The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-15
Sales Of Honors to Persons of Wealth
Who Make Donations to Party
Exchequers Condemned.- The
Workings of the Practice

OF fact way by persons who were
anxious to obtain peerages In return
for cash, payable TO the campaign fund
Of the political party to which he be-
longed.
Rec concentrations for honors are in
variably made to the sovereign. who Is.
nguratively speaking. the Fountain Of
all Honors. by the Premier. Now. al
though the sole surviving ex-Premier.
Lord Rosebery. was debarred from taxi
ing any part In the discussion by severe
illness, neither he nor yet Herbert AS
quith, the present Prime Minister, would
be willing to admit that he had ever
recommended to the sovereign any per-
son for a peerage, a baronetcy, knight
hood. or any other honor I'm return for
a contribution TO the fund OF their po-
.itical party Their consciences are cean,
but only technically so. In order to
avoid placing the head OF the admins
tration In an embarrassing position he
is always kept in Ignorance OF the de-
tails of his party's treasury.
The amounts contributed by the vari-
Gus subs,r ibers to the party funds are
purpossly kept from him and he is
careful to refrain from making any
inquiries. lie Is content to accept the
nomina lions for honors from the chief
party whip. The whips are members OF
Parliament. selected by the leaders OF
their respective party for the special
duty Of securing the attendance OF the
other members OF that party on all
nece ssary occasions. the term being alb
breviated from the whipper In OF hunt.
That their services In this connection
are essential will be realized when Il
Is taken into consideration that the
fate Of an important measure. nay even
that OF the Cabinet itself. may depend
upon the result OF a division In the
House.
The chief whip OF the party In power
invariably holds the $4,000 a year office
of Patronage Secretary to the Treasury,
so called because he Is the channel
through which whatever patronage pos
sessed by the Premier Is dispensed. II
Is assisted by three ass slant whips. who
rank as Junior Lords Of the Treasury.
with $1,000 a year apiece. I, is not only
official patronage. that 10 to say Gov
eminent offices. that are dispensed
through the Patronage Secretary. by
as besides being whip OF his party he is
likewise the treasurer and the manager
Of its funds and s required To keep the
party exchequer full. 1t will be readily
understood that his recommendations
sor honors are Influenced by financial
necessities.
The amount exaCted by the Patronage
Secretary of the Treasury. that Is to
'ay. by the chief Government whip for
honors varies In this SENSE: that a mar
NJ obscure antecedents who has nothing
whatsoever to recommend him save MS
wealth Ia required to pay a far larger
price for title than one who IL known
10 the public by liberal subscriptions 10
philanthropic institutions and to ma
'ional undertakings Thus on the eve
4 the general election In the autumn OF
1905 several utterly unknown individ-
ials were created peers in return for
huge contributions To the Cn'on!st cleo
oral fund through the Governmen,
whip the payment in the most nhjec.
tionable case OF the lot amounting to