Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-09-01
STUMP SPEAKING UNDER DIFF
FACULTIES.


FACULTIES.
The next speaking-place was one of
the largest IN the division. 1t was
strongly Radical. This was the place
where the candidate had promised me
we would have our heads broken.
If YOU have ever attended a political
meeting at home you will better appre-
ciate how strange to an American must
be political meeting in England. The
object of meeting with us is to give the
candidate and some of his political
friends an opportunity of telling all of
those who care to come and listen what
his party proposes to do, what he pro-
poses to do if he is elected, and to point
out with damning frankness the corrupt
and evil doings of the other party.
Those who do not care to hear this re-
mann away: those who do interpret the
proceedings only by begging the speak
er to let EN- have it, referring by this,
of course, to the corrupt and evil other
party. Any further effort on the part of
the members of the audience to make anti
phonal chorus of the meeting results in
their being elected forcbly and without
sympathy or gloves. The result of this
is THAI seldom any but Republicans at
tend Republican meeting, and only
good Democrats 90 to Democratic meet
ings, and every one departs having
: heard " hat he already knew, and more
hot Aaf.,t
of any testimony to the contrary, that
his candidate and his party are the right
= ones. And he in time votes accordingly,
like good citizen.
-, But the English look at this different
r w. The BrtOn's vote is a very precious
= thing to him, and he wants to know exact
" who is going to get that vote, and why
, he should get it. So he goes to the meeting
at which the candidate is announced ia
n speak and asks him. This is called check.
= ling: it is scotch word, and in Scot
-, land is carried out with the careful aud
= deliberate consideration which marks
Y that people. Sometimes the privilege of
T hecllling is conducted in good faith, but
more frequently it is not. 1t has one
# great advantage. it teaches the unfortun,
ate candidate To think while he is on hi,
u legs, and to keep his wits and his tenn
n per.
If There was a man with Il blue necltie
He was most unpleasant gentleman
! and he rose to ask questions at irregular
:, moments with Il pertInacity of purpose
p, and confident smile which no amour
II of bowling on the part of the good Con
servatives could dISmay.
/ "Mr. -, sir. he would say
o IL ave question would like to put Il
= you, sir. Did you, sir, or did you not
vote for the Impecuniou, School-masters
o. Bill, as presented ON July ,. lS9O;'
p Now it was not at all likely that AN.
'r of the Radicals present ever heard O
~ this bill before or cared two pence abou
t, it if they had, but they saw the fiendis
II purpose of the question and they how
: ed accordingly, Il triumphant, knocking
i howl, quite long and loud enough t
g drown any possible answer in case tn
e. candidate had one to make, and sulliC
y iently exasperating to make him forge
in it if he had. But the candidate wOul
smile easily, and raise his hands implol
or inglv for silence, and then turn his hea
"a over his shoulder with a quick aside t
in his political agent or to one of the othe
r. speakers and whisper tiercely, "Quicl
or look it up; what does the ass mean
e" and then smile encouragingly on til
ct heckler, while the political agent wOul
of thumb over Speakers Handbook an
al whisper back, hidden by the candidate
" u figure: "Introduced by Lord Charine
d. seconded by Paddington; lost on secon
or reading, Ga to If. You voted for it,
3, was a bill to subsidize county schoo
nc teachers" The candidate, who Ia
nd probably been taking tea on the terraC
or when the bill was introduced, and VIII
ny had voted with his party at the division
~ and returned In time to say, 1.-Two lump
IS. please" would smile cheerfully and as
ny the heckler if he would be So good as
sc, repeat his question, which the heckl'
,R Judged was subterfuge TO gain tim
all and would repeat in more TrlumphaI
pc and offensive manner than before.
as "Impecunlous School masters bill
Oh, yes" the candidate would say. I'll