Penarth Chronicle and District Advertiser

Penarth Election Notes. BY THE MAN ON THE SPOT. Not even the most sanguine of our friends—the enemy —expected such a majority as 825 for Major Quin. Well, the battle is won and lost, but its lessons ought not to go unheeded. o 0 0 The registration blunder which under such circum- stances is worse than a crime demands a strict inves- tigation. That a man should be robbed of his political birthright through a bungling printer is a stupendous shame. Granted that the Overseer's register was correct in the first instance, who is responsible for seeing that the ones subsequently printed and used on and before the polling day had no omissions ? Here is Mr Baggett, Maughan St, a ratepayer upwards of 20 years deprived of his vote whilst the son, living with his father, has a lodgers' vote and is able to re- cord it- This was not the only instance of omission which called forth jmurmurs if not loud at any rate deep. 0 0 0 In contradistinction was a voter who avowed the reason of his not voting was because no Labour Can- didate qut up. Blessed be the goddess Vacuity o 0 0 That thing—to call him man would be a libel— ought not only to be disfranchised, but also ostracised. A murrain on such reptiles! 0 0 The late member for South G-lamorgan made an irre- parable error by false economy- To contest a seat four times in a decade makes a tremendous hole in £5000" nevertheless Mr Williams lost his seat by at- tempting to get in with as little expense as possible. We cannot blame him altogether, but we do blame the rich Liberal magnates of the division for not coming up trumps and helping with the needful, thcreby emulating the Cardiff—Cheque—Scene. 0 0 0 I have subsequently learnt that in the counting room, the two contestants ran neck and neck till the Penarth box was opened, when the Major made the rest of the running and won in a common canter. a o a In making his triumphal progress through the division on Saturday, Major Quin visited Penarth and whilst thanking his supporters, said that the electorate at Penarth had largely assisted in returning him to Westminster. The gist of his remarks on this point was that Penarthhad gone almost solid for him. This cannot be gainsaid, for out of the 2250 voters only 1250 or tbere-abouts polled. The abstentions were the floating population, i. e. the trimmers, pilots, etc. who were Reds, whilst every Blue was well whipped up, and had the advantage of vehicular transit. 000 We have to thank Mr W Pyman and Mr Robert Bird, Cardiff, for the twojoutof the three conveyances which the Radicals had. There is no doubt that we lost in the West Ward, owing to the faulty arrangement of a portion having to vote at Penarth and the other at Cogan coupled with there being no public or private direction, till they arrived at either the one station or the other and finding they had to go to t'other one. o 0* The first two to record their votes were Mr W. Jones Thomas dnd District Councillor J Y Strawson. .0. On the polling day, a prominent Liberal said We.Jt have all future local contests conducted politically and shift some of the School Board Members. Carslake Thompson and Holman won't go in again on the backs I of the Nonconformiats." The irrepressible punster has cropped up -ven whilst we are in the throes of an election. The Unionist member for Cardiff said at the outset of the- campaign that he was going to Mac(a.)clean sweep of the Radio cals. The Major for South Glamorgan said he waS bound to get in, for his name began and ended with a vviri-(Wyn)dbam Q(uin) whilst the Unionist victor- ies are due to the women folk who are all for union- to a man. 0 0 0 Perhaps afte.r all the best thing that could happen was the defeat of Sir William Harcourt, at Newcastle. It may open the eyes and reach the sluggish con- sciences of those Englishmen who are always boasting that they are free, in fact, the degraded slaves of the vilest tyranny that modern civilisation has ever known* Their fathers shed their blood like water because they would not acknowledge the divine right of Stuart 11 ZD kings to trample on the consciences of men; bat they themselves are to-day endorsing the divine rio-bt of the big brewers to flood every district in the land with drunkenness, debauchery and pauperism without th6 least regardt Q the wishes of the people themselves. Sir William Harcourt did not propose to close a single puplic-house In England- He only proposed to give the people themselves the power to decide whether they would have public-houses in their midst, and how many they would have. -3fethodist Times.

A Penaith lason wanted 14s 7id 2 AND HE GOT IT. At Penarth Police Court, on Wednesday, before Major Thornley and Mr. \V. L. Morris, a case was decided wherein Mr Mordecai Meazey sued Mr James Buck- land for 14/71,, being the alleged amount due for 19 hours work, at the rate of 9td an hour. 2 The Complainant stated that Buckland instructed him to fix 2 grates and a cooking range, and subse- quently refused to pay him the money he claimed. The defendant contended that the work had not been done right. Mrs Buckland, axamined, said her husband left with her the money (wrapped up), with which to pay Mr Meazey. She did not know how much it was, but she kriew it was equivalent to 9d an hour. The Complainant said that was no good to him. Charles Percy, another mason was next sworn and maintained that 19 hours was an unreasonable time to take over the job, 13 hours to his mind being quite long enough. Mr Meazey: He knows nothing himself about it. I've made more pounds than he has pence at that work. (Laughter). Victor Denton was called and proved hearing Meazey ask Buckland on the Beach for the money, and the latter refusing as the job hadn't been done right. Meazey then bet him a sovereign he'd get it. Finally judgment with costs was given for the In complainant.

