Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-11-27
English Practise Manners
When About to Run For An
Elective Office; Hard Work

LONDON Q9.-Wealthy young Eng
liShmen groom for elective positions in
manner almost unknown in the
United States, where there are COM
paratively few youths who are not
working out professional or business
career for themselves.
These are busy days in political
clubs all over Great Britain. Prepara-
tions are under way for the next gen.
eral election, which may be next year
and must be held not later than 1929
Speakers are being tried out Young
men are being groomed and assayed.
Politics is an extremely polite pro-
fession in England. Gentlemen of
leisure may indulge in political activity
without losing social position.
They run some risk if they join the
labor party. But of course Lady
Cynthia Mosley and her husband,
Oswald MoSley, have so much wealth
and such established social posi-
ton, thanks to the distinguished ca
reer of Lady Cynthia'S father, Viscount
Curzon, late British minister of for
eign affairs, that few persons dare to
snub them, even if they have cast
their lot with the humble party of
Ramsay Macdonald.
The same is true of the Countess of
Warwick and many other members of
old families who have cast their lot
with the labor party. Espousing So
cialism is a short cut to publicity for
Englishmen of high social position, and
many of them are choosing it. This
is especially true since the liberal
i1o nriO
factional fight.
The conservative party is the most
natural alliance for reactionaries Aris-
tocrats find it difficult to swallow
Gladstone and other great liberals who
have spoken for the masses against
the classes, or rather for masses
against the claSses-that class being
the aristocrats. There is something
very middle-clasS about the liberal
party to an aristocratic Englishman.
Lloyd George and many other leaders
in the liberal camp are free church
men and do not stand for many OF
the traditions so dear to ar1stocraCs
who refuse to be modernized. Many
of the liberal leaders lack family dis
tinction. They are self-made men,
some of them even tradesmen.
1t is reported that the liberals Will
vigorously contest at least 500 seats at
the general election. This means ire
mendous expenditure of money, but
the party is alleged to have millions
at the disposal of Lloyd George.
Young men of wealth often try for
years before they are given-the oppor-
tunity to run for the house OF COM
mons in constituency where they
have the slightest chance of success,
Under the British system candidate
need not live in the district where ne
runs. Consequently favorites with the
party management are assigned TO as
tricts where they are certain to pe
elected while less favored men are as
signed to hopeless constituencies.
Young men of leisure, and means
often run for years as liberal or con-
servatiVe candidates in labor districts
where they haven't a ghost Of show
They act as emergency candldateS
whenever vacancy occurs.
This is grilling work Parties sci
dom finance a lost hope generously
Consequently candidates must pfovIdt
their own funds, if they have any, II
such races. Political dilettantes Soor
tire and drop out. But occaslonallJ
Young men who are content to live
on inherited money show such ability
that their parties give them BETTE
constituencies to contest and enable
them to land in the house OF com
mons. Tt is from men of this typt
that England has recruited many aD1'
statesmen who know politics from tn'
ground up.