Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-01
Things You Want to Know

A political campaign in Great Britain is
shorter, more intense, less complicated and
very much more interesting in its spectac-
ular features than similar contests in the
United States. Political issues are com
plicated when one party insists that one
thing is paramount, and the other is edu-
ally certain that something else must be
done to save the country. But the issues
always are national and never are COM
plicated by the introduction Of extraneous
local problems. Nationally, Great Britain
settles all its political affairs in the par
llamentary elections. Americans choose
college Of electors to select their chief ex-
ecutive; they elect house of representa-
tives by direct ballot; they choose the mem
bers OF the state legislature, who in turn
will send some man 70 the United States
senate; and in each one OF these threH
elections different problems are presented,
and different men attempt TO solve theih
in different ways. To this is added the con-
fusion OF county and city politics, with
the result that the voters In the United
States do not WELD nearly so much power
as those OF Great Britain.
Because of the superior power Of the
British voter, the individual elector lie
given moro consideration by British poll
ticials than is the American citizen. For
that reason what is a"campaign" in the
United States is a canvas" In England
The parliamentary candidates must inter-
view personally as many voters as possible
while members OF his family and his
friends, especially women, must see the
ones he cannot reach. The house-to-house
canvas is q feature OF both urban and
rural politics.
Take for instance the case OF Mr.. John
Burns the labor member of the Asquith
cabinet In the January campaign he was
expected not only to contribute his share
of work as a member OF the cabinet to the
national liberal campaign, but he also had
to make his house-to-house canvas Of Bat
tersea the London constituency which
often has returned him to Parliament. 1t
was in Battersea that young Burns started
out in life as a factory worker, and he still
lives among his own people and apparently
is not spoiled by his comparatively large
salary Of $4,000 a year. 1t was physically
impossible for him TO see all Of the voters
Of his constituency, but he went from house
to house, and from street to street. and per-
sonally asked for the votes Of the majority
of the electors in the division. In addition
to this he made speeches every night dur
ing the last week of the campaign.
The significance OF all this is that, al
though q member Of the cabinet and one
Of the most prominent political leaders of
the country, he had no political organiza-
ton upon which he could depend for the
active electioneering in his home district.
Party caucuses may select candidates in
| England, but there is no machinery for
getting out the vote except the traditional
canvass which must be undertaken by each
| aspirant personally.
When the day Of election arrives, each
voter is given the privilege Of choosing be-
tween two candidates for Parliament-in
exceptional cases there may be three or
four--but he is not called upon to express
his choice at the same time for sheriff,
court clerk or coroner. There is no OPP
portunity to swap off the head of the
ticket for the benefit of the tail This
in itself obviates complications and cor
ruptlons all too common in America
The Englishman's sportsmanlike notions
| Of fair play prevent attempts at ballot-box
stuffing and false counting. These are
! forms OF corruption never known to any
great extent in England, and certainly not
since the introduction OF the ballot system
Of voting In the corrupt days of British
politics bribery and intimidation were re-
sorted to as the means or corruptlng the
electorate. The stringent corrupt practices
| act OF 1888, with its amendments, has put
an end to bribery Of all sorts, and to in
timldation, except that subtle and intangi-
BILE coercing which an employer or a land
| lord may be able to use A candidate for
Parliament is held to be responsible per-
sonally for the conduct of his political cam
palgn, every supporter is regarded in the
k1, Les Of tl1A n
didate, 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 strenuous
horse-to-house canvass. and his arduous
speaking campaign, followed by his tri-
umphant election, would have profited him
nothing II any one Of his supporters should
have so much as purchased a glass Of beer
with the intent to influence voter in his
behalf 1t would have made no difference
whether Mr.. Burns knew OF the purchase Of