New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-06
JOHN BULL AT THE POLLS.
ODDITIES OF PARLIAMENTARY Flee
TIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE
ROLE PLAYED BY THE CAMPAIGN
FUND - FEATURES PORTRAYED
IN THE FICKWICK PAPERS"
NOW MERE MEMORIES.


During the forthcoming week the attention
of the entire country will be centred upon the
elections taking place throughout the Union
and those who may happen to be indifferent 10
the purely political features and Nationai ISSUES
OF the contest will be prompted by motiVes Vi
sport to manifest an interest in the result OF
the struggle. For next to sood hofserace
do not think that there is anything IN ths
world that appC ais SO powerfully to the inmate
spcrting instincts o. the lish-speakins race
on both sides If the Atlantic as hotiy lous"'
political election In spite OF all mat mas pee"
said and written to the contrary theIe u "
good deal Of analogy between elections III '"e
United States and elections in Great BRITAIN
The liquor vote plays as great a role there dr.
4: does here Notwithstanding the 1Inerous en-
ac,ments against bribery and the English
tendency to denounce the terrible corrup'','
., American politics." there is just as much
money. and possibly more, spent IN queS'''"-
OHIO manner at British Parliamentary cleo
ton as in contests of the same character IL
the United States.
II there is any difference that sflouiu o'
tcmnted TO note between Parliamentary eiec-
49,. - r,rc,and and those in America, ii is that
possibly in consequence of the superior l'''e'-
,., oa,ibre and educational status OF the
American voter he accords more importance ~
.ba iesuas az stake than to the candidate Inc
ro,orca is as a general rule, the case IN rre"'
britain There the personality OF the cahu'u"'e
g rko1v to plav the principal role in a Iarila-
,ontarv contest and even in constituencies 'hd'
oro ernnosed to be Radical member OF any vi
tho old county families processing the "os'
b;dc-bound and ultra Tory opinions s'ahos
halter chance of winning the game IMAM d
clover exponent and champion or hadlcai Pi'h
cinles not native of the district VINO MAY
banpen to have been selected by the maiaee's
Of the Liberal party to run for the seat i"
fact there are some boroughs IN England oco'-
land and Wales in which there is almost ho
connection. although the inhabitants Vi '"o
Mace are known to entertain pollticaI oP''''o"9
diametricaily opposed to those OF the' 'ep''
sentatives in Parliament ASKED why 'heS
voted for him. they Will tell you "Weii' we nave
voted for the family for three centuries
What reply can one make to arguments suoi'
as these? People Of this kind are proud Of 'he'f
county families and of the latter's luxury ana
successes They identify themselves W'th 'he
squire or with the territorial maenate VINO mas
owned the land abodt The place for generations
They mourn when ne mourns, and they reJolce
when he rejoices. Thus, it is on record that
when Henry Chaplin won the Derby III
40 with Thormanby, he Immediately tee
,raphed to mis- constituents at Falkirk, Thor
manly has won" Half hour later he re-
ceiyed a dispatch to the effect that "Falkrk
to a man is drunk
While this attachment on the part OF the
masses to those who may be described as the
old-fime lords OF the soil plays prominent
mart in electoral contests in the rural districts
where the voters have from time immemoria
belonged to the county, the purse Of the candl-
date is a strong factor. perhaps the most power
full Of all IN the casc Of urban and manufacture
ing constituencies the population Of which Is
for the most part not Indigenous Save in eX
ceptionaI instances where the poorer OF the tW'
candidates IS able to bring a name revered anc
admired ia bear against the money OF ms al
vcrsarv il is the man with the longest purse
VINO usually secures return to Parliament ahC
cases such as that Of Herbert Gladstone defeat
ing he late Colonel North, the sc-called mi
trate King" and multi millionaire. at Leeds, are
few and far between. "Coloner' North on that
occasion snent a fortune in endeavoring to OBJ
tain the GROWING ambition Of his checkerod
life namely membership Of Parliament for al
important city such as Leeds But his munih-
cenco was so coarse and 50 vulgar and his refer
enoes to his recent stay at Sandringham as tho
gueet Of the Prince Of Wales for the Eaters
animal horse sac SO offensive and preposterous
as TO excite the ridicule even Of those whose
nockets were filled with his money and whose
heads were mudded by his champagne when
flowed literally Ike water while the election
lasted SO that Herbert Gladstone, thanks &c
his quiet ways and, above all. to the honored
p(H \