The Cannock Chase Examiner. — 1875-02-20 (Cannock, Staffordshire, England)

STOKE-UPON-TRENT ELECTION. THE name of Stoke-on-Trent has boeotne a political bye-word in the land, and papers of all political creeds have already given effect to public opinion by pouring contempt upon the electea who find their beau-ideal of legislator in the vilest reviler of the century. Not for two hundssl years has the choice of any constituency fotuid it impossible to prevail upon two old weathers of the House to introduce him on taking the oath, and not for more than two centuries has such a political Ishmael been elected. Blatant scurrility and uncrupulous impudence united with an oily tongue to Hatter and deceive the credulous and the ignorant, are the secrete el this success, which everywhere makes intslligent Liberalism grieve, though far more for the omdi. tion of the electors, and the reproach it brings upon the extension of the franchise, than beuattse of any mistihief which Dr. Kenealy will he able to do. What good he can accomplish in that House of more than 600 members is revealed by the fiasco of his introduction. He will be chief of the great party, which will consist of Mr. Whalley and himself, and all the influence he will have will be to make use of the forme of the House to impede practicable legislation. But Dr. Kenealy is more fortunate in having one supporter in Mr. Whalley than his constituency, for it is difficult to imagine another borough in England committing political suicide in such 11 stunner.  It may be profitable to enquire what are the causes that have conspired to the return of the great egotist, whose first step towards the attainment of the leadership of the House of Commons is to get only the member for Peterboro and hie umbrella to accompany him to "Speaker Brand's " chair.  As the constituency consists of more than 19,000 voters, only a few over 14,000 have took part in the election, it is evident that there is a very large number who have deliberately abstained from voting. That salifif of the Conservatives who have caught the proVvailing Tichborne mania supported Dr. Kenealy we believe. but few if any refused to record their votes. The defection was in the Liberal rank,. It is not to be disputed that though mule of the truest and ablest leaders of the party in the borough gave a very hearty support to the Liberal workingman candidate. Mr. Walton, yet it is evident that thousands of those who sup. ported the Liberal candidates, Messrs. Melly and Roden, at the last election, against Mr. Robert Heath, the Conservative, and lr. Walton, have revenged themselves upon the latter gentleman and his supporters by either voting for Dr. Kenealy or remaining passive spectators of the fight in which their principles were being trampled under foot. They looked upon the choice of a workingman condo date as an unpardonable affront and injury to united Liberalism, yet now, instead of taking the opportunity of cementing the party together they have introduced greater discord than ever, by indirectly causing the return of a candidate, who, besides being a political nondescript himself, will help to wean a section at least of the working men from their faith in the Radical part". These foolish Liberals will have their reward. Their folly like the boomerang will return upon themselves, and they will have the pleasure of defeating Mr. Walton at the expense of their own future success. We have heard the aspiration of the working-men who supported Mr. Walton at the general election was, not born of 0 factious spirit, but was simply the outcome of a desire on the part of the most intelligent and independent of the handworkere to send one of themselves to legislate for them, stud it merited respect rather than condemnation and contempt. Some of the shopkeeping elsee—the aristocratic among the grocers and drapers, and the new-born gentlemen manufacturers' disdained the candidature of the working-man, curt rather than defile their fingers with a ballot paper, marked in his foo,g, they would leave the coarse open, Inc  either for the Conservative or for Dr. Kemal,. We question whether the political principle 4 many of these lie more than skin deep. While, however, we refer so strongly to the renegade or abstaining Liberals, it appors that a high compliment is due to those warmest and most consistent members of the party who buried the :past for the sake of the truths they hold dear, and who worked herrtily for Mr. Walton's return. There is, however, another  side to the matter, which bears upon the working men. While many middle-class their followers and friends, have looked cold!S upon, or openly betrayed themselves, very mallY of the 5,000 who supported 31r. Walton year have gone over to Dr. lienatly.  Variable am the Bbade, By the light quivering anpen made. Many working men appear to have no min& el their own, and but love to wander looAely  politics, as free from consistency a- from e truest, ' thoughtful convictions. The cr3 for the direct representation of labour in Parliament was a near , one to them, and inasumCh as it seemed ts) be something in opposition to the powers that he, even  Soule of the most ignorant joined in with that cry But when as great a political distortion as the calibon of the poet's imagination, appeared on the oce, pretending to have a Prospero's wand in his hand, with which he intended to bring down thundebolts on the heads of all who opposed him, then were they as much enamoured as Titania of Bottom the Weaver, who appeared in the guise a a zw. It is useless to .blame where there is gor wisdom enough to feel. We do not wonder that some of th,, enimies of progress have this week :olduced the result of Tuesday's election ass. proof that the franchise has been extended too far. This conclusion is as great blunder as the event of which they complain; nevertheless, this last vagary of a portion of the people is galling to the pople's truest friends, who can only console theinse!‘es with the reflection that the intelli. genre of s large portion of the electors of Stokeon-Trent, is under a temporary eclipse; and in this district they a-ill have the additional eon',Aaiun of remembering the very different result of the Wednesbury election in 1868.