The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-14
CUMULATIVE VOTING.
The Recent Election Manchester, England
Curious and Unexpected Results.


Curious and Unexpected Results.
A London correspondent of the New York
World, under date of November 29, writes as
follows
OF the result of the election for members
of the School Board, under the new educa-
tion law in Manchester, you have been in
formed by telegraph, but the matter is of
sufficient interest to warrant additional COM
ment previous letter has informed you
that under this law all rate-payers, women as
we'll as men, are voters, and that each voter
has as many votes as there are seats to be
filed, being at liberty to concentrate all his
votes on one candidate, or to distribute them
as he pleases.
In Manchester there were fifteen men,
bers of the School Board to be elected, and
each voter had - votes at his disposal.
Forty-four candidates went to the polls, and
over 800, 900 were given by 26,513 voters.
There are in Manchester no less than 62, 900
rate-payers, so that the first surprising thing
about the election is the self-evident fact that
something like 36, 900 voters abstained from
going to vote. But the other results are still
more astonishing.
Manchester IS famous for two things
first, the fervor of its Professionalism; second.
the number, organization, and strength of
its working classes. But at this election the
two Roman Catholics were brought in at the
head of the poll, one of them receiving
nearly 90, 600 more votes than any Protestant
candidate, and no working-class candidate,
of whom there were seven, being elected at
ALL the highest vote any of them received
being 1854, while one of them got only 166.
Here is the list of the successful candidates,
with the votes given to each:-
Rev. Canon TOole Roman Catholic. ........, 54,56O
George Richardson, Roman Catholic. ...... 36,S0S
William Birch, "Philantnroplst ............. S54l5
Herbert Birey, Epscopalian ....,......... "a, 026
William B. Calender, Episc9palian. n...',...'. Sl,S24
Thomas Dale, Episcopalian. ............... 2O,6sS
Lydia Becker, "NO religion" ................ 1929
Richard Haworth, Wesleyan. ................. 19I
Rev. w. McKerrow, Presbyterian. ............ 1919
Robert Rumney, Presbyterian. ............... $50
DR.. John Watts Unssctarian. ................ Ss6l
John Cooper, Wesleyan ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 5000
Oliver Haywood Secularist. INSTRUMENTATION. 1902
The 90 S6S votes given to the two Roman
Catholic candidates were polled by about
seven thousand voters, who either pumped
for the reverend gentleman who heads the
list or split their votes between him and the
lawyer who follows him. The 1873, 762 votes
given to the five Church of England candi-
dates were polled by about 5000 voters-so
that it seems that in Manchester tho relative
strength of the Church of England and
the Church of Rome is as nine to
seven. 1t is quite clear that under the
old system the former could have elected
all the candidates, while the latter would
have been unrepresented; but it is equally
clear that these two parties underestimated
their own strength, and that between them
they might have elected all the candidates
but one The Catholics might have had SIX
instead of two candidates, and given each Of
them 10, 144 votes; the Episcopalians might
have had eight candidates, and given each Of
them 16, 720 votes; while all that the Other
parties could have done would have been t.
elect the remaining candidate. These are the
mysteries of the cumulative vote, now tried
for the first time in England, but destined
10 doubt, to be used for even mere impor
tant purposes hereafter.
The complete rout which has overtaken th
unsectarian, the secularist, and the working
mems party in this election is an event givini
rise to maAy reflections. We have been told
usque Gd nGgsesm, that the ''masses" il
England cared nothing for religious educs
tion, and had an ardent desire for securin
secular instruction, and secular instruction
only, for their children. But now, in cit
where the "unsectarian, the secular, and th