Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-07-19

might probably be done later on for such
poor fellow, the virtuous proteststion,
OF the speaker were what we should cal
''too thin" 0 oAil
sun, the laws, as We have said. are ex.
oeeoingly stringent, and there are MANY Of
tnem. Ihere is as much red tape in t6ese
Engllsh elections as there is color of thf
same distinctive hue in the English com,
Plexion, and as much legal swearing as In
the ordinary times would keep the wheels
OF Justice sufficiently well creased for a
whole twelve month. Everybody having
anything to do with them must make 4
declaration, which is another form OF
oath. Everybody, moreover, seems tc
have some dreadful penalty hang.
ing over his head. In eleo.
tion matters over here they seem to
have reached the point where nobody can
be trusted any farther than he can be seen,
and, or course, nobody can be seen very
tsr In country of proverbial fogs and
rains. Hence every fellow must be tied
down. The candidate may spend only a
stipulated sum. IL the borough contains
not more than 2,OOO voters he may lay out
npon 1t not more than 81. $50, and he NAV
only spend at the rate of $3.50 for every
additional the Lsand. In county elections
the limit is $500 for the frst 2, 900 voters,
and $soo for every thousand beyond that
numoer. This money must be placed in
the hands of an election agent, who, when
the canvass is over, must render an So
count OF how every penny Ia expended,
ana this account must be open to publie
inspection for two years Nothing must
be spent either by the candidate or bv
anybody else, in treating, in hiring spsne
for posters, in bands of music. in hiring
to carry voters to the polls.
or in any other bad or questionable way.
Else, woe betide both candidate and elect
tion agent, as well as all other parties i'm
plicated
In the estimation of English Purists
committee rooms are places of great dan
ger. There must only be certain num-
Der OF them within each election division
so many for q borough or SO many for a
county. They must never be estsblished
N public-hoIise, nor may q candidate
hold a meeting in public house. nor can
polling place ever be planted on such
premises-all of which is capital, and, per
maps, the biggest stride toward a free and
sober ballot that has yet been made. To
preserve the secrecy of the ballot the Mt |
most precautions are taken To the poll |
ng room none are admitted cave the pre-
'iding officer, appointed by the sheriff or
mayor, one agent of each candidate, a poll
ng cle-k and police constable, the latter |
to hold the others in decent |
I'VE OF the powers that be. But You would |
hink they were sufficiently awed BY the |
penalties they are under It is sir months |
or even breach of secrecy, and for in |
my way tampering with the ballots or the |
ballot box they have a term of two years
It hard labor hanging over them. Such is
ne rebound of the British conscience
'gainst laxity in such manners which |
vas one of England's gravest reprosahes.
these stringent laws, as a matter of course.
re broken in few instances and lodged |
n great many more One must not
,ribe nor treat, but that does not prevent |
he candidate from patronizing all local |
Enterprises nor his wife from being dill
'ent in almsgiving. One may not hire
onveysnces, but you can borrow as many
s you please from wealthy and kindly
disposed friends. After ali, though. elec-
ions are conducted in these days with re-
narkable decency and cleanliness. There
8 rarely any open scandal attaching to
hem, and from our own observation we
mould say there is little or no chance for |
uch things.
But we cannot help smiling at some
hings. The public meetings seem yery
unuy-all after the came cut and dried
rider. There must always be a vote of
hanks to the chairman, and always a vote
" confidence in the candidate, though 1t Ia
lot always that either of these are unani-
mons, for another thing which is quite
english, and which seems to be as much a
part OF the regular program as anything
'lse, is to have sprinkling of the opposi-
ion, who are SO silly ss to interrupt the
candidate with questions and to try to
weaken his cause by voting against him
the house of his friends. 1t Is likewise
cry laughable-or rather 1t would be IL
did not awaken repugnance-too observe
he active part taken in elections by the
women of this realm. From the G. o. NJ.
downward, the candidates all take their
wives around with them, if they happen
o be blessed with such an appendsge, and
they are legally unable to swing a wife
round the political circle, then 1t is
lister or sweetheart, for the candidate
would be too utterly destitute for any
lotice without bundle of femininity of
ONE kind in his train. Sometimes the
women are roughly used, and quite often
hey make themselves ridiculous and even
disgusting. To recur to a name already
mentioned, fancy Mrs. H. N. Stanley hsr-
anging the voters of Lambeth by such
waddle as she got off when she said
'fou can safely trust Mr.. Stanley; / gave
nm my vote two years ago in Westminster
Abbey and I've never regretted it."
Many of the women beg for votes for
heir hu-bands by q regular house to house
anyAss, and such methods are held here
o be entirely respectable. The press, in
tead of rerrobstipg such q course, takes
hese political women TO its bosom, and
reats them as solemnly as though they
we're part of the constitution. Even pretty
actresses are pressed into service as solicit
ors of votes. One of the papers mentions
Hiss Kate Rorke and Miss Fortescue as be-
ng actively at work for the Tory candi-
late in Westminster. 1.-The Liberals, how
'ver," it adds, ''have two admirable lady
,anvassers in Lady Aberdeen and the
Countess of Carlisle" The actresses one
nay pity, but mi lady and the countess
IRE surely, according to American stand
Irds, as little deserving of pity as of real
Idmiration. But tits "Englisl, you know"
md perhaps there are things in American
politics which would be as severely repro
'sted over here as these and other things
IRE by intelligent people in America