The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 6, 1869

of a clique of doctrinaries ; while the fact is very
evident that they are " discontented." The subject,
however, resolves itself into this, that the parties will
have to re-form, for they may with truth be said to be
getting into confusion when the leading Radical
paper is the leading Protectionist organ in one
State, and the leading Radical paper is the leading
Free-Trade paper in another State, the platforms
around which the new parties must form being.
Free Trade and Protection. This the Nation un-
doubtedly sees, taking its stand on the former, and
commencing the war by attacking the Secretary of
the Treasury, regarding that post as the most im-
portant in the Administration, and condemning the
selection of a Protectionist, while perhaps inter-
preting it as a sign of hostility to its Free-trade
platform.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

" QUITE OVERLOOKED."

Early in the year there was a ball at Willis's
Rooms for the benefit of the Great Western Railway
Provident Society. It was extensively supported
and patronised by the nobility and by the directors
of the company. The company danced with an
assiduity which shewed at once the warmth of their
nearts and the agility of their legs ; and the pleasure
which shone in their faces shewed how inspiriting is
the thought that you are sacrificing yourself for the
good of others. But someone, we do not know
who, has forgotten to send the proceeds of
this admirable and self-denying act of charity
to the institution on whose behalf it was
performed, so that as far as the Provident
Society is concerned all this zeal and all this mus-
cular energy have been thrown away. We fancy
that this is not an unusual result of charity balls.
The preparations are on the most liberal scale, the
dancing is most praiseworthy, but the balance-sheet
somehow or other gets quite overlooked. llowever,
no good deed perishes, even though its fruits are not
seen. As the poet has said—

" The actions of the just
Smell sweet and blossom from the dust,*
anct we have no doubt that someone benefits even
from the dust of the ball-room.

requent resignation or Din Bright and Mr. rorster,
will suggest to some persons the question if the
Ballot is so perfect an instrument of election as it is
pronounced to be by its advocates. The theory of
vote by ballot at the clubs is that any man
may blackball a candidate without any reasonable
cause, and yet that no one will have the.
right to complain of him because no one
knows who has put in the black ball, or what his
motive was in doing so. Jones may blackball Smith
merely because Smith squints, or wears a white hat,
or omits his h's, or has a vulgar wife, and neither
Smith nor his friends ought to complain, because
they are theoretically ignorant of the person who
has committed the offence. Practically the case
is far otherwise. For instance, at the present time
every member .of the Reform Club knows,
and a good many outsiders know, who were
the gentlemen that blackballed Mr. Smalley. More
than that, their motives are known, and they have to
stand the fire of angry criticism. Now of two
things one : either the Ballot is intended to allow
men to give a secret, irresponsible vote, or it is not.
If it is, what right has anyone to say that Mr. A and
Mr. B ire the persons who excluded Mr. Smalley,
much more what right has anyone to blame them ?
If it is not, cu i bozo the Ballot ?