Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-01
Political Cam
paigning.

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 power by the
narrow margins, only two members re-
turned were unseated on account Of cleo
ton Irregularities They were both liberals
and their votes were sorely needed by the
government Both were unseated for acts
OF their agents, and the election court ex-
pressly exculpated both OF them from any
knowledge of, or participation in, corrupt
or illegal practice. But the penalty was
visited upon them just the same.
A candidate may hot have the use OF q
brass band; he may not furnish distinctive
badges to his followers; he may not swing
banner across the street, or from build
ing, although he may make the freeest pos
sible posters. He must not treat, since n
campaign cigar or an electioneering glass
of beer will deprive him OF the right to sit
in Parliament He may not use hired
vehicles to transport voters TO the polls,
although he may use as many private car
riages and motors as his friends win give
to him. One of the men unseated after the
last election was found guilty, on account
of the act Of an agent, OF furnishing hired
motor cars to take voters to the polls.
The other committed the heinous offense
of furnishing lunch to q party OF miners
who had come down to cast their votes
Tint politics may have nothing whatever
to do with the hearings and judgments on
election cases. the courts have the power In
the premises to unseat elected members Of
Parliament upon petition and proof Of cor
r,,vN
spectacle of unseating minority members
for the express purpose OF Strengthening
the majority, more than once witnessed
in the United States house OF representa-
tives. would be impossible in England.
Each candidate must appoint an election
agent, who is the manager of his campaign
and through whom all campaign expenses
must be paid. The amount OF the expenses
| Is limited by law on a graduated scale in
proportion to the number OF registered vot-
ers, and complete publicity in detail must
be given Immediately after the election.
The law is particularly strict in the matter
of limiting campaign expenditures, both az
to amount and purposes, but because the
candidates pay for holding the elections,
the actual expense is on an average
higher than in congressional campaigns in
America
The purity of British political cam
paign is due In large part to the whole
some fear of the penalties of the corrupt
practices act Candidates and their friends
constantly warn their followers against any
act which might be construed as q viola
ton Of the law. Respectable candidates
never wink at questionable procedure on
the part OF their supporters. as sometimes
happens in America. The law is SO
| stringent, and is enforced so relentlessly,
that every man, of whatever party or POSI-
ton, must respect 1t.
! 1t is an old contradiction, but II Is q
fact that his straight-laced system some
times actually works to the disadvantage
Of popular government. This Is exemplified
in the matter of furnishing free trans-
portation to voters Since motor cars have
become common, the conservative cand-
date always has a great number Of ma
chimes at his disposal, because people who
can afford motor cars usually ars tories.
The liberal candidate Is prevented by law
from hiring public conveyances. and there
fore the liberal voters must walk, while
the tories ride. AS the conservatives also
have the vast majority OF plural voters
on their side, and as the free motor car
enables property owners to fit from one
polling place to another, the automobile
question bids fair to become a serious prob
lem in political campaigning--especia for
the radicals.
The electoral system in England needs
reforming. The property qualifications for
suffrage work great injustice in that
they give some men many votes while de-
priUng other men OF any vote. In this
respect the system Is far inferior to that
Of the United States. But on account Of
the simpler and purer methods OF cam
paigning. 1t is demonstrated In actual prac-
tice that the bad British system, safe.
guarded by enforced and enforcible laws,
is better than the ideal American system.
corrupted by questionable campaign
methods and campaign managers who fear
neither the law nor the Lord
By PREDERI0 ]. HAsKXM.
Tomorrow-Tho British Crisis. XVIII
u -TarttL IL Trumps.