Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-07

are able to ascertain the Views Of their
men by nomination papers" which
Just before All election-are handed
around to every one. While these nom
nation forms are not of course count
Cd as official votes. they are sure in
dication of the attitude of mind of the
Individual voter. If he refuses to sign
the form it Is taken as an indication
that he is hostile, and men are often
'aropped' for refusal to sign. During
- election at Whftby, in 1905 a labor
CT on large farm was fired because
he came to dinner wearing tie of the
wrong" color. The discharge of men
three or four weeks after an election
usually for some trifing cause-is one
of the most ordinary events in political
"shake-ups" In England.
ANOTHER SCHEME.
w. ]. Fisher, Liberal ex-candidate for
Canterbury, recently called attention to
q form OF voteforcing employed In that
city two years ago In a letter publish
ed in the Independent Review he says:
under the pretenSe of saving their
men time and trouble it is frequently
made an excuse by large firms to con-
vey their work people to the poll with
every circumstance of display on be-
half or particular candidate-clearly a
form of intimidation. l have myself
witnessed the spectacle of work people
being driven to the poll by their en-
ployers in vans and cars decorated
with the party colors and the portrait
OF the candidate favored by the firm"
MORAL SuASIoN."
Landowners and their agents often
serve their tenants with election notices
il they ascertain that the latter are
voting the wrong way. AS most Of
the great landowners in England be-
lf,fNfp To l,S
form OF moral suasion" Is INDUCED IN
more frequently by Tories than by LIB
erals, though both parties freely resort
to the tactics of ground batting" and
other lodges already mentioned
In order to raise the funds required
for carrying on general election both
parties promise .'honors' of various
kinds to generous contributors to party
funds, and the sale Of knighthoods and
other titles is VIGOROUSLY a part ot
this system Though the present Lib
eral government when it first Went into
power made a strenuous attack on the
house of lords, it recently has come to
light that the Liberals created more
peers--that is, conferred honorary titles
In exchange for contributions to party
funds--than did the previous govern
ment of Conservatives or Tories. To
obtain a knighthood in England the
simplest way is by way of heavy con-
tribution to party funds 1t Is esti-
mated that one may obtain a title any
where from $4,000 up"
AGITATION COMING.
Fl. c. Lea. n. r.. ha. called the at
tention OF the house of commons sev-
eral times to this '.scandalous barter of
honors in England; and before long
there will be a big agitation against
this way of raising election funds.
Even though this agitation should be
raised. however. 1t does not follow that
this form of corruption will cease. The
giving Of pounds for peerages'' is now
recognized as one of the easiest ways
OF getting into the nobility of England,
which. IN consequence, has lost nearly
all It's old-time eSclusiVencss.
All things considered. it is about
time for England to cease boasting Of
lis immaculate political rectltude. Com
pared to American elections the Eng
lish are quite as open to criticism. and
It might be well for John Bull to cast
an inward eye upon his own doinss
before holding up to obloauy the mis-
deeds of his political Brother iona than.
". 3. NoRTHRoP.