New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-21
ELECTION COURTSHIP.
Hoe Constituencies Are Wooed in
England and What ItsCostS.
LONDON. January s.

rate that is now witnessed in the CIlteo hiiIe
dom Most of it is done by proxy Inc iocsA
caucus arranges the proposal after the suiloi
el,pthilitv has been considered. The headquar-
tiers staff In London conducts the courtshlp cur
resoondence with the help of printer, illustrator
and Ywpewriter Morning. and evening the
rostman's bag is filed with leaflets songs ao-
dresses, cantons, pamphlets. statistics ana Pc
Ittical souibs Posters of varAegaIed hue9
are on every available wall and boarding; hoho-
s-aphs Of The candidates face are In shop WIN
tiows. the district is painted red with ms Maine
IN big block lettering, and tags OF oosseIel anu
,,,anv p bonne bouche of sentiment 90 WIN IleSe
political valentines If the sutton De shy 7ii~
reticent. gifted speakers trimming over with
r,,roo,a+t1,e eIoouence are deputed to plead his
cause and 10 let the electors know how sturdy
. ,bsr,rion Of party principle he is and how
.-nlden is his silence. If he be LOUD and iooua-
cious. the election agent hovers about MIN IKE
q vigIlant chaperon 10 pull his coattaA or 10
rrample on his toes. If he be so indlscree' as
70 say the right thing to the wrong person
Tzvervthing is prearranged, caucus mace ana
machine directed. There are neither picturesque
incidents nor romantic touches. rollicking
humors in modern electioneering 1t is a ousi-
ressike canvass. without sentiment or practical
soking.
Contrast, for example, the methods OF canvass
spr IN +re old DAYS and in the new. Before the
caucus took all the romance out Of personal So
rsci+ation for votes the candidate, with flowers IN
his buttonhole and scent on his hanokercnlel'
used TO go from house TO mouse pa! ms
pretty compliments and kissing the pSDles' anu
the mother and daughters as well and even lhe
houseuaid who opened the door for him Ihose
were the days when the fair Ladies NaIdegraNe'
whom Sir Joshua painted, coa1eo by ther
smiles and coquetries reluctant voters to change
sides and when the beautiful Duchess OF lev
onsbtre bribed by her kisses the butchers and
mechanics of Westminster 10 support Fox. Per
sonal canvassing remains, for 1t has not been
included bv statute among corrupt practices;
hut the DAYS Of gaIlantry have passed Ihe
candidate now visits the factories 81 the
luncheon hour and shakes hands all around Win
the workers; or he makes the rounds Of the ten
ernents with hirelngs at his heels loaded up
with political literature from London Even d
veteran like Mr.. Chaplin drives through sea
ford in a motor car with his daughters, VS.
countess Castlereagh and Miss Chaplin, 70 looh
after him The time was when he would have
s-one from house TO house, kissing all the
women and bidding them see TO It that their
husbands and brothers voted straight Inc
canvassng of houses and shops by women con-
rinues but It is sorry travesry OF olotlIae eec-
pioneering. They have printed lists OF addresses
and hustle about industriously, and unless they
have handsome walking suits and feaAheFs III
their hats they may be taken for parish visitors
Their utility ceases when they drop into politics
and draw the line between protection and free
trade for tradesmen and wOrkngmen attend
political meetings of both parties and know
more about such matters than they do them
selves They have ceased TO be Tonlanlc ngures
when they are driving about in motor cars OF
tramping from door TO door exposing themselves
to whooping cough and measles They are stage
properties like the gaudy posters, and help to
advertise the candidates stock in trade. a ser
viceabIe body Of good looking canvassers Is an
essential part Of his political outfit, like the
front line Of local worthless on the platform or
annie RELAYS OF vehicles on polling day.
The huuors Of oIdJime eIectioneering have
vanished with the romance. Candidates are no
longer expected 10 buy a cabbage for ID or
zn old almanac for 10 guineas; nor do elect
ors get E SOW for penny or a farmhouse for
half a crown. The old fashioned devices for
eoncealing bribery are forgotten, ike the pocket
ooroughs or the golden pills taken after election
IN the reign of George III. The musings where
candidates were forced 10 face for hours mob
Of uractical 1okers disappeared over thirty years
ago when the Ballot act was passed; but while
II stood there was fun at the fair. Each sutton
for popular favor was compelled TO recruit
locdyguard Of hundreds of jewellers. who would
protect him from showers Of stones and cab
baEes and howl down the rival as often as he
ATTEMPTED 10 speak, and a rollicking time they
had for their employers money Those were the
Piczwic}ian polling days. when stagecoaches
broke down nlyst erioUsly il quagInires half way
from London: when voters were kidnapped and
chained to trees in clearinEs Of forest. and when
bands Of rescucrs carried in triumph 70 the hust-
Engs unfortunate citizens who had been shut UP
in chicken coops or locked up IN their bedrooms
without a stitch Of clothing An election is
longer q sa1urnaIia Of horseplay and practical
Joking. Guying heckltng candidate at q
mass meeting is not very lively sport and there
is no other recreation until the ballots are
counted and the winners are free to Shout. There
are no street professions with banners and brass
bands: there IS SO little excitement even the
polling day that stranger would not know
that anything unusual was going on. After all
The jolHty and mad rioting of old times the
English might now be said TO take their election
pleasures sadly were it not for the boisterous
singing OF campaign songs at political meetings
These are sung with remarkable zest and spirit,
especially IN Yorkshire. Lancashire and the Mid
lands, where voices are trained for the great
musical festivals. If either party can sing It
self into political power this month it viii be the
Liberal Free Trade coalition for It has the
swinging choruses and the more roIlicking verse
Carriages have always played q great part IN
English elections. When candidates were
slected 10 pay all the expenses OF the canvass
even Il they were forced 10 mortgage their es-
tetes and TO sell their family heirlooms the vot-
ers insisted upon driving 10 the hastings in
luxurious coaches. Otherwise. they We're not 10
be whipped in IS supporters Of the buff or Of the
blue. The candidates livery bills in a northern
county ranged from $4,000 10 $4,000 and his
hurnblest Followers had the satisfaction Of ca
reering through the country like lords for once