Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-06-15
THE DUTIES OF A wn,e.
HAs Influence Is Greater Than That O
M0Al Cnhlnaf

THE DUTIES OF A WHIP.
AO influence Is Greater Than That Of
Most Cabinet Ministers.
There Is nothing more curious in
English politics than the position of a
successful whip, says the London Spec
tator. He Is as completely unrecog-
nized by the constitution as the cab
met Is and is usually paid either as
patronage secretary to the treasury"
or through some slnecure Office, but he
is, when efficient, one of the most i'm
portant wheels in the political ma
chine. He writes no reports; he ex-
ercises no patronage OF any moment;
he is responsible for no measure, and
he is rarely one OF the speakers re-
lied on by the government. The pub
lie seldom knows anything about him.
and he Is, as a rule. only criticised in
the newspapers when he has made a
blunder: but he has more influence in
shaping the Internal policy of tho
country than any cabinet minister
outside the two or three who really
rule. He is tho true power behind
the throne" and many a project has
been baffied. many a grand programme
drawn up, because a whip has shaken
his head or has urged that on such and
such q matter something must be
DONE"
His business is not merely, as the
public imagines. to warn members Of
important divisions, and SO keep the
party together and enable business to
get on. or even, as Sir William Hay
- la
real masters by persuasive words.
small concessions. pleasant arrange
ments. or whispered promises of polit-
ical or social advancement. He per-
forms those functions. 1t Is true. and Is
lucky II in performing them he does
not become something OF q cynic, and
doubtful OF the perfectibility Of hu-
man nature; but he has a higher func-
ton than that. It is his business to
gather up In intimate conversations
the true sense OF the house Of COM
mons. and especially of his own party
In 1t, to understand why q proposal
Will not go down." to detect the half
formulated wish of a majority, to pen
citrate. In fact. to tnat inner wall which
so often controls the conscious will,
and which Is possessed not only by
most strong individuals, but by all
great corporations. He confides his
opinion to the cabinet. and especially
to the premier. and unless the head of
her majesty's government Is q man Of
very resolute and independent judg-
ment. or the cabinet Possesses within
itself born whip. his report has O
greater weight than almost any speech
or even vote. The first contingency,
which practically reduces the use Of
the whip to the smaller business Of
legislation. 10 not. however, 20 COM
mon as ono would expect, the strong
premier being often aware that he IL
little out Of touch with the average
members. and sometimes distrustine
his own social knowledge. Both
Sir Robert Peel and Lord John
Russell are said to have felt q GER
tain deficiency In this latter respect,
akin, perhaps. to Lord Melbourne's,
who. man Of the world as he was,
could not comprehend why members
cared 30 much about the things they
asked for. The second contingency is
less frequent, but 1t occurs. Lord
Palmerston. for example. always put
In the cabinet. II he could. Mr.. vcr-
non Smith. man whom the public,
and in lesser degree the house. con-
s!dered weil-drcsSed frIbbic. He was
not frlb5!c. by any r,eara. but n
cooi-headch. cb5orvant man OF the
world. With weak Will. but possessed
OF n power walc.l L1.d Paimerston,
who understood men, had carly de-
tected. He had so;Ic faculty In him.
probably based CT sympathy with the
average political mind. which enabled
him to tell almost unoTringly what
the house OF commons was thinking
and would think. and his chief trusted.
and, after his manner. nobiy repaid,
his friends acumen. IN the absence
OF such n man within the cabinet, a
good whip who can be trusted to know
in crisis what the majority think,
what is wanted, possible or impossible
the house at this moment wants i'm
possible. because contradictory, things
in China-is invaluable. and wields n
secret authority which has often seri-