Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-08-24
A Church Election In England.

A REMARKABLE event occurred recently
in England, which does not seem to have
attracted the attention Of our usually Ar
gus-eyed journalists. In the primitive
colliery town Of Bliston, an election took
place without politicians, and where the
hustings were unadorned by the tradition.
al Wing yellow and Tory blue. 1t ap-
pears that the rectorship of the vii
lage church is ain the gift of the parish
toners; and when it happens-as at some
time or other it must the rector dies, the
parish is called on en- nadsse to choose his
successor. Now by 1.-THE parish" is not
only meant the congregation, or flock Of
the church. as with u.s. but the term in.
cludes all the inhabitants, of whatever re.
ligious faith, or no filth, residing within
certain geographical limits. 1t is polit-
ical and geographical, rather than an eccle.
siastical term. The theory of church al.
lied to Safe is, that it comprises the
| whole nation enthusiastically organized; so
that all the inhabitants are, by fiction of
law, members of the State church The
election at Bliston, therefore was worthy
of note for two reasons because it was
conducted just as English political cleo
tons are conducted; and because, by the
rule OF household suffrage, Roman Catho-
lies, Dissenters, and Jews, and, for that
matter, people unconscious of any per
suasion" whatever, were found voting an
incumbent for life into Church of Eng.
land "cure of souls" The scenes at the
election had all the indecorous vivacity
which additionally marks he choice OF
the undaunted Briton of knights and bur
gesses to Parliament. There were crowds,
unlimited beer, chatting, rioting and brick
bat throwing; cabs were hid behind enor-
nous placards which bore the names of
the rival clergymen, aud conveyed infirm
but Jealous partisans TO the polling booths ;
voters were hustled out of the cabs and as
saulted bands of amazons seized on luck
less wigbts who bore hostile colors, and
proved that, if they could not BE- voters,
they would at least fitch the right from
others; reverend candidates were burned
in effigy; groups of excited partisans,
armed with sticks, paraded the town, with
colliery girls and Irish boys at their heels,
and let forth their wrath by smashing win.
dows. An English journal is inclined u
take pride in the fact that matters did not
get so far as &" the throwing of dead cats ;
this, however, the writer thinks, might
have been owing to the circumstance that
tllC iioulludJHJh Iooh pl1NS ia tIiS cotitt
precincts of the vestry." This nomina
ton at the vestry-which preceded as in
the parliamentary elections, the polling OF
the votes-must have been curious scene
There were "cheers, y3lls, and groans,
from the excited crowd, re echOing through
nave and chancel; the chairman waxed
wroth; and, irritated by the noisy women,
iptimated that the ladies present were
widows waiting for husbands" A speaker
said "they wanted full grown man !" "the
best brains in the country" thought an
other, "was the object to be sought for =
while, in the midst Of the harangue of a
third, some of the ladies' fourished their
bonnets and chartered with malicious in
tent; and one of them, to prove that she
was not, as the chairman charged, a girl,
thrust her wedding-ring in his face; the
reverend aspirants tried to speak, and were
hooted; and the meeting broke up in dis
order. This is only one Of the multitude
of anomalies presented by the state estab
lishment, one of many proofs how badly
the connection works for the good of the
Church itself That clergyman Of one
sect should be chosen by jumbled up
crowd, composed Of all sects and none, is
rather more democratic" and "leveling"
than even the so-mucb dreaded institutions
of America itself.-Apptet0n's Journal.