2 JUNE 1894, Page 3

Men engaged in an election, local editors especially, are a

good deal too ready to believe that anything may be said of candidates with impunity, and Mr. Walter Morrison, in demanding damages for a libel of the kind, has done a public service. The West Yorkshire Pioneer published a letter during the last election which practically accused him of bribery. He had, it was intimated, remitted 25 per cent. to his tenants while he was Member for the district, and only 5 per cent. when he was defeated. There was no foun- dation for the story, and the jury gave Mr. Morrison £500 damages. The verdict is a useful hint to stop a practice which is all the more dangerous because the charges are often made in full faith. Many an excited electioneerer is capable of believing, during an election, that an opposition candidate has committed murder, and writing it down, too. We can remember a letter addressed to our- selves which was quite as bad as that, though the writer was absolutely honest, and intended to vote, in consequence of the charge, against his party.