Volume Ii Part 14 (1/2)

'The fact is, you Government people don't want an independent candidate.

Is not that so?' asked Wentworth.

'Why, you see, my dear friend, the circ.u.mstances of the case are somewhat peculiar. We are rather hard pushed, as you know, in the House; parties are evenly balanced. Now, Sir Watkin has a good chance here, and his connections are very numerous in this part of the world. He is of an old Whig family.'

'Yes, I understand; he is to win the borough, and then to be repaid by a Government appointment. And if I throw him out?'

'Why, then we lose a safe man. You are a very good fellow, Wentworth, but, then, you are only to be depended on when the Government is right.

You would desert us to-morrow if we went wrong.'

'I believe I should.'

'And if you go to the poll you let in a Tory. Think of that. Our party will never forgive you. There will be a mark against your name as long as you live.'

'I have an idea that there is something more important than the triumph of a party.'

'What is that?'

'The triumph of principle.'

'Ah, that is so like you, Wentworth!' said the Hon. Smithson, laughing.

'Men like you are always in the clouds. We wire-pullers are the only practical men.'

'And a pretty mess you've made of it. Now you've a Liberal Government on its last legs that four years ago had nearly a majority of a hundred.'

'I own it-and I own it with sorrow. But I am here on business. I have a proposition to make.'

'What is that?'

'That you arbitrate.'

'I am quite willing; but the question is, how to arbitrate, and that is rather a difficult one.'

'Not at all; it is the easiest thing in the world. Get a public meeting, admit an equal number of the supporters of each candidate, and abide by the result.'

'Which, if there has been fair play-if one party has not taken a mean advantage of the other-will leave matters just as they are.'

'Well, then, let the meeting be an open one, and let the best man win.'

'That won't do. The richer man will be sure to pack it with his supporters.'

'Well, then, refer it to a London committee.'

'A committee of wealthy men, who are sure to favour the wealthiest candidate, with whom, possibly, they may be on friendly terms; and a rich man, with the deceitful returns of his paid canva.s.sing, can always make out a more plausible case than a poor man. I have a plan,' continued the speaker, 'which might solve the difficulty.'

'What is it?'

'Let as many candidates go to the poll as like. Let them be ranged as Liberal or Conservative-for we have in reality no Tories now-let the votes all together be cast up, and let the man who has the highest number of votes on the winning side be the elected candidate. One advantage of such a system would be that it would create more interest in an election.