The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-11-11
ENGLISH ELECTIONS.
How the Ballot is Pros,ituted in that M odol
Kingdom. Ee%

How the Ballot is Pros,ituted in that M odol
/ Kingdom. HS%
From the Cincinnati CommcrcIal .S
Elections in England have; never
been wholly free from bribery and
corruption. Your bold Briton appre-
ciatos the ballot, but is susceptible to
influences that are now said Dy Demo-
cratic Executive and Campaign Com
mittces to be potential among Demo-
Gratis in Indiana. In the last election
IN England, corruption and bribery
Wero so extensively practiscd by both
Tories and Liberals that Parliament
authorized commission to inquire
into the matter. Charges were sI&ci-
nc agninst number of constituencies.
Though the report Of tho Commission
IS yet to be made, twelve members of
the House OF Commons have been un-
seated, and more probably will be-,
while one or two Of tho constituencies
arc likely to be disfranchiscd.
n recent number of tho London
ItmeS contains some curious intorma-
tion on the subject of corruption, clio
| ltcd by the Commission. We can not, 3,
OF course, go into details which cover
! phges OF that great pnper, but some
facts may bc gathered from tho tcsti-
! mony that will be entertaining us well
us interesting.
In Oxford two pounds, or ton dol
lars in money, seems to have been the
ruling price for votes, and it was paid
readily by either side; but the more
! common plan was for some employer
TO hire rs many men rs he could at
| from six to seven slillin9s Der day.
AS one witness said, who had upwards
of 100 men engaged, some were set to
work on land, some to watch other
men, and some to do nothing. Some
watched the employers house, others
watched opposition houses, others
guarded poles and flags, others tore
down Liberal bills and stuck up Con-
scrvatiye ones. Several hundred
pounds were expended BY one man in
this way. lie took no receipts, nor
was the money handed to him by 9th
ers than strangers, who brought
whole bags Of gold to him and went
their way. Ofcoursc the men hired
were voted, and clipped" afterwards.
when the money was handed to the
agent it was not counted. "You sec,
sir" said the witness to the Court,
eve have confidence in each other" :
Another feature III Oxford was
breakfast for the voters or workers on
election day. An agent of either side
was expected to bring from four to
five men to breakfast. One silc in
Oxford gave 7S0 breakfasts. Or course
treating to beer was universal.
In Chester Mr.. VIM. Brown, silk
merchant, admitted he was out of
| pocket from 900 to 2,C0O pounds.
lie was Vicc-Prcsidcnt Of the Liberal
Association, and had been convinced
by experience that money must be
used or tic Liberals would be beaten.
But he thought the money would be
legally used or lie would not have adj.
vancct it. But it was admitted that
on both sides public houses wcrc cn-
gagged to treat, and give breakfasts and
diuncrS, and railroad excursions were
devised, Of which the wives and chill
dren OF voters took advantage. as they
| were free to all comcrs Of the rirht
political stripe. Even the ladies were
enlisted, and formed committees TO
visit the poor, and especially the poor
families where there was u voter to be
found.
In Sandwich it was no better. The
landlord Of the Star and Garter told of
the enormous charges hc made forpar-
lors and room occupied for ten or
eleven days. lie charged six pounds
u week for rooms that in ordinary
times he got five shillings for. There
were scores of gallons Of lemonade
and spirits III his bill, and eighty
pounds for refreshments furnished.
| lie Just "lumpcd" these things, and
they were paid for by tho agents Of
candidates. 1t was in connection with
Sandwich that Sir Julian Gollsmid
untoIdcd melancholy tale. lie had
| been persuaded 10 stand as the Liberal
candidate, and sent down his agent,
Mr. Edwards, to arrange for his
| coming. Edwards has liberal ideas OF
a canvass. lie ordered refreshments
on grand scale, and more flags and
| Wrc"ths than were ever seen in Deal.
| llc stuck up poles in nearly every
fence corner, hired mon to watch them
and when Sir Julian came down to
SEQ how things were progressing,
drew on him for moncy--at first 500
pounds, then 25O pounds and finally
900 pounds.
Sir Julian had not much stomach for
tic light any way, and stood his
ground only because he feared the
ccnsuic Of his Liberal friends in Lon
don. But he saw lie was being sold
out anyway. lie protested with his
agent against such eXtrayagant use Of
money, and Lady G0ldsmid was like
wise disgnstcd, but Edwards went on
treating everybody, buying flags and
poles, and roscttcS, and other things,
by the hundred pounds worth at a
time. Men approached Sir Julian and
| offered to vote for linn for so many
pounds or such and such q position,
and when he declined they rushed off
and joined the Conservatives. The
Liberals had some forty to fifty public
houses employed, and the Conscrva-
tives moro than one hundred. Sir
Julian estimated the cost Of these to
the Liberals atS00 pounds and between
1900 and 5000 pounds to tho Conscr-
vatives. Men were hired for all sorts
OF fictitious cmploymcnts, and as they
had little else to do than eat, drink
and fight, there abounding was
drunkenness. OF course Sir Julian
was beaten and badly. The money