The morning call., 1892-05-22

be considered, for they we're great SHOUT
ing power on nomination day, VI course,
there we're differences in the degree OF
honor which a constituency eonfers. The
county member Is always an inch or two
taller than the manufacturer who repre-
sents a borough. The county member
talks fOndly OF associations with the county
gentry. who may mostly be dull noodles,
but yet are aristocratic from the fact that
they have broad acres and have pedigree
in the peerage books. The member from
manufacturing town may often have more
money, but his respeetabllity Is not ready
made, and BE has to make his way IN Par
iiamentary circles and in society. a uni
YeTsity member is presumed to be learned,
and sometimes he is. Mr.. Gladstone was
proud of representing Oxford, and be lost
ii because he Was latterly not agreeable 10
the clergy. Oxford and Cambridge TODAY
return men of DO mark IN learning Win
one exception. The constituency IS TOO
largely clerical to accept great man VINO IS
independent.
THE MODERN CANDIDATE.
By having one member constituencies, as
is now mostly the case. the snODblsn dis
tjncton between the county and the Dor
ough members is virtually abolished. Inc
democracy is as powerful ID the county as
in the borough by the practical equalization
of the franchise. a farm labOrer has vote
as well as the city mechanic, and Spurns the
parsons advice on how to use II. The cleo
lion agent is not necessarily lawyer, emil
nently sagacious in electioneering tricks.
lie is usually a species Of clerk, who, for
moderate salary, looks after registration In
his district for the Liberal party or the Con-
seryatiye party, as the case may be, and 10
IS perhaps a matter OF indifference to him
who is selected candidate. A candidate only
selects a personal agent when an election is
imminent. so that he may concentrate all
responsibility on him, especially IN the mat
ter If expenditure. The law very strictly
limits the outlay OF a candidate. II the bill
runs much over a thousand pounds bis seat
is in danger, should an inquiry be held. 1t
need not 60 much over a hundred or two.
There are only the necessary expenses 10
pay in providing polling places, polling
clerks and judges, printing, etc OF all this
the candidates have TO pay their share
equally appOrtiOned. The time-dishonoTed
hustingS, the traditional scene of lively
rows, are now in the limbo or the past
Formerly nominations were made from these
temporary platforms. The seats were filed
with the friends OF the candidates ana IN
front s,O0d a few thousand spectators,
WHO were addressed quite accurately as
electors and non-electOrS.' The SherlH or
the Mayor. as the case might be, listened to
the haraDgues of The candidates, and Of the
movers, SecOndeTs aud supporters, and
called for a show of hands, which ire
QuentlY ended in a shower Of stones ana an
Uuseemly mixture Of yelling and cheering
The Sheriff or Mayor gave his opinion as 10
which side had the show OF hands, and then
the losing side demanded q poll, and poll
ing-day was accordingly fixed. All this is
changed to-day. Nominations are made by
the mover and secOnder on given day,
quietly going TO the SheTh's or Mayors
office and filing up in due form nomina-
ton paper Ii is as quiet transaction as
buying a book over counter. Shonld there
be no contest the Sheriff or Mayor declares
the candidate duly elected, and the election
Is thus over IN minute or TWO 1ulS also
might be the case in the days OF hustlngs,
but much has been saved by the abolition Of
that nuisance. Candidates must dOubly be
grateful for they ofton Toared themselves
hOaTSe IN a vain effort TO impress the Seeth-
ing mass Of bTaWers beneath. who an
SWered everything with yells and Jeers, and
might be considered merciful aud decent If
they did not pelt all concerned with rotten
eggs or puJrid potatoes.
THE SECRET BALLOT.
The polling also is blissfully altered for
the better 1t Is secret and silent Former
ly it was open and riot0usly turbulent Cor
Tupt agencies directed everything formerly,
and Just before the hour OF closing lie polls
there was eager competition for the balanc-
ing votes If the result was at all doubtful.
At present the voter is alone with the eiec-
ton officers, and nobody can tell how lie
votes. If he is guided by party agent that
agent is outside the polling building. All
that the party agent does as a rule is TO
Obuge the voter with his number on the
register, thing be might ascertain for him
self without consulting any one. The agent
lots him down as On his side just because be
has comet to him for this little service or he
may ask him how ne VIII vote, or IN other
words, canvass nim. But the fact remains
that the voter can do Just as he pleases.
When he enters the polling booth or box he
is asked bis number, and then asked if MS
name IS sO-aud-sO and his residence so-and-
so, as described IN the register. Then lie
crosses unobseTved his ballot for the one
or two candidates he supports, folds il
and drops il into a glass box. TIE secrecy
is complete If he holds his tongue 1t used
to be said that this was a very un-Euglish
method of voting. Generally everything is
un-EDglish which involves a change. But
it is assuredly a fact that 10 one would
! think to-day OF going back to the old
metD0dS, under when so much dishonesty
was practced with impunity. Frauds are
impossible as long as the election officials
are honest, and Of this there has thus far
been no occasion to doubt. Whatever mani
festatiOns there are outside the polling
places, there can be none inside except with
the direct cOnnlyance and cooperation Of
the judges, and this has not happened. As
soon as the hour Of closing the poll has ar
rived the ballOt-b boxes are sealed, together
with all the papers certifying u the number
Of voters aud giving other information OF
Yeyed by policemen in cabs to the head
quarters, where the counting is 10 be con-
Quoted. Usually the counting is over in
few hours and the poll declared at
once, but in counties, and sometimes
in bOroughs, the counting is not
ing the election. In due course the
Mayor or Sheriff., as returning officer, GER
titles TO the election OF the successful candi-
date, and forwards the document to the
Crown Office, whence the writs are issued
for new Parliament. In due course also
the expenses incurred by the candidate are
publicly advertised in the newspapers, aud
the public know TO a farthing how much
the honor he sought has cost him.
ELECTION EXPENSES.
As compared with the rotten days OF
old, seal in the House Of Commons
is dirt cheap and is lightly borne by
tile wealthy aspirant TO Parliamentary
these expenses will be thrown upon
the local rates or the imperial taxes in
order that 20 circumstance OF expense shall
stand IN the way OF men OF ability who are
poor being returned. With this question
viii come up the larger one Of Temunerat-
ing members. No poor man can afford to
60 TO Parliament, he can earn nothing
there unless he acts as a correspondent for
the press OF gets appointed on a royal CON-
mission or serves as a dummy gUinea-pig
on boards OF directors. Is it right thEt
members should 10y the effect of the existing
system be drawn almost exclusively from
the ranks Of the wealthy? There are a few
members who are paid small incomes Of
from 600 to 95o0 by trades organizations,
and very able members they have proved.
With the payment Of salaries all this in
Vidious distinction would cease. Probably
the next Parliament will settle the question
at present IL is one of hardship to the IiiSh
members. They are threatened with con-
tests in all the Irish constituencies by the
Conservatives and Liberal Unionists The
Conservatives and Liberal UniOnists Will
not carry one seat unless the Nationalist
are divided among themselves. but the effect
Of contest, even if hopeless, Is to increase