The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-21
ENoLEsM ELEcr1Oxa
what u Costs 60 ge 20 Pariisneat. and what
Defeat Costa.

now and then spent on a single seat. but In
most cases very little money was spent. and
the average was comparatively low Though
the sums spent In single instances then are
rarely equalled now the use OF money has be-
come far more general and the average cost Of
seat has increased very greatly. In former
years the money corruptly used was mostly
given in almost open bribery. Now more money
Is used for irregular purposes. but II Is thiny
cloaked under the name OF necessary ex-
penses." One way Of bribing q newspaper for
purpose but the object. may be as well reached
by paying for whole columns or even for whole
Ne, and having hand bills and posters struck
by thousands. As much clear money may be
made in the one case a. in the other. and the
bribery may be lust as certain. though much
harder to prove. The expenses Of candidates
for Parliament nearly all run hard upon that
whether the outlay Is bribery or not.
All candidates for Parliament are required
Ger e az 70 hm o
officers and these accounts are all published +,
out. Many think the real cost of elections
twice as much rs reported in n large number OF
doubt really includes. every dollar laid out 1t
is generally observed that tho Conservatives
%ns tnd the ae they mhs s
purses than the Liberals for they commonly
select their candidates from the wealthy landed
ton OF 1874 the winning man nearly always
spent the most money but that was Con
scrvatve victory In the election OF 1880 the
CONSERVATIVES still spent more money than the
Liberals, but this time they were badly de-
feat and the winning man was commgo,nly
however. is not given as denial Of the great
Influence OF money in the elections for can
ddatc Is now seldom selected from either party
unless able and willing to spend ut least IS. 900
Members OF the House OF Commons are
elected from counties ShirpS cities bDr-
oughs. and q few from the universities. In the
county elections. where voters are much scat
than in the cities and boroughs. The cost OF a
county election Is two or three times as great.
the former is seldom less than S. for each voter.
In North Lcicestershire less than 5000 votes
SSrs a" tS soa Of to ws 9s
borne by three candidates. The figures OF tho
remaining part OF tn is article refer only to the
election Of 1850. and are all taken from the
printed Government report.
IN county elections the conveyance OF voters
70 the polls is always g nrge item OF expense.
Something's snt ~, shrewd candidate who has
ABLE conveyance, in his district for the day
trumphantly to the polls, while the voters of
om H.he ThRe sSS Of w"G Gr sy at
Mr.. Edward Ridley. in South Northumberland.
eaed One '2 tho for " S", Ti DUR
ham spent s14,650 for the same. purpose. and
was be a I;o caniidatc II North Durham
Wales. s29 $40. for conveyance Of voters and
both were left ut home. In city and borough
elections IL is not considered exactly legal To
convey voters to the polls. except in tho case Of
the sick and crinples but the prnctice has , be-
land as yet Very few city aud borough candi-
dates now spend less than $500 for this pnr-
/ mi I'm ,t,1I hn N
Some spend as much ~ 81. 900 or $1,000. but
more than this last sum is rare.
Yet u Few city and borough candidates spend
very large sums for conveyance OF voters. Mr.
W. f. Forster and two other candidates for
spn r eyer o9 eaea t2i ,I pur
didatcs for birmingham spent nearly sl0o0
each, and the two Conservative candidates.
candidates for East Rettord spent together
ass q aGou 4 eare a9a iogr sand
carrying Of voters. But such sums are ,unu,
sual; In the towns cabs are generally hired
for this and w t o zen haze
School Board elections it is becoming common
cost Of an election to the School Board about
In the last Parliamentary election find that
no less than $50 candidates spent over sl00oo
over 500. 900 each About half Of these We're
defeated. Now and then member manages
&c, slip in at a total cost Of $1,000; and, on the
Gladstone's, entire election expenses. We're
si3ts5 and his opponent, the Far Of Pal
member for Argyllshire, Scotland spent s24-
GEO, and his opponent s2GoO5 Two candidates
Was, Kent sea
$23.OOO. The county of Lancashire elects eight
members of tho House OF Commons, There
and theyexpended in all 1896: 1893. or an average
OF f2G. 433 each; The Lancashire contests were
ESSEX the two two successful candidates spent
s3s. $50 each A defeated Conseryatiye In West
was mr. @ sys"
Sir Geo. Elliots EXPENSES we're $50, $50. and be
often called The X Kns q IaIss on %egoa"t d
canvass cost him the magnificent sum OF s67 go.
His rival spent. s33 253,
The details OF Mr. Wynn's bill Of expenses
for hire q eonvey.nces s2oi4o; for PRINTING
general expenses. slS.s75. TO these Ree' TENS
must be added his share Of the "RetqrniIg
~ RE Rsrnns Uc" nse Charles asi nco
that officers fee, tho cost Of renting or erecting
voting places, the official advertising OF, the
porting Of tho votes Tic candidates share
equally this part Of the expense; but it is rather
II ought to DO paid by the Government. In
School Board and municipal elections this bill
Is borne by tho authorities. Now and then
constituency bears its candidates expenses
and even provides living fund If he is elected
but such cases are not common. John Stuart
Mills election expenses for Westminster in
| 1868 were borne by his constituents.
Previous to 1863. disputed elections were de-
cdcd by a special committee appointed by the
House for each separate case. and divided as
nearly as possible equally between the two
parties; but it became so evident that their de-
csions were partisan, that a law was passed in
| that year transferring such cases to the ragu-
lar courts OF Justice. Thus far i has not been
seriously charged that the decisions Of the
courts in these cases were tainted with party
zeal. How would the plan work in the United
| States The decisions OF the Judges are final.
| Disputed elections are common, and they most
ly show extensive bribery. Indeed. English
elections have become SO very corrupt that cor
ruption follows tho slightest puncturc ut almost
any point Just as q needle point brings blood
! from any part Of the human body. or course
most members OF Parliament are too we'll bred
to 20 out in person and hand money about
among the voters and treat and drink with
them, but their paid agents do this without
stint for them. The bribing OF voters Is so OK
tensiye that the printed repOrtS show that in