The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-05

make sure that they get value receiv
ed for their bribe-money. The frs,
voter they send to the polls is pro
'yided with sheet of blank paper Of
the size, shape, color and quality Of a
ballot. This the voter folds UP and
puts into the ballot box, bringing the
real ballot, given him by the election
officials, out to the election agent. The
latter marks it as he wants 1t marked
and gives it to the next voter, who
casts 1t and brings out his unmarked
ballot to the election agent. This goes
ON until the agents money is exhaust
ed.
There was contest not long ago
in which it was brought out how the
agents rebuked excessive greed on the
voters part. Votes were selling at
half crown, or so cents apiece in the
city where the election was in pro-
gress. In one of the wards a goodly
proportion of the electors got together
and united in demanding a crown a.
piece. Upon this the Liberal and Con
seryatiye election agents held a CON
ference and decided not to pay any
thing at all in that ward Both ag-
ents kept to their agreement and the
ward cast next to no vote in conse-
quence. If one OF the other agents
had broken faith and paid crown
apiece after promising not to, it would
have decided the election but there
wasn't any serious danger of that
it wouldn't have been honorable.
Notwithstanding all of which. En-
glishmen continue to boast of the puri-
ty of English politics.
Now that members of Parliament are
going to be paid for their services
the bill hasn't passed yet but it is sure
to do so shortly-the Socialists are go
ing actively into politics They have
never made an organized attempt to
secure representation In the English
national legislature body in the past
because, so long as the members were
unpaid, they couldn't afford it. Before
the next election this obstacle will be
removed.
Undoubtedly there will be some sort
Of alliance between the Socialists and
Laborites. Indeed, there has been in
the past. The Socialists have voted
for labor candidates, as the nearest
thing fhey could get to what tnev
wanted And the Laborites have sup
ported their members by levies upon
their various unions. The courts have
decided, however, that these levies are
lawful. In future, instead of the So
cialists voting for Laborites. the Labor.
ties will probably vote for Socialists.
On the whole, as between the a.
Dor and Socialist parties, the change
will not make much difference OF
the forty-one Labor members in Parlia.
ment now, about thirty, although ell.
ected on the Labor ticket, are Social.
lists, too. So there are only eleven of
them that the Socialists will have ia
replace from their own group Even
of these eleven, the most will probably
find themselves able to reconcile their
own views with the Socialist faith
But where there will be difference
will be in the withdrawal of Labor aid
from the Liberals. If Ireland gets
home rule, as seems extremely likely,
and drops out of the Imperial Parlia.
ment, and the Laborites -are' merged
with the Socialists. the latter will have
the balance of power. By7throwing
their influence to one side pr the other
they will be able to overtutn admins
trations at will This wiz certainly
enable them to extort Tremendous con
cessions. If these CONCESSIONS are re.
fused, they can, by voting ad4inistra