It is obvious that the same casuistic problem which has
oppressed Mr. Kennedy, and led him into giving such had advice, has also oppressed Mr. Tuckwell, the rector of Stockton, and the editor, whoever he may be, of the English Labourers' Chronicle, which is said to bear the name of Joseph Arch on its Trout page. The former, in a pamphlet addressed to the rural voters which is one of the best pieces of Cobbettish English we have read for years, gives this bad advice :—" The Bible says, ' Answer a fool according to his folly ;' and so, when any fool who can injure you, if you refuse him, asks you to sign a paper, I say sign it ;' to give a promise, I say give it ;' but, re- member, that signature and promise both go absolutely for nothing, as being unfairly and illegally obtained, and your vote remains your own." The English Labourers' Chronicle, of July 18th, is quoted as giving the following advice with respect to voters canvassed for their votes by some Tory Lady Bountiful : —" My advice is that you say Yes ' to all they say, and then go and vote according to your conscience. Avoid, if you can, making a direct promise ; but even if you are drawn into a promise, you are not bound to keep it. If it is necessary, in order to protect your family from injury, go to the poll in a Tory carriage, wearing Tory colours, and then vote Liberal after all." These spiritual advisers of the labourer think more of his political interest than of his moral and
spiritual interest when they give this mean advice. But surely nothing can show more clearly that all the Bishops ought to combine to impress on the employers of labour the wickedness of putting a pressure on their labourers, than the evidence here given that the necessity of countermining such strategy leads in quite different quarters to such advice as this.
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