The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-07-19

laws many W kNuAu Nll lu9u NNelE Nu'"'I
as also will many OF thOss who have
moved In during that time. These dis
Advantages the late oVeTn ment had
pledged itself to remOdy, at least meas
urely, bsinre another election came of.
But the zone man one vote cry still
awaits enactment into law, So doHI tha
"Ono day, ono election" promise, and
there arc still great Unequal! Ties In the
making up OF voting lists,
MANY DIsFRAECHEsrp,
Still, likewise, arc large numbers de-
barred from tho franchise bypauperism,
No man can vote az either Q psrli~,
meutary or local election H. during the
year preceding he has drawn from tho
parish tho slightest relief, even though
Ii WSFO no more than q buahsl Of coal
or a loaf or two OF bread, In a country
where 20 many have to 10 helped, this
excludes vast numbers from tho polls,
The workmen loudly protest, and tho
evil will no doubt be abolished in the
course OF time, but 80 far the only Olep
In this direction is that just taken by a
Ppecial parliamentary committee. BY
n majority of one. tho chairman turning
the scale, It was voted 10 recommend
to tho new houae that tho poor laws be
changed 40 ~ Ia make Il possible for
deserving workmen 10 DO helped In
time oil need without losing their votes
as tho penalty. 1t In commonly held
that tho payment Of salaries to mem
bora OF Parliament would contribute to
the electoral euirNnChisement Of the
working classes in this country, but
this Is another Foform which lags, and,
In fact, tho workman, 10 far rs HE cleo
toral privileges arc concerned, is not a
whit better OF to-day, spIte Of the
prominent place no has occupied, and
the many friends who have crowded
about him, than when he camo into
power three years ago upon tho
shoulders OF Mr.. Gladstone. In soHO
other respects he ia far bOttOr oil, but
am treating now simply Of his relation
to tia electorate. The economic aud
social aspects OF his situation will be
considered later.
But English reforms, though they are
slow In coming, do materIallzs in the
process Of years. To DO hopeful for the
future one only needs to recall the past.
Formerly It was the exception for the
workman to have q vote, now il IL TX.
eeptional for him not 10 vote. In place
oil q franchise which excluded vast mul.
titudes for nc reason apparently other
than that they happened to live in agri'
cultural districts, and which only a Tow
yenrs before had also excluded great
massos OF artizans simply because they
did not pay ent to q certain amount
In place o fsuch o franchise as this, that
which IL now In operation conters tho
right 10 vote upon n person in about
six Of the entire population. No free
holder Is without this right, nor IL
scarcely any occupicr OF what in truth
or by courtesy may be termed Il dwell
ing; while, upon certain conditions,
which ought to be mRde easier, the
lodgOr aud tho servant may lind their
way to the polls.
STRINGENT ELECTION LAwS
It 10 surely to the interest Of the work
ing men Of England that tho franchi,o
is so we'll saferuarded against corrup-
ton. Formerly In English elections
money flowed like water, whilO that
which is stronger and moro dangerous
than water ran into tho homes OF tho
people and down Unsuitable English
thraats with tho force aud volume Of a
mountain ireshOL. This is all changed.
More stringent laws could acarcely DO
Devised. Things Ind bopn 40 bnd That
half measures would have been futile,
and II really looks rs though English
politicians, from the way 10 which thoy
have tied their hands In this matter,
had lost all self restraint, and could only
trust themselves alone when, SO to
speak, they had a policeman ut their
heels. Fancy O law which limits q can
dida.o in tho money he may spend.
This, however,, Ia precisely what the
English law does, and 1t carefully pro.
scribes also for what purposes this
amount may be paid out.
1.-THE constituency be a borough, con-
tanning not more than 1908 voters, the
candidate may expend uponit exclusive
OF his personal expenses and the fees Of
tho returning officer, not moro than ST..
40, and an amount not exceeding $3.50
for every additional thousand. In
counties, owing to tho greater distance
to DO covered, 1t lie $500 for the tirHt
1000 votes and 500 for every thousand
beyond. Tho legitimate expHnses Of an
election are defined by the English law
a, follows: Personal expenses OF Il can.
didato, charge Of returning officer, sal-
arios OF one election agent and one sub
agent for each polling place, salaries OF
QUO polling agent, one clerk and n
expenses Of public meetings, cost
Of stationery, printing, advsrtiglng,
postage and hiring Of committee
rooms. In borouRhs tho candidate II
allowed ono committee room for every
live hundred voters aud In counties n
cauttal taum, and QUO In addition for
each polling place. Thus, committee
rooms arc supposed to 10 centres OF
temptation, Which must DO restricted IS
far as possible. In striking aud happy
contrast with how ii used to DO, II Ia
further ordained that none OF these
COMMITTEES rooms shall DO Ia saloons or
In places Of rOiroshmOnL Of any kind.
This II a safeguard agoiusi tho treating
OF possible supporter -nlso, perhaps,
az thinga go Ia thii somewhat hlhutnua
land, a necessary precauti0n against
oyOr indulgence by Jealous political
hUeiorB,
THE ELECTION AOGSL
The Election Agent cuts quito u Zig.
uro in English elections Tho func.
tIonary receives from tho candidate tho
money necessary for legitimate OK.
pNn'Os, aud then a. occasion requires
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