The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-05
THE REFORM AGITATION.
French Opinion Of Electoral Corruption in Eng
Iand-Wiil Manhood suffrage Cure IL:

land W IN Manhood suffrage Cure IL.
From the Paris Debnis Sept 10
The reflections suggested a few days ago by the
inquiries OPP ned in England on several curious facts OF
electoral corruption, have called forth some curious re-
marks the part ~ certain journals We pointed out
that the direct bribng Of electors by the candidate
dsplorabe such abuse may be- did not alter
the composition elective chamber, A. regards the
independence OF is members 10 the extent ~ II
tho voters brbed by means of fav0rs distributed
y zoe ,s ssn, a,seso sbe su that 90 evident
that IL VIA hardly worth while TO utter 20 palpabie
Nevertheless this assertion has been treated
by certain Journals The acme OF paradox more
than thai, they have even pretended TO discover
in it the culogy Of electoral corruption, such as
,h,s manner is 70 be wanting in good faith We have
always loudly condemned and deplored all kinds Of cleo
toral corruption But may reprobae them all with
ont losing the right of comparing kind Of bribery
with another with regard to the practical injury they
may cause 10 free institutions Now, an elective
Chamber must he considered its tw0-fold aspectw
Of repres and az an instrument OF con-
troll The direct buying Of votes by The candidate Sc
riousy affects the representative character OF the
Chamber Jsst does nd materially sredksn az tnsru
mem u conrot far the very sppt, that G nep,by
bound Sy eas ESQ u o,ais or ocaon % make imes
pledsantfor he vsrnnent The other mode OF purchase
not legs deplorable hut si more Injurious than the
first deerioEates the Chamber as means OF represen
tation and instrument oI control, inasmuch As
the member returned In that way both the indirect
Of the central power and the recipient OF
it's avors We think this part Of the question has now
bcen sufficiently elucdated for any reader Of good faith
But are, besides accused OF not taking suicisnty
into acoou mt virtues Of the working classes, when
We that OF the suffrage does not seem
TO us calculated 70 diminish In England the venalty OF
the eIector We have often enough defended in these
very columns, the legitimate pretensions ~ the working
classes not 20 DO suspected o. injustice o. even naI.
terence towards them; but We do not foci inclined
70 nstter tho working class any more than any other
caes any individual either In France or England
Now on this question or the sae OF votes in England
VIC have not 10 argue conjeclures alone Experiences
ar have already said has pronounced, inasmuch -
the ascortaned results Of the municipal elections o.
fectsd by very numerous constituency, IL merely 10
lower The price Of happens in markets where
Hi n votes are sod some persons argue u because
tho rgh. of suffrage does not descend low enough but
stops in that intermediate spherfShere The eector -
neither rich enoush 10 be above temptation nor virtuous
enough IL; while above and below this lsvcl
to be vena above by reason Of the wealth
and position Of the vctss below through the natural m
a number Of the Hsc taken al randothat Of the 18Th
have ast aeknowedscd themselves brbcd by oonfeing
the price paid FOR thor vote In the Yarmouth M
asy on ,h', asy out Of vsry sms su%oe, b,ssn
smith, house painter, joiner, two bakers and
shoemaker; before the Rsigate Commission al baker
aicss ali confessed that they had bsrtered
their votes Iss,iy at Lancaster, ws get from Mr.
votes Al elso,ion time the following opposition, moro
instructive Than volumes Of defamation on the sub
,eos s.1e hundred and 8fy electors speak OF
very slippery customers. and only vote for money
A son - an eiscson spproach~ tnsy leave on tnch
work and thsy have % nsp' ~ zoe c ,ss ,,
object oueslion-"To what class DO these one hun
dred and City esctors bclongf Answsr-'Tbey are All
working mon, living on their wages Qucssion-'Do
roo peiieve that they carr shout polcsfp Answer
mot farthins Thea follows list Of electors
whh the profession Of eefh and the price o. the
vote Scshns san prevail against fac,s, and tho
facts We have quoted arc no, % be disguised "
am soyhistry. II u true that they do not much
perpiex iboss who determined 70 reason ~ they
did exist and 70 abuse those who take them into Ac
cosni II be clear by this time 70 all enlightened
men (and after all Il for Them writeD that tho IN
iegny Of the English ssctor not greater according a.
hts worldly means mental requirements are smaller
aud thai s ext.as,or n n right s6r1gs ~ ~ means
f'g1atbk rer,>dy fer ~ usrdiMy ~ wts Al hs,
bgweyer does not prevent electoral rcform from
b.s-g ,nesabe and eos> hand ~ Ergisrd ~ al par
ties have undertaken 70 bring about, and have long
since used Tho question: stsppsng-sto 70 power
hut again ve say that the result OF The inquiries fm
from being favorable large extension Of the fran.
rhse and that the coming Reform bill will be adopted
In spite Of revelations Of The election comm sons, but
| mn hair