Page:Thomas Hare - The Election of Representatives, parliamentary and municipal.djvu/138

 and more to extinguish the voices of the electoral body, by throwing the dection into ihe hands of the few who, by the absence of all samples, are held most compactly together. Thirdly, if he persisted in bringing forward another candidate, he would probably be met with the proposals of the fairest aspect; he would be invited to submit his candidate to a preliminary ballot, in which not only his more formidable adversary, but some others, should also be submitted for the choice of the party, and in which the phalanx of his chief opponents are, by their previous arrangements, assured of an easy victory. Fourthly, if he still persisted in bringing another candidate to the poll, the language of invective would be exhausted to stigmatize the conduct of one who should thus, instead of submitting to party, think fit to act for himself. His personal quiet and repose would be destroyed, and the neighbourhood, for a year or two at the least, would be too hot to hold him. And, fifthly, not only is the business of leading an opposition at an election one for which few men have at once time, talent, and disposition; but no man can bring forward an opposing candidate without subjecting him to considerable expense; and, before a man will undertake such charges, there must be more hope of ultimate success than the possession of senatorial qualities, of ever so high an order, would in such a case give. It is obvious, that the practical difficulties in the way of the escape of individud electors, by any efforts of their own, from the power of an organised network of corruption are insuperable.

There have been, since as well as before 1832, some boroughs, in which other means of direction and guidance have been preserved ,—as there were before that time, as well