THE RUGBY BY-ELECTION
R,—As a voter who took a public part in the Rugby by-election, I find interesting to analyse the psychology of the electorate.
The Conservatives lost the seat by their own mistakes and clumsy tics in conduct.ng their campaign. There is an old saying by Napoleon:
Never despise your opponent in war ; it is better to study his character." courageous Independent candidate, W. J. Brown, contested the lection not even knowing his way from Rugby station to the town. He ad not got a too to I chance. No one wanted a by-election ; there was pithy everywhere until the Conservative's supporters made a move.
se who had enough interest to attend an election meeting hoped for intelligent guidance. The local Press showed a party bias in favour the Conservative candidate. Mr. Brown was accused of being a Fascist, en a Communist. The more serious voters began to sift the truth of ese allegations, which were entirely without foundation. The absence British fair play to a stranger with no organisation behind him was
onspicuous. The writer (who never intended to take a public part in election) put a questionnaire in writing to Mr. Brown and decided ublicly to support him.
The tempo of the election was then raised by an article in the Daily elegraph and Morning Post in its issue of April 25th. Whatever the
.otive of this reliable paper, it had unfortunate results for the Conservate candidate. It conveyed no guidance to a puzzled voter and was rovocative to a serious voter. I replied to this letter, and the editor courteous enough to publish my letter in his issue ot April 27th.
The reaction against the Conservatives, now began to rise. A voter hose politics leaned towards Mr. Brown resented being told that he uld be encouraging disunity if he voted for Mr. Brown. The irony I the moment was that Mr. Brown was a supporter of Mr. Churchill ore he became Prime Ministel and also his supporter in this -election. This was not the case with the Conservative candidate. But the crowning mistake was when the noble lord who vacates the at came down next day to address Conservative supporters. His invocaon of "Hitler's views" in a British by-election was considered an insult the intelligence of the ordinary voter.
So the interest in Mr, Brown soared sky high, and in a straight fight th a very strong local Conservative Association he pulled off the contest.
election shows the Rugby division stolidly behind the National vernment, but in future they are going to demand candidates selected proven ability and character. The seat was a gift to any progressive able Conservative who had the pluck to stand on his own feet.— ours, &c., S. F. Mon. Spinney Close, Leamington Hastings, near Rugby.
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