The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-04-27 00:00:00

Pawl Until

DORCHESTER, TUESDAY, APRIL V. 1%0.

THE COUNCIL'S SLIGHT TO THE
LIBERALS.

Does any impertinent meddler enquire why Mr.
Gregory was chosen to the Aldermanship after about
nine years' less of service than another member? Why,
of course, by the law of compensation the worthy
councillor was entitled to some selatiums for having
been annoyed in the election rows, and who can won-
der that for one who had been a sufferer in the Con-
stitutional cause, the " constitutional" remuneration
of elevation above the petty councillors was awarded
to the J. P. who faced the crowd on Mr. Brymer's
platform, and succeeded in seconding Capt. Dodges
with a neat speech? That of course is a Conservative
view of the case, and if the Liberals of Dorchester are
satisfied with the choice of Mr. Gregory over Dr.
Aldridge, and if they agree with the distribution of
rewards and punishments by the Town Council, then
let them retire from contest altogether,. and suffer un-
questioned any slights which the majority in power
may see fit in their wisdom t 3 heap on the party in
whose behalf specially, as well as on that of the town
generally, Mr. Devenish and Dr. Aldridge have
laboured, for both these gentlemen have been doomed
to the cold shade, and denied municipal honours after
long service. But if the Liberal; feel that, as Mr.
Devenish was slighted, so has Dr. Aldridge been, and
if they feel it was undeserved,—then let them assemble
together, form a I.iberal Association, and make their
numbers felt at the next registration. The way to
win is to qualify, register, defend, and practise. Those
Liberals who arc of age and have no qualifications
must undertake the duties and share the burdens of
citizenship, and an effort must be made and followed
up to get on the register the names of all entitled to
vote, so that there may be no further regrets on this
score. For practice we may have to look to the mu-
nicipal elections. One vacancy is ready to be filled
up in the Council, owing to the elevation of Mr.
Gregory bathe aldennanship. Let the conduct of the
party in power be carefully watched, as to their treat-
ment, not only of this vacancy, but of the resignation
of Dr. Aldridge. We shall see whether the power
c47es' at the present time is used severely or not.
ttoeidmosite party are determined to push matters
to extremes, the Liberals must be ready to accept the
challenge, for no better practice in politics can, between
the parliamentary elections, be found, than the old
plan of fighting the municipal elections. But to
prepare for this if necessary, the Liberals must draw
closer together, and pay the most watchful attention
to registration. The boundary of the electorate is
narrower than the geographical boundaries of the
borough; it is contained within the four corners of the
register, and although the qualifications of burgesses
and of parliamentary electors arc not exactly the
same, yet attention to the burgess list will do good
service to the register. There is plenty of time to make
all the arrangements; but they must be set about
early. Qualifications must be gained by those who
want to take part in political struggles, then they can
be put on the register in the autumn' and make their
influence felt. This is the true and constitutional
way to fight a political battle, and real earnestness
thus directed will kick on one side as utterly con-
temptible and useless all appeals tobrute force, which
can have no weight in the real contest, and the only
result of which could be just the opposite of that
desired—namely, to invalidate and overact the deci-
sion. For instance, supposing it were true that Con-
servatives could be intimidated from going to the
poll—a supposition for which we apologise to them,
for they are not so cowardly as the Tory organ would
make out some of them to be—then the result would be
that if the Liberal candidates were returned, the
election might be declared void. But let us work
for our convictions, proceeding according to the rules
agreed upon by the Legislature, and laid down as law,
and there will be abundant scope for the exercise of
energy and wisdom.