The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-12-05
FfOna The Literary Gasstte.
THE HERMIT IN LONDON.
ELECTIONEERTNG

"
Whose party do the townsmen yet admit.
CitfSens. One must prove greatest while
/ they weigh so even,
We hold our town for neither; yet for 10th.
King John.
What a scene electioneering isl |
shall never forget what have seen of
I it !! | was prevailed upon togo with
friend to witness his being, elected;
but it is the last scene of the lindi in
which shall ever take part. There
was, however, in it mixture of the
serio-eomic, of the intriguing, Of the
marvellous, and of the ridiculous
There must certainly be great charm
in being member Of parliament; 9TH
erwise would men condescend to drudge.
fldtter, fawn and cajole, stoop to all
ranks, and to all humours, 10 gain that
point ? A candidate is the most affable.
the most accommodating character in
the world; but it cannot be expected
after such rebuffs, that when chosen,
the same painful. part should be acted
to,the end.
The rivalry at the election of which
have spoken was excessive, and John
Bull was more than ordinarily brutal
Yet SO supple was enc of the candidates,
that he considered stone thrown at
him. only as striking proof of Johns
regard, and he Rugged the greasy
rogues' as thonghs they had been his
dearest friends. Then were family
anecdotes and private vices, personal
defects, and eveA personal misfortunes,
made the broad theme of vulgar clam
our, and bandied from, side to side. in
order to annoy the opposite party.
was so ignorant of these matters,
that inveighed against such disgrace
full practices, as dishonour to the
Representatives of great nation, and
an indelible stain on the people who
committed these excuses. But was
iTHoriaed that it was all according to an
Gent custom that a broken head, or
the reeeipteoef asaead dog in ones face,
was only the pot=luck Ca these occa-
sions; and that elections are the En-
glishman's carnivals, or. Father his
saturnalia for in the former, insults are
given and received under the mask.
and are of course less gross and degrad-
ing; but in the latter, they are warrant
ed by privilege and usage, and are as
sumed as if by charter.
One of the candidates became acorn
piete catechamen to his constituents
elect and it was lsaghable TO hear how
like good boy he answered all his cat
echisers. My friend, however, took it
easier; he had represented the city be-
fore, and knew the temper of bis con-
stituents. The Corn-bill was thrown
into his face, but.he swallowed it. TIE
Habeas Corpus act he took the liberty
to parry and as he had no place nor
pension, he got CT scot free on those
heads What mat astonished me was,
that very proud andsavery INDECENT
man should so demean himself for a
vote, and bestir himself With such ac-
tvlty, in order to accomplish bis pur-
pose. His memory, too, appeared to
me prodgious. He recollected eyery
mans name, his avocaiion, his weak
ness, his circumstances, and his in
terest
7 {" Ha, Thomas, (t was to one) how.
well you look why you've shaken off
your ague p Ees, (says Thomas) I've
been shaking long enough. but they
shan't shake my politicks.' Well
done, Thomasl | honour thee-give
me your hand, Che dirtiest ever saw,
covered with manure.) Then thoul't
stick to the old Orange INTEREST,"
| (Thomas) Noah--I have had much
better offers t'other side. Beside,
think we han't been well used by the
Kings men dang it, they're too proud /;
they treats the poor all as one as dirt
Under their feet g Oh! fie; oh 7 fie,
my dear Thomas"-My friend stepped
aside with Thomas-what he said TO
him don't pretend TO know-but thrice
they shook hands and Thomas shook
his sides. with laughter. He went of
grinning, and said, Well, we bid fair to
get the plumper.'