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THE TOMAHAWK: A SATURDAY JOURNAL OF SATI...
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No. 62.] LONDON, JULY 11, 1868. [Price T...
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BRISTOL DIAMONDS.
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The Report of the Bristol Election Commi...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
The Tomahawk: A Saturday Journal Of Sati...
THE TOMAHAWK : A SATURDAY JOURNAL OF SATIRE . * nnL : ¥ Vn ! . jji . i v Y , ,,, j . . . \ L ,,, tr f ^ g " INVITAT CULPAM QUI PECCATUM PRETERIT . " — - W ¦ ¦ - —
No. 62.] London, July 11, 1868. [Price T...
No . 62 . ] LONDON , JULY 11 , 1868 . [ Price Twopence .
Bristol Diamonds.
BRISTOL DIAMONDS .
The Report Of The Bristol Election Commi...
The Report of the Bristol Election Committee contains think serious seriousl matters y . for Of thoug course ht , at we least know for those that the persons proper who thing ever do to ment do , when which bribery means is nothing discussed , or , is to either treat to the utter matter some as stale rather senti a - good joke . Nothing is more nauseating than the flimsy hypocrisy with which the House of Commons always treats the subject of bribery . One really would think that it was hardly worth while to repeat those stale pretences which nobody accepts as realities ; to try and screen the offenders behind that old curtain of shams , which is so worn out with constant use that the heaviest eyes can see through it . It is all very well to say that large constituencies will make bribery impossible ; we should like to know how . If those who are to be admitted , to the franchise have been accustomed to see others turning a pretty penny by their votes , setting the glorious privilege of a British citizen down among their assets , and calculating their incomes as so many shillings a week and a vote laid by for a rainy day ; if they have seen these honest folk very rarely brought to task for this lucrative traffic , still more rarely detected , and so rarely , punished , that the' odds against that calamity are about the same as against another universal deluge ; and when they see that neither the people who give bribes or those who receive them are ever considered , even if found out , to have done anything disgraceful , but , on the contrary , are treated as clever amusing dogs who know what ' s what ; if this is their experience as non-electors , they must inlet deed such be paragons a lucrative of property virtue if as , when a vote they lie become idle , and electors do not , even they try and turn it to any account . Does any one pretend to say that one man in a thousand , who will receive a vote under the
new Reform Bill , looks upon the privilege as anything else but a fancy piece of goods , which can be converted into money , or its equivalent , when required ? Talk about " the inalienable heritage such does of not nonsense a interfere free citizen on the with , " hustings the your " sacred generosity , if you birthri like in ght ; putting it of sounds a man a thousand well , " and , and all pounds or so into your agent ' s hands , and asking no questions ; besides , the citizens who have been getting drunk at your expense are sure to cheer such noble sentiments . But now we truth are not . on Why the should hustings these ; let men us , for look heaven upon 's sake the , ri try ght and of tell voting the as a solemn duty , to be exercised with the most scrupulous upri them ghtness so ? How and honesty were most ? Who elections ever , that by they examp have le , taug seen ht , either for Thompson political instead or munici of pal Johnson , carried , and on Johnson 1 If John used Smith to emp voted loy him , how long after the election did he wait to discharge him 1 that Who little paid account Robinson with ' s bill the at doctor the grocer or the ' s and arrears the baker of rent 's , that and year when he voted with the Yellows , ? In shortwhat is the moral of all he has . seen ? Is it not thatif he votes , for a candiif date it is , he possible will gener for all y gain to some confer adv any anta , ; if ge direct votes or against indirect , is candidate in that , candidate he will suffer ' s power for to it some inflict loss any loss direct on or him indirect ? Does , if it it is require best to a very vote powerful for the man mind who to can come do you to the most conclusion good and that least it
harm ? And iflooking up to those above them in the world corruption for guidance receive , they , d find with men every morall honour y convicted by Society of ; bribery if they find and allowed a man , who to go has and bribed bribe for another one place constituency , and been found , without out , quietl being y found of the peop out , le received , and permitted among the to sit pure in and judgment honest on representatives others accused if of they bribery find , with that a whom serious , of proposal course , he to punish can have the no briber sympath and the y ; . ported bribed and ever opposed even , is except received pretended by by most a with very to with deal l few aug , every hter with effectivel , a and s very ort y that of with half ingenious the - the hearted onl question y Bill procrastina earnestness , that , is sup has - - , tion and cunning objection ; if this be the spirit in which our great legislative assembly , in which are the richest and best edua cated sense gentlemen of responsibility , whose , treat position the subject cannot be of bribery dissociated , what from can we expect from the poor and the ignorant , who scarcely know what responsibility means ? The revelations of the Bristol election prove , if we wanted workmen proof , that whose it is not wages only are the uncertain small shop , keepers and whose who emp are corrupt loyment ; depends upon a fluctuating demand which may be created at the upon will , are of much the emp more loyers exposed , who have to temptation no little cap , and ital it to is fall not back surprising that they should yield to it ; if these men get behind in their rent , if illness not only prevents them from earning anyto thing free but themselves adds cruell from y to the their burden expenses of debt , how ? If can a kind they gentle expect - man offers to pay all on the condition of their going at a certain hour next morning to the poll booth , and giving their votes for him the wrong , they must they have can see very in alert such and an action incorruptible were to blind consciences them to if the benefit they receive by it .
It has been said that large constituencies will check bribery because it will cost so much to bribe , but we cannot see the force newl of enfranchised the argument . It may have perhaps learnt the be so value in time of a , vote when and the are able y to watch the persons market of corruption with that patience , and skill , to which some professors of the art of being bribed have attained ; but till they have reached this stage of enlightenment , it is more probable that a pound will go as far as five did m before odity , , and will that only the be lowered price of by votes the , like increased that of supp every ly other . And com as - to the Ballot being a remedy for corruption , we never could see it . Intimidation it may check , but as long as there are persons willing follow their and able inclinations to bribe with , or ready little to be fear bribed of detection , and they much can less punishment , before their very eyes , so long will bribery flourish , . ment The Ballot impossible may , render but what detection else it more can do difficult , or ever , and has punish done , - towards We do purif not wonder ing elections that the , we House cannot of discover Commons . , as a whole , should resent the loss of their privilege of constituting the tribunal before which corruption is arraigned . They are right to be jealous of the power of shielding the offenders , considering how numerous they are . It does them credit to a certain extent , difference since it shows between they wilfully have some shut sense ting your shame eyes a for nd , thoug ears while the your one , agents still there bribe is and a difference bribing y o and urself this , may ingenuous be rather mode a fine of
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Citation
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Tomahawk (1867-1870), July 11, 1868, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/t/issues/ttw_11071868/page/1/
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