Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-08

from several willing candidates the one
most likely to appeal to the free and en-
lightened electors. At conference be-
tween the chief ministerial whip and his
counterpart on the other side the date
of the election Is agreed on, and the
former then issues an official writ Wnlch
notifies all concerned that fight for the
vacant seat Is to come OF. Then he
gets busy flooding the constituency with
campaign literature, seeing to it that
every available boarding" is covered
with posters cracking up the party policy
and roasting that of its opponents. and
rushing off every unemployed spell
binder and oratorical big gun to the
scene Of battle.
OF all the Offices in connection with the
government, that of chief whip Is the one
that prime ministers find most difficult in
filling satisfactorily. The man who holds
it must combine the wiles of the SER
pent with the gentleness Of a sucking
dove and he must have a cast-iron con-
stitution. In times of stress-and one is
coming now-this office has cost it's hold
er his life, and at best 1t is a big tax on
the vitality of the man who occupies
1t. The reason for this is to be found in
the duties of the chief whip as the actual
"whipper in Of the party pack in the
house of commons. In this country, Of
course, If a government is beaten on an
important division in the house of COM
mons it resigns, hence the chief whip and
his assistants, who also are known as
whips have to see to 1t that the gov
eminent has a. secure majority from the
moment the house sits. which is now at
$50 pm, until it rises. which may be any
time up to 4 In the r,orning, IL epoch
making legislation is being pushed
through parliament with the opposition
lighting at every step.
The chief whip. who thus is really re-
sponsible for the life Of the party, is the
first man to enter the house and the last
to leave 1t. yet he must be up betimes
for an early morning conference with the
leader OF the party next day at which
the plan OF campaign Is mapped out:
During the last fight on home rule. Lord
Kensington, the chief ministerial whip.
rarely got to bed before in the
morning. after day and night OF
stress. and rose again at Sand 1t
killed him. Since the present liberal gov
the post OF chief whip-J. A. Pease,
George Whitley and Alexander Murray,
better known as the master of Elibank-
and all three have retired owing to the
havoc that their duties played with their
health. The master of Elibank, admit
teddy the greatest chief whip of modern
years, said in his letter of withdrawal:
1.-The strain has been very great, ana
come imperatively necessary" state
ment that those In the know declare
minimized rather than exaggerated the
effect on his health OF his strenuous
term Of ONCE.
Gladstone described the chief whip as
@the drudge Of the party" but added, a
very necessary and valuable drudge"
T. r. OConnor. M. r.. has described him
as '-the eyes and ears of the premier.
the master Of negotiations and the father
confessor of the party" When the party
majority IL 90 narrow that 1t Is In dam
ger Of being defeated at any time on
"suap" division, as the government was
tha other day when its majority fell to
three, and 90 1t will be constantly when
il sits again in October the patronage
secretary is kept on the job and at his
With end from the beginning to the close
OF a session.
zach party. government and opposition,
he's two principal whips percy Hing