The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-21
TWO SYSTEMS.

This is to be a year of political strife, both
in this country and in Great Britain. Our
matbods. and the dates on which they are to
be applied, are fixed by law. In Great Brit
ain the methods have been derived from
long usage, and the dates depend on the will
of the Ministry. Congress is elected In this
country on the FIRST Tuesday after the first
Monday in November Of every second year
in England elections for members of Parlia-
ment are held on any day chosen by the Min
istry, provided the day be at least 80 days
before the Parliament meets. The present
Parliament would expire by limitation in
August, 1898; but it is understood that Lord
Salisbury will dissolve it next month, and
that the general election will take place as
soon as convenient thereafter. Next NOvem-
Der. American voters will choose 332 men,
bers of Congress; on the day set for the
British elections, the electors of Great Brit
ain will choose go members Of Parliament.
In this country the rival parties will be
known as Democrats and Republicans; In
Great Britain they will be clasSed as LibeT-
ais and Unionists. In this country, about
1I.5O0 600 votes will be cast out Of q pOpula-
ton of about 90, 1000. coo. or about one to every
55 Of the population; in England. out OF a
population OF 37,6S800O, 6.173,66S persons
may vote if they choose, or about one 70
every six of the population.
The American system IS built up from
the ground on popular action. The people
meet or are supposed to meet. at primary
elections, which choose delegates to State
conventions, which resolve themselves into
district conventions; these choose candidates
for Congress, and votes cast for others
than regular nominees are usually thrown
away. In Great Britain the convention sys-
ten is wholly unknown. In each con-
stituency there is generally an informal
meeting of members of each party, atwhich
the merits Of candidates are discussed; but
any one may attend such meetings, and
their decisions are not final. In some con-
stituencies certain prominent men or large
landhOlders have an established right to a
nomination, and this is rarely disputed. But
in the bulk Of the British parliamentary dis
trlcts the candidates are chosen at meetings
Of the leaders OF the party held in London.
On this occasion. for instance, Mr.. Glad
stone and his friends will meet and divide
the seats which they think they can control
among tie most promising members Of their
party without regard 10 local residence
they may choose a Seotchman to run in
Kent, or a Londoner TO run in Wales; their
fat is rarely disputed By the voters OF the
district. The plan seems to US 70 be con-
trary to sound principles, but 1t keeps bright
and useful men in public life. in defiance Of
the local freaks of the communities In which
they live.
The nomination is ended in this country
when the district convention has made its
choice. In England a candidate is not NOM
mated till a meeting Of voters is held. at
that meeting, over which a sheriff or some
other public officer presides, the candidates
are formally proposed and seconded, and
the presiding officer calls for show of
hands. He would then proceed to declare
the choice Of the majority duly elected TO
serve in Parliament, but that some one calls
for "a poll" This the sheriff, apparently
from pure benignity, duly grants. and the
election IS held on the day set
The main difference, however. between
our elections and those OF Great Britain
arises from the fact that here, every four
years, the people choose chief magistrate
while, practically, In England it is the Par
lament which chooses the chief ruler Of the
kingdom. The English people have DO
voice in selecting their executive, except
indirectly by defeating his friends when
they seek election In Parliament and so
leave him in a minority. And to guard
against their using this indirect power
the British constitution permits a Parlia-
ment to sit for seven years. while we change
our Congress every two years. Sometimes
Parliament is so obviously out of tune
with the people that the Minister for the
time being feels bound to dissolve it with
out regard to its term of service; thus the
23rd Of Victoria only lived five months.
But the present Parliament will have been
six years in existence when it dies; the
22nd lasted five years and a half; the Dist
six years. and the Goth FIVE. Public opinion
changes so frequently in this country that
we should not find it convenient to bear with
house which held power for six years,
and Senate which was immortal. But the
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