The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-13
JOSEPH SURFACE POLITICS.
Some Queer Instances Developed by the
Recent Campaign in England.
Chamberlain, the Professor, and the Man
Who Asked Questionable Stead Case
Influence of the Queen.
of the indianapolis Journal.

correspondence Of the indianapolis Journal.
LONDON, Dec. 1.-The talking is over. The
fighting has commenced. In some districts the
belligerent term may be used in its technical
sense; but, on the whole, order is fairly main
tanned. In many places the battle Of the Consti-
ton is conducted with the greatest good feeling.
Here and there. however, there has been rioting,
and in some Of the colliery and manufacturing
centera 1t is feared that the declarations Of the
polls may be attended with serious breaches OF
the Law. In these cases the ordinary police force
will be supplemented by troops conveniently
placed, in case Of need, but meanwhile not
in sight of the people Polling day is not
one general fixture. The time is varied, cover
ing about week or ten days for the entire
country. For instance, the day of polling in my
London district of Marylebone is the Goth of
November. My favorite candidate in this di-
vision is Lord Charles Beresford. The voting
for Waterford, in Ireland, where friend of
mine is fighting, does not take place until the
4th Of December, go that if had vote for
Waterford should have ample time to exercise
the franchise in both places. In the early days
of this century the polling for single constit-
uency lasted many days. There being no ballot
ard no eoncealment of any kind, everybody
knew from day to day how each elector had voted
and who had yet to vote. This intensified the
excitement and gave to the contestants all kinds
Of openings for bribery and intimidation. Then
there were flags and banners of rival colors,
bands of music playing rival tunes, hotels and
public houses belonging for the time to the rival
factions. little armies Of roughs imported from
other districts to maintain ''order" at the rival
meetings; and altogether general election was
general sheol.
Even in my time the periodic sensation of
the election of members of Parliament has been
considerably shorn of its picturesque and excit-
ing features. When l was boy we had flags
and ribbons galore, party bands of music wear
ing the coors of the candidates they played for,
professions of each side, great hastings demon
STATIONS, rival hotels and bars open to all corners
who had votes and were declared partisans
Those wers the days when the victor was
'chaired," which means that he was carried
round the city in a grand chair on the shoulders
of stalwart men, at the head of a tremendous
procession, and at the conclusion of the day the
chair was broken up into pieces and carried away
for relics. In those days candidates who fought
the great county divisions some times impover-
1shed themselves for life. An election was then
often the outcome of family feuds, the battle of
rival houses, Rnlcn was IOuSnL Win as mucn
intensity as the real campaigns which
their ancestors had waged in the
medieval days with sword and spear and bat
tering-ems and other engines of war. To-day
we are almost down to the bedrock Of simplicity
as regards the costs and method OF parliamentary
candidature Any man who can give the proper
official a guarantee Of 81 900 for the legal ex
penses and find two electors to nominate him
can be a candidate. The expenses of printing
and advertising have been so much reduced, the
money allowed as legal for committee is
small, the paid canvasser is abolished, and the
legal costs of a contest are now so few, and
bribery is made so difficult, that any man of
moderate means may advertise himself as
candidate for Parliament. There are instances
where a constituency itself will elect man at
their own cost AS if to maintain the Scripture
axiom that ''to him that hath shall be given"
the Birmingham division, for which Joe
Chamberlain is standing, insists that mis- election
shall not cost him penny. He is very rich
man, so they will pay his expenses.
Joseph Chamberlain. the great Radical leader,
Is famous screw manufacturer, and he told
curious story the other day against American
protection-how his firm had been paid certain
large annual subsidy by protected American
firm not to export certain of his firms goods to
America, whereby the American firm were re-
heved of outside competition. don't know that
this a very patriotic boast, but patriotism is
not a strong point with some of the self made
men of the day Business is business" is a pow
erful motto with them, and many who are free
patriotic or inconsistent to build factories in pro-
tected countries. availng themselves of foreign
protection and sending their surplus stocks into
the free markets of their own country. 1t is
against this class of Engshmen that Prof Ar
minus Vambery Ia famous political economist)
appeals to the electors in letter he has written
to friend at Sheffield II don't mix myself up
in politics" he says. "but hope the voters of
England will open their eyes and send to Par
lament men who have a sound understanding of
the imperial interests of Great Britain. and who
are determined to uphold the honor of the Union
Jack in Asia. Thoroughly European and West
as the English are, the future of their state
lies, strange to say, in Asiatic soil. 1t depends
greatly upon the permanence and prosperity of
your colonies in the East, and it is the sacred
duty Of every Englishman TO safeguard those
interests, and to counterfeit the insidious efforts
or the enviouS enemies of England who eXulting-
ly say: Behold declining England! Look how a
once great and mighty state is approaching the
level of Holland. Spain and Portugal
Sir William Harcourt, at Derby one day this
week was prettily caught at an election meet
ing He is one of the Gla1stonian chiefs, and
yet profound believer in Chamberlain who. if
the Radicals obtain power, will certainly be at
their head The question of the inequality of
rating buildings has lately come prominently
before the country, and many cases have been
brought to light where rich men have used un-
due influence to relieve themselves of the legti-
mate taxation of their pall.ial residences Odd
ly enough, some or the most professedy virtu-
GUS VI INC IAiperaI party nave Oeen among THESE
uneenerous and unpatriotic rich At Derby
Mr.. Ley, great employer of labor, addressing
Sir William Harcourt at public meeting said
he knew a gentleman who lived in a
fine mansion, which had cost him ESQ, 900
$3.50, 000) to build That gentleman appealed
against the assessment of his palace. and got the
annual rating value reduced to f300 Isl, 500),
whereas the principal adjacent works. which did
not cost third Of 100000, were rated at $500
Asked if he thought that fair, Sir William, of
course, said he did not, whereupon Ley said:
THE man who owns the mansion and appealed
against the assessment is is your friend, Mr.
Chamberlain, and own the works" In reply,
all Harcourt did was to protest against what ne
called this shameful personal attack upon his
friend, Chamberlain. The truth is, the Har-
court, Dixie and Chamberlain crowd profess to
be the sole possessors of virtue and wisdom in the
country, and men who awfuy good are
sure TO be found out. Joseph Surface is all very
well LIN I'll Won really know him