenchment.' But it would be absurd to
suppose that the Church-laity, its a whole, went
along with the proceedings at St. John's School,
where we are told that thirteen only voted for
the p:oposed compromise. Nay more, if all the
wet-Lug men who voted for the independent
eano Oates had been regular attendants at
church or chapel kas we have no doubt a great
number of theta are) that would not have affected
the i sue. Fortunately it is not a question of
elm •,•h and chapel-goers against those who less
frequently attend Suuitty services. Ecclesiastical
encrt achnient may b • tyranny over a congrega-
tion, or overbearing demeanour beyond it;
and it may legitimately be checked in either
form. It is a question then, of the civic and
political spirit, as against the ecclesiastical
spirt
And the Stourbridge public have apparently
determined that they will deal with this question
as ratepayers and not as pewholders ; as men,
not a creed-men; ascitizens, and not as Church
people; as Englishmen, and not as Methodists.
This is the manly and Christian resolve that
justifies the " independent party, and is the
chief ground of whatever vitality it possesses, or
will possess in future. A union of different
clergies, or priesthoods, (as to which it is very
doubtful how for it meets with the concurrence
of their own laities, and which, perhaps, has no
meabing, no vitality, except for the most tram, 1
sient electioneering purposes,) cannot and should
not stake the steadiness of that resolve.

On this vital point, namely, the concurrence
of the laities, we have said enough as to the
meeting at St. John's School. Proofs enough
might be adduced of the way in which Church-
peonie seem to have fretted under the yoke.
Indeed we count it rather demoralising to ask a
number of electors to vote mechanically for six
gentlemen in a lot, contrary to their own judg-
ment 4, simply because they are the picked repre-
sentatives of six different creeds. How does
that improve the matter ? In another way we
count it arrogant, for six gentlemen to advance
with the olive-branch of peace in their hands,
and say their claims an- so incontestable, that
they expect to be returned without a contest. It
is a good thing for the moral and political health
of the town that this claim has not beeu ad-
mitted.

As to the dissenting meeting at Union Hall
however, if we must perforce say something
about that, we think it illustrated the general
truth, that as to these sectional meetings, the
public can have no guarantee. No guarantee as
to the invitations issued, none as to procedure,
none as to freedom of discussion. It is highly
probable that a large portion of those present
were there as pew-holders of chapels, but were
not really electors of the parish of Stourbridge.
Their applause and resolutions were beside the
mark. Indeed, we are told the principal speaker
was a gentleman from Brierley Hill ; though he
quite omitted to support the Brierley Hill
principle. And of the dissenting candidates,
one, like St. Paul, was " chosen out of due
time," having been selected by the committee
the morning after. So far as regards procedure.
But this, which we may call Meeting No. 1 at
Union Hall, was succeeded in about a week by
Meeting No. 2, which followed it much as night
follows day, or as retribution follows crime. It
was at Meeting No. 2 that the working men's
candidates were selected, and to judge by the
result, it has certainly eclipsed the fading
splendours of its predecessor.
Men of Stourbridge, the work is now begun !
You have shown that you will avail thetneelves
of the Education Act to place at least one
school in the district under popular management
and control. Persevere in the work you have
so well and zealously commenced; and in order
to cerry it out from year to year, place eonfidence
in the men whom 300 have chosen, or whom
, you will choose as representativi s, and whose
feelings are in unison with yours ! The latitude
yob have to assume is not an irreligious
attitude. It is not a question of separating
religion from education. But you may ask
preachers who canvass, and who wish to assert
their influence at these elections, to be good
enough to attract you to their services, before
they begin canvassing for your votes Though
you would hardly let them do it even then.
Perhaps the faithful and successful preacher
would not desire to do it. And it i 3 no dis-
grace even to a devout laity, that they should
impose a limit, if needed, on the social and
political interferences of their clergy. Men of
Stourbridge, do not forget that limit, nor the
responsibility which devolves on yen of hopes.
log it ! It is the very best way by which you
can counteract what you deem injurious tenth am.
cies la the clergy, sect' as ritual isin,for example;
and you will, by maintaining this position
firmly. render a great service at once to them
aud to yourselves. Perhaps your example will
not be lost on other neighboorhoods.. And on
the next occasion of a School Board election,
you will know what you have to do, and do it ;
careless whether the devotees of the clerkal
party 'decide on showing what they so
accurately term a " united front," or whether
they let that front divide itself, and so exhibit
plainly the unceasing disunion in the rear.