El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-01

candidate for parliament Is held to be
responsible personally for the conduct
of his political campaign. every sup
porter is regarded in the eyes OF the
law as an agent of the candidate, and
the principal is responsible for the acts
Of his agents.
Again taking the case of Mr.. Burns
ii is interesting TO note that his siren
uous hOuse-tO-house canvass and his
arduous speaging campaign, followed by
his triumphant election, would have
prOfited him nothing if any one of his
: supporters so have so much as pur-
chased a glass of beer with the intent
to influence a voter in his behalf It
would have made no difference whether
Mr.. Burns kne, of the purchase Of
the beer or not, or whether he ever
/ had seen his enthusiastic PARTISAN in
all his life. The penalty would have
been the same. and Mr.. Burns would
have lost his seat.
After the recent election in which
the Liberal party was returned TO DOW
er by the narrOwes of margins, only
two members returned were unseated
on account of election irregularities
They were both Liberals. and their
votes were sorely needed by the gov
eminent. Both were unseated for acts
OF their agents. and the election court
expressly eXculpated both of them
from any knowledge of, or participation
il, corrupt or illegal practice. But
the penalty Was visited upon them lust
the same.
candidate may not have the use
OF brass band, he may not furnish
distinctive badges to his followers. he
may not swing banner across the
street or from a building, although he
may make the freest possible use Of
posters. He must not treat. since a,
campaign cigar or an electioneering
glass of beer will deprive him of the
right to sit in parliament He NAV not
use hired vehicles to transport voters
TO the poles, although he NAV use as
many private carriages and motors as
his friends will give him. One of the
men unseated after the last election
was found guilty on account Of the act
or an agent, Of furnishing hired motor
cars to take voters to the polls The
other committed the heinous offense
of furnishing lunch to a party of miners
who had come down to cast their votes
That politics may have nothing avhatev-
er 70 to do with the hearing Of judgments
on election cases, the courts have the
power in the premises to unseat elected
members of parliament upon petition
and proof of corrupt or Illegal prac-
tees Therefore the spectacle of I'M
seating minority members for the ex-
press purpose Of strengthening the ma
1ority. more than once Witnessed I'm the
United States house of representatives.
would be impossible in England.
Each candidate must appoint an ell
ection agent, who is the manager of
his campaign, and through whom all
campaign expenses must be paid. The
tied by law on graduated scale
in proportion to the number of req
istered votes, and complete nubIi-
city in detail must be given Immediate
" after the election. The law is mar
ticuiarly strict in the matter of lin
iting campaign expenditures. both as to
amount and purposes. but because the
candidates pay for holding the cleo
tions. the actual, expense is on an ay
erase higher than in congressional cam
paigns in America.
Politics. Must BE Clean.
The purity of British political cam
paign Is due in large part 70 the
wholesome fear of the penalties of III
corrupt practices act Candidates and
their friends constantly warn their fol-
lowers against any act which might
be construed as a violation Of the law
Respectable candidates never wink at
questionable procedure on the mart
Of their supporters, as sometimes
happens in America. The law is
so stringent, and is enforced go re-
lentlessly, that every man. of whatever
party or position, must respect II
It is an odd contradiction. but If 10
a fact that this straight-Iaced system
Sometimes actually works to the dis
advantage of popular government
This is eXemplified in the mater of
furnishing free transportation to vot
ers. Since motor cars have become
common. the conservative candidate al
ways has Il great number of machines
at his disposal, because people who
can afford motor cars usually are Tor
les. The Liberal candidate is prevent
ed by law from hiring public convey
ances, and therefore the Liberal voters
must walk. while the Tories ride As
the conservatives also have the vast
ma jority of plural voters on their side
and as the free motor car enables prom
erty owners to fit from one polling
place to another, the automobile oues
ton bids fair to become a serious
problem in political campaigning-es-
pecAally for the radicals.
Reformation Needed.
The electoral system in England