Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-07
ELECTIONS IN ENGLAND.
They Are More Brutal and More Elk.
pensive Than Our Own.

They Are More Brutal and More Elk.
pensive Than Our Own.
Henry Cabot Lodge In Harper's Weekly.
The practice Of .pelting q candidate and
the ladies who accompany him, according
to the English custom, Is apparently a COM
mon diversion in the English elections. Sir
William and Lady Harcourt were pelted at
Derby. and saw many illusions to similar
Instances. There Is no need however, Of
multiplying examples.
Mr.. Benn, who was running in one of the
London divisions, was attacked by his op-
ponents because his insane brother had in
a At of madness, killed their father Even
in the politics of "our violent people, a
charge Of this sort for political purposes
would. 1 think, be, considered cruel.
AS to the point of illegal practices at the
registrations and elections, I found that
they were not unknown in England. In
Durham, where the seat was won by one
vote, it appeared that the name of a man
who was In jail at the time had been voted
upon, and it was freely charged that the
for the same purpose. This election, be-
heve, was to be contested. / saw it stated
in the Times that man was charged with
personating at Birkenhead, and from sin
gle issue of the same newspaper l take the
following cases:
At Hartlepool, where the question of pre-
senttng petition against the return of the
untonist candidate was considered, the ale
cations referred to the distribution of free
drinks and other Illegal practices
In the Litchtield division of Staffordshire
1t was decided to present petition against
the return Of Mr.. Fulford. and counsel were
OF the opinion that there was ample evil
dence Of corrupt and illegal practices
In the Falktrk Burghs petition was de-
cided upon against the return of Mr. John
Wilson on the ground of alleged bribery by
the unjOniSt agent
The corrupt-practices act In England
fixes the maximum amount which each
candidate can spend in each division Of the
united kingdom. The candidates are re-
quired by law to make return of all their
expenses, and these returns are published
officially. In 1892 the official returns show
that there We're go seats and .3O7 candi-
dates. Fifty-six seats were uncontested.
and the expenses therefore, in those cases
were little or nothing. The official returns
include all the seats, although, of course If
these hfty-six seats were deducted it would
increase the average expenditure for the
others. The 1907 candidates in 1892 spent
in round numbers, 81. 732, $780, including the
returning officers charges, and 81. sos. $50
exclusive or the returning officers charges;
that is, for purely political purposes The
total number Of votes polled was 46O5 Az
ana amount of money spent per vote was 4
snllings penny, or just about 81 head.
On that basis we were entitled, II we fol-
lowed the English example Of moderat ton
In election expenditures, to have spent in
the last presidential campaign $12, 1874, So
AS matter of fact. there has never been
campaign in which the national commit
tees OF the two great American parties
have spent between them 81, 600. Allow
ing, however S,000,0tD to the two national
committees. and $2.O0o,00O more TO cover ali
mat Is spent, In addition outside the two
great committees we have S5OOOOOo for
the expenditures Of ar American presi-
Dental election. This Is an excessive estf-
mate. for most Of the money of the nation
al committees Is sent to the poorer states
and congressional districts, in very few of
which. indeed. candidates are to be found
who can afford anything like the average
expenditure of an English division. TAX
!Eg' then, $o,on,0Oo as the expenditure of
the presidential election, we find that it is
just about the amount actually spent at a
general election in England, and only half
what We should be entitled to spend if we
turns per vote as our standard of expendi-
tires. f