El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-26

right to legislate. and another chamber
which is the most truly responsible to
public opinion of all the legislatures
in the world The house of commons
I is not an ideally democratic institution,
+ but ii is most sensitive to the public
/ will and 1t is chosen under conditions
/ of political purity not approached in
! any other country.
The suffrage in England is not what
/ Americans would consider democratic,
since a complicated system OF property
I qualifications, varying in different sec
I tions is imposed; and since land hold
/ ers may vote in every constituency
( where they own property. The limited
suffrage, which shuts out the very Door
and the plural suffrage, which gives the
+ very rich many votes, as well as the
( fact that the constituencies are ar
Z ranged without due regard TO popuIa-
I ton. constitute the chief faults of the
/ British parliamentary electoral system.
| Corruption Unknown.
! But the corruption and indecent poll
/ tics which disgraces the elections in
many other countries, and in many parts
J or the United States, is almost entirely
/ unknown here. This purity of cleo
tons is secured by what is known as
! the corrupt practices act, an outgrowth
OF the reform bill of 1892, which was
placed on the statute books in 1888,
/ and which has been made even more
stringent by subsequent amendments.
The machinery by which the British
> house OF commons is elected differs al
lsIogether from the political and electoral
machinery Of the United States. but the
means taken to prevent corruption
! might be employed even in America
The $40 members Of the house of COM
mons are elected from constituencies Of
various populations counties, Dor
oughs. cities and universities When a
| DaTliamnn- n Nv
! expiration OF seven years. or when a
/ dissolution IS brought about by the
I death OF the sovereign or by some ex-
traordinary political crisis in which an
appeal to the country forces an cleo
ton. the queer mixture Of ancient usage
and modern methods composing the
! British election system is set to work.
Proclamation OF Election.
The king issues a proclamation on the
day the ministry, tells him 10 do So
! ordering writs for the election OF a new
parliament and fixing a day for the
meeting OF the new legislature Ali the
/ essentials are attended to by the min
( istry. bit the proclamation declares SOL
gemnly that the king has decided he
needs new parliament, that he has
managed the whole business on his own
Z vollrlon When this proclamation Is
( signed. writs are Immediately dispatch
( ed TO the sheriffs, mayors and returning
I y
In the various constituencies.
Candidates have been actively en-
/ gagged in the campaign for several
weeks, usually, when the writs are is
I sued, but they are technically known
+ only as prospective candidates" A
member Of parliament does NOT have
/ 10 live in the constituency which he
represents and. indeed. the majority OF
! the members sit" for some district
/ where they do not reside. Nevertheless.
7 carpet baggers" IN more talk about
carpet baggers" in England all the
time. that phrase having been borrowed
| from America.
! Party Organizations.
The political party organization in the
United States, by which precinct COM
mittees build up to the all powerful
| state and national committees, is wholly
unknown here English politicians have
nothing but scorn for the American sys-
I TEN, which. they say, binds the local
/ COMMITTEES as q slave 10 the national
/ organization Yet. in England. the local
committees ask ne national committee
10 select candidate for them. Imagin
/ the Democratic congressional committee
/ OF the 3rd district of Arkansas asking
national committee for a eongression-
/ al candidate, and tnen tameIy accepting
! an antediluvian New Hampshire Demo-
/ crat brought out of the museum for
| that purpose That is what the Eng
| fish politicians call local freedom OF
party action
Nominations and Polling.
When the writs are Issued each sheriff
or county mayor of a borough or re-
/ turning officer of a division appoints
a day for nominations and another day
Tor polling This may be any time after
| i've days and before 20 days from the
time OF receiving the writ. Each can
dldate must be nominated by a pro-
poser, seconder and eight assentOrs, all
( 10 OF whom must be registered voters
( in the constituency. On the day OF the
/. nominations meeting is held. attended
I by the candidates
The sheriff or returning officer asks
for nominations If only one name is
presented, and the nomination is in prop
er form the sheriff declares that nomi-
nee 10 be duly elected a member OF mar
lament In this fashion. Joseph cham
oeriain. being unoppOSed. was elected
the first member of the new parliament.
/ which will sit on Feb IS
But If there is more than one candi-
date, the sheriff asks for show of
hands, and then the candidates demand a
POLL The poll is ordered for the dav
: previously agreed upon and announced
WITHIN one hour after the nominations
the candidates must deposit with the
sheriff sum, varying from $500 TO
$4,000. according TO the size of the con
SAIUcHCy- u secure the payment of the
/ expenses Of holding the election. All
the expenses must be paid by the can
didates on bill presented by the sher
III or other returning officers On the
day these nominations are made the no.
nticai party committees suspend actfv-
tiles and by formal resolution declare
themselves nonexistent After the cleo
ton they are reorganized
Member May Be Unseated
But the successful candidates seat Is
not assured. He is elected and NAV
take his seat, but if every provision
or the corrupt practices act has not been
met. then a petition may be started
wherein number of electors NAV al
lege violations Of the act. II the ale
cations are Substantiated the member
is unseated and is rendered incapable
OF holding any office for the term cf
seven years. and he may be further fined
or punished.
The corrupt practice act limits the
amount OF money a candidate may
spend in his campaign. limits specificai-
" the things for which fhiS r,,oDav nav