Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1899-07-15
THE DUTIES OF A WIKI.
HI Influence II Greater Than Thso ~
Most Cabinet Ministers.

There Ii nothing more curious In
English politics than the position OF
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 sinecure 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 rule. only criticised in
the newspapers when he has made a
blunder: but he has more influence in
shaping the internal policy OF the
country than any cabinet minister
outside the two or three who really
rule. He is the true power behind
the throne" and many project has
been baffied. many a grand programme
drawn up. because whip has shaken
his head or has urged that on such and
such 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
ter once defined il. to conciliate the
real masters by persuasive words.
small concessions, pleasant arrange
ments, or whispered promises OF polit-
ical or social advancement He per-
forms those functions. il is true, and is
lucky II in performing them he does
not become something of cynic. and
doubtful of the perfeetibility OF hui
man nature; but he has higher func-
ton than that. II 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 a proposal
will not go down." to detect the half
/ formulated wish of majority. to pen
citrate, in tactic that 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 confdes his
opinion to the cabinet. and especially
20 the premier, and unless the head o,
her majesty's government is a man OF
very resolute and inde-endent judy
ment, or the cabinet possesses within
itself born whip. his report has q
! 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, is not, however. so com.
mon as one would expect. the strons
premier being often aware that he Il
| little out of touch with the average
members. and sometimes distrustins
his own social knowledge Boil
Sir Robert Peel and Lord Johr
Russell are said to have felt a 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 so much about the things the,
| 0shSu ioi- uS sctOnA CONTINGENCY II
less frequent. but il occurs. Lore
Palmerston, for example. always pu
in the cabinet, if he could, Mr.. Yer
non Smith. man whom the public
and in lesser degree the house. con
sidered a well-dressed fribble. He wa
not a fribble, by any means, but
cool-headed, obseryant man of tn,
world, with weak will. but possesse.
OF power which Lord Palmerston
who understood men. had early de
tecsed. He had some faculty in him
probably based on sympathy with tn
average political mind. which enable,
him to tell almost unerringly wha
the house Of commons was thinkin
and would think, and his chief trusted
and, after his manner. nobly repaid
his friends acumen. In the absenc
OF such man within the cabinet.
good whip who can be trusted to kno,
in crisis what the majority think
what is wanted, possible or impossible
| the house at this moment wants i'm
possible. because contradictory. thing
in China-is invaluable, and Yields
secret authority which has often seri
Gus effects upon the course OF events