Page:Thomas Hare - The Election of Representatives, parliamentary and municipal.djvu/183

 tnre which penetrates and throws light on all the important transactions of life. We find in every town, in all political conversation, except at the approach of an election, that far more is thought and known, or discussed, of the conduct of those who have been from time to time ministers, than is thought or discussed respecting the conduct of their particular member. The attention is impressed by the more prominent objects in the political world, and dwells but little on the minor ones. In perusing the gazetted lists, with a view of framing their voting papers, every elector would be able to form his judgment as well of the merits of one as of another candidate, according as he had earned distinction in Parliament or elsewhere; or if, unknown to the world, according to his appreciation by other persons who are known and trusted.

Some electors may have neither time nor means to do more than they now do—give their vote for one or other of the candidates for their own borough; and in giving that vote they may resolve to rely, not upon any view of the parliamentary conduct of the candidate, but upon personal character, as the same has come under their own observation. Suppose the case of two candidates for a country constituency, and the elector to reason thus:—"I have been over the estates of these two gentlemen. I find, on one of them, that the farms are not high-rented; but I find, also, that they are very badly farmed. No draining has been done. All the buildings are in an ill condition, and have only been patched up for many years past. Most of the labourers' cottages were pulled down thirty or forty years ago, to lessen the poor rates, and the men and boys, and women when they are employed, have to walk three miles or more every night and morning, to the next parish, where they live, huddled together in the back lane. On the other property they say the rents have been raised, and some of the tenants complain they are a little too high; but then there has been a vast