St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-11

Burdett called attention. to the
case of a girl thirteen years of age, who
had accidentally kicked some mortar off
the roof of house, which had fallen,
upon Mr.. Mainwaring's carriage. A.
party of Bow street officers Immediately
rushed int the house, dragged the poor
child out and took her to Bow streets
where, after an examination, she was
ordered to be committed, and but for
the humanity of some gentleman, who
bailed her, would have been sent to jail.i
In this strain Sir Francis proceeded at
some length, and succeeded in turning
the tide which seemed to have set in
against him, for on the fifteenth day
the poll was closed and the result de
clared to be: Byng. 3,S4S; Burdett.
3,20S; Mainwaring, 1856; a majority Of
27l for Sir Francis Burdett.
Two famous contests occurred in
Hampshire in 100 and 1906, which are
regarded as monumental examples of
the use of money. Each of them cost
the Ministerial candidate upwards of
S125,000. But they fade into penurous
lnsigniticance when compared with the
trlpartite battle in Northampton in 176S.
Then the three earls, of Halifax, North,
ampton and Spencer, were the leaders
of the fray, their candidates being re-
spectively Sir George Osborne, Sir
George Rodney and Hon. Thomas
Howe. According TO Mr.. Grego's His
tory of Parliamentary Elections" the
actual candidates were ''Of small &C
count in the conflict; their patrons bore
the brunt of the battle. The canvass
ing commenced long before the polling;
this was extended over fourteen days.
According to the poll-book the
legitimate number of electors, some $50.
was exceeded by 2SS, but confusion of
persons is accounted for by the promIS-
cuouS inequalities of three noble man.
sions being at the mercy of the crowd
for weeks. During the six
weeks the scrutiny lasted sixty covers
were daily spread at Spencer
House for those concerned in the case.
The results were no less eccentric. The
number of votes being finally found
chance and decided by toss. which
Lord Spencer. won and nominated a
man out of India. The cost of this es-
capable then had to be counted. 1t is
said Lord Spencer expended 100000.
and his antagonists are credited with
having S750,000 each. Earl
Spencer came off lightest. and appears
to have been in no way involved. Lord
Halifax was ruined. Lord NOrthamp-
ton cut down his trees, sold his furni-
ture, went abroad for the rest of his
days, and died in Switzerland"
Campaign literature in England has
always been conspicuous Tor violent
personality. In 1906, for example,
Sheridan was up for reelection. The
late parliament had been the first under
the union with Ireland, and Sheridan
had taken object to the great displeasure
OF many of his party. So the country
was papered with placardS bearing such
Inscriptions as this:
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION,
Tuesday, the 18th November. 1906,
AT the Hastings, in Covent Garden,
THE UNREDEEMED PLEDGES
OF Rt. Hon. r. Brinsley Sheridan, Treasurer
of the Navy, etc. Pawned Previous TO
His Coming Into Power, Etc.
And in 1912, when Canning was can
didate for Liverpool, his Radical foes
published this elegant Screed:
TWO PAUPERS.
George Dykes is pauper. Why? Because
he has been pensioned by his parish.
George Dykes has lost his vote. Why? Be-
cause he is parish pauper.
George Canning is also pauper. Why?
Because he is pensioned by his country.
George Canning shall lose his election
Why? Because he is state pauper.
Ameni
''Stump-speakIng" is commonly SUPP
posed to be an American institution
Yet for centuries English platform or
atOrs have INDUCED in antics that would
take prizes in any backwoods campaign.
Thus wrote poet in the early days of
William Ill:
When on the Rostum, as upon the stage,
The Candidates their partlSans engage,
You'd think the Hall an mphitheater,
And these the furious Gladiators were.
AS for the amenities of an English
political demonstration. witness this
from Dean Swift's journal, written in
the days Of good Queen Anne:
We met the electors for Parliamentmen
and the rabble came about our coach crying.
"A colt!' "A Stanhope"' etc. We were afraid
Of dead cat or having our glasses broken,
so we were always of their side.
Nor have election agents been over
nice regarding the means employed for
winning votes. Bubb DodingtOn gives
graphic account in his diary OF his
own experience in this respect. In
April, 1874, for example, he went to
EaStbury, electioneering, and spent
three days ''in Infamous and disagree
able compliance with the low habits of
vepal wretches." He spent nearly
$4,000. and in the end lost the election
NY q Low tOtCS, ny OI CIlo
returning officer"
John Wilkes was one of the most vio-
lent and INSCRIPTIONS of politicians, and
when, after his defeat for London, he
offered himself as candidate for Mid
dlesex, in 1768, bis campaign was one
long debauch. The partisanS of Wilkes
resolved themselves into mob. Every
coach on the street was stopped, and if
the occupants did not hurrah for Wilkes
the windows were broken in, and in any
event the number ''45' was deeply
scratched Oh the vanished sides, that
being the number of the issue of the
North Brit0n for which Wilkes had been
arrested for seditiOus libel. The car
rage Of the Austrian ambassador was
stopped and that distinguished diplomat
was held by the mob with his legs in the
air while a man chalked rs" on tine
soleS of his shoes.
A famous election was that of West
minister in 1884, when the great Wing,
Charles James Fox, was a candidate
His most active aud effective canvasser
was the beautiful GeOrgiana Spencer,
duchess of Devonshire, who drove
about, polling list i'll hand, to the house
of every voter. EntreatieS, rldicule,
civilities, influence of all kinds, were
lavished upon even the toughest and
ilOot Will frivolous euGCl.
In vain the Tories brought forward
Lady Salisbury to canvass on their side.
She was thirty-four years old and the
Duchess of Devonshire was only twenty
six. The incident of the duchess pur-
chasing the vote of an obdurate butcher
by means of kiss is said to be true
beyond question, as is that other of a
rough Irish mechanic, OH whom she
smiled, saying, 'iAh, lady, could light
my pipe at your bright eyes!"
Times have changed since then. but
not greatly. The Danes of the Prim-
rose League and the members of the
Women's Liberal Federation will this
summer be, many of them, almost as
active in political work as was her:
Grace of Devonshlre, aud candidates
will resort to all those tricks to gain
popularity which have been elements
| of electoral campaigns since the days of
Aristotle. 1t was only week or two