The sun., 1908-05-03
OUIZZING THE CANDIDATES
HUMOR or HECkLING IN SCOT
TISH CAUPiIGNS.

Worrying Asplrants for Parliamentary or
Municipal HOnOrs Sir Henry Camp
bell.RannermAn's Method OF Answer
Ing Querles--Mr Bryce an Adept
For his pawky humor and ready wit the
Scot, whether at home or abroad, has
reputation all his own. But II is when
he Is "heckling, which is the Scottish term
for rOss-questiOning, a candidate TOT
parliamentary or municipal honors that he
shines as humorist, says the London
Ddiiv Mail, and when the mother rwut
comes readiest to his lips.
The Scottish "heCkler' dearly l0yes an
opportunity for putting the candidate
through the mill, az he calls the process
Of interrogation, and the villa ge politicians
Of Kincardineshire, where the by-election
$ now in full sEipg, a's s'.!ing on the
Ichance Of firing Oh questions which have
done yeOman service in many former con-
tests
There are different sorts Of -hecklers,
but they are all animated by the same
desire-to corner the candidate II possible
There ia the man who submits his questions
on paper and patiently waits to have them
answered. and there is the man who prefers
to put them categorically and in as defiant
a tone as he can command. Then there is
the man who has pet subject regarding
which he puts a question on every available
occasion and the nature Of which is known
to everybody. so often has it been repeated.
There Is the Socialist who Is an inveterate
"heck ler," and lastly there Is the man who
always tries to put questions but cannot
make himself understood. He is regarded
az bore and is treated as such. But the
man who is al good "heckler' and humorist
besides is always sure 10 get hearing.
Sir Henry Campbell -Bannerman was an
adept at handling the 'heokler' in the
Stirling burghs, which he represented for
80 many years. As rule the eX-Premier
with his good humored repartee scored
over the man who tried to pot him, and
needless to say Sir Henry never answered
any question incautiously
Would you 'misppen' your constitu-
ency Il appointed TO Officer was a question
which was put 10 him on one occasion when
there was a prospect Of new Government
being formed Assuming that the inquisi-
tive elector desired TO know II hewas likely
10 be Under Secretary OF War, Sir Henry
slyly answered; 1t will depend first OF
all upon the constituencies Of the country
whether they return a political majority;
and then upon her Majesty the Queen
whether she will ask the Liberal leaders
10 form a Government. then upon the
Liberal leaders whether they will consider
me worthy Of being taken into the Gov
ernment, and then upon myself whether
will consider il worth my while TO go in
No member Of Parliament ever faced
the Scottish 'heckler" with so much equa-
nimity as did Mr.. Bryce (now the British
Ambassador at Washington) when he was
presentadve for South Aberdeen. He
was equal TO every assault, no matter
whether it was frontal attack or flank
movement, he was always ready with the
soft answer which turned away wrath
with the reply which was no answer TO the
ouestioner, OF with the sally which covered
his interogator with confusion, former
Speaker Of the House Of Commons once
described Mr.. Bryce as 3 walking en-
cycloredia, and that epigram was neyel
! SO we'll illustrated as when he was undel
the fire Of the northern "heckler. IL
always knew a great deal more than tht
! man who had the temerity 10 put poser
| 10 him The Socialists we're especially
fond Of hsr-ying MIR. Bryce on social anC
economic problems. He was never dis
comfted aud they were never satisfied
except perhaps once. On that occasion
a self-possessed youth Of the red tie ordel
seriously and pointedly put thls question
is Master Bryce-in favor-o' the aboli
tion-of poverty?' Mr.. Bryce was quickly
on his feet. and with gesture as II he haC