The Reading election exemplifies the flatness of politics and the
trifling interest taken in such proceedings. In spite of every ef- fort to get up an "excitement," it could not be elevated above the level of a cumbersome joke. The candidate who cuts the best figure, in his written compositions is the Chartist ; but he was not really in the contest, for the classes who affect Chartism have little to do with election matters. It shows how low such affairs have sunk when the actual electors were engaged in discussing the comparative merits of a Sir John Hare. Grave persons are scandalized that the "choice of the people," as it is called, should have fallen on a young gentleman who obviously devotes some pains to cultivating his natural resources in the way of personal ap- pearance; but it is not certain that the choice was the worst : among the qualities offered on the platform at Reading, although there might be others of greater didactic dignity, perhaps the quick feeling and generous aspirations of youth, even if a little burdened with ornate adjuncts, were not the least suited to the Crying wants of Parliament.