B3REAKFAST—SUPPER. En n o ? P P S GRATEFUL— COMFORTING. COCOA BOII.INQ WATER Oft

,aglince at the merchant, still apparently abaorlitsa in his Hamburg letter, then returned- Well, Mounseer Parlandet, M. van Flewker will probably say that, as the bills never happened to be discounted by our firm, it matters nothing to us if they are dishonours)." Luckless M. Parian V" ITe would always try that ilashy Gallic court r»p'f-r <>• his against a sterling English blade's well-tempered steel. The experience of years had not taught him that the touch of the honest weapon ever shivered the pretentious bauble into shreds and yet, gathering them up and piecing them together, he still rushed anew to the fray, ever to meet with the same disaster. Even in that matter of glib repartee, for which his countrymen are so especially famed, he was no match for the blunt and sturdy Briton. Eh ejaculated M. Parlandet, in extreme sur. prise at Whiffle's reply. How ? We-have-not- dees-count-those-bills ?" Oh, dear no," answered Whiffles, calmly. M. <ran Flewker thought it better not." "Marvel-lous foresigh!" ejaculated Pari, casting ap his hands in fcstacy. He quite uuderstood now, why, upon a previous occasion, Van Flewker treated his gross blunder with such apparent leniency. "'The longare I do have the privilege to be associated with the business of Fabian van Flewker and Com- pany, the more I am astonish at the acuteness of my -honoured patron." The merchant had listened to all that passed, and had watched this little scene with huge amusement from the corner of his eye. He always enjoyed the sight of Pari assailing Whiffles, sure that tbo manager would come to speedy grief. Schmidt sends de usual number of tickets for de .Hamburg lottery," said Van Flewker now. Draw- ing for first class begins upon de tenth. I shall allot dese in de ordinary way." The merchant assorted the tickets into four equal heaps then, taking a few from the top of each heap arranged these so as to constitute a fifth. He ten- dered one of .the four first piles to Whiffles, Kleckser, Gwillim, and White respectively, and gave the other to Parl. The manager surveyed his bunch of lottery- tickets with a doleful eye. If there was anything he especially hated, it was the task of finding customers for these. Not thathe had any conscientious scruples on the subject: upon this point, as upon most others, he was entirely free from any such ridiculous ideas. He was simply lazy and disliked trouble. With White the case was otherwise. He had no sooner ascertained by a whisper from Kleckser the merchant's object in apportioning to him, as to the others, a share of the tickets, then he quietly stepped forward, and laid them again upon the desk. Excuse me, sir," he said; but I cannot have any- thing to do with these matters." Van Flewker stared. And why not, Meestare Vhite ?" he inquired. "First," returned Raymond, "lotteries are illegal in England, and whoever distributes tickets is liable to a fine. Next, I believe them to be bad and immoral, and to produce incalculable harm. The latter is my chief reason for declining to have anything to do with them." The three clerks looked at one another and gently shook their heads. M. Parlandet shrugged his shoulders, and turned upon his heel with a low whistle. Van Flewker leant his chin upon his hand, and gazed from behind the mysterious shade of his blue spectacles straight into Raymond's eyes. "You object, first, dat dese tickets are illegal," he 3aid, in a low, concentrated tone, yet with every accent clearly audible throughout the room. Am I to understand we have a spy of de police among us? Sup-pose I—I, Fabian van Flewker, choose to sell lottery tickets ? You would bring me before de magistrate, aha ?" They all bent forward to listen to White's reply. Sir, I am not an informer," returned the young man, proudly. "Goed," said Van Flewker, and a sigh of relief echoed from M. Parlandet's breast. He had a singular dislike, this worthy gentleman, to coming in any way into collision with the powers that be. "You object, second," continued the merchant, U dat you tink lotteries bad and immoral. It is not worth my while to argue dat question. You rerfuse simply from conscientious motives ?" Entirely," answered White. And you will not sell for me dese tickets upon any conditions ?" Sir, I cannot." Dat is, you will not. Good still. Recollect, if you can dispose of dem, it will be much to your advantage. We allow a large commission," pursued the tempter. I repeat, sir, I cannot. Then, for de last time, you positively ref-use ?" demanded the merchant. "Positively, and at all hazards, Mr. van Flewker," was the reply. chap 7 His eyes still shrouded behind the blue glasses, Van v'lewker still bent forward, still gazed into Raymond's face. He actually experienced a new sensation. Here was a man with a conscience. The merchant had read of the thing before, as of some strange and recondite creature-a dinornis, now, or a blue geranium, or some other curious and rare production. But here was the article itself—alive, before him, in his own room. He had never seen such a man, though he had heard dimly that the genus existed. Here it was. And he gazed npon it with correspond- ing curiosity. Shall I photograph for you the thoughts that chased each other rapidly through the merchant's brain as he looked into the eyes, calmly, yet not defiantly meeting his These were they "This is, then, a man with a conscience, the stuff of which was composed those ancient martyrs who perished for their faith. There is a look in this young fellow's eye that tells me he would do the same. Still, he is in my power. I can turn him out of my service this moment, if I please; and he would go without a murmur. Shall I do so ? Will it pay better ? I think not. Circumstances may arise in which I may need this description of article. It is not always in the market. No he shall stay. Meestare Vhite," he continued, aloud, I am not accustom dat my people shall dispute my orders. But, at de same time, I have no desire to constrain you against your will. If you pref-er not to sell for me dese tickets, and reap a profit, de loss is yours, not mine. Messieurs Vhiffle and Gwillim, Herr Kleckser, you will share Mr. Vhite's tickets among 11 you." So Van Flewker put his man with a conscience away upon a convenient shelf, to be taken down when wanted. The three clerks eagerly started forward to fulfil their master's bidding. In their eyes there was but ,ne Mammon, and Van Flewker was Ms prophet. His wSTwas law. Let me be Just, however, it was not so coirh the greed of added gain by which they wert ambnated, as by a wish to atone by ready obedience for the check given to the merchant's plans by their new companion. Kleckser and Gwillim even secretly admired the young man's pluck and spirit, although they inwardly confessed they would not have had the courage to act as he had done. Whiffles, of sterner mould and less enlarged ideas, simply thought White foolishly strict. (To be continued.)