CAMPAIGN OF SENTIMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8158, 12 June 1906, Page 3

CAMPAIGN OF SENTIMENT.

England witnessed recently one of the most remarkble election campaigns on record, when Lady Mary Hamilton opposed Mrs H. Pearson to deoide who should represent the Eye Division of Suffolk in the Hdn«e|o£ Commons. The Marquis of Graham, the nionist oandidate, is engaged to Lady Mary Hamilton, and as the young people belong to .great historic houses, aud Lady Mary is the richest heiress in England, they are naturally people of importance to the great British public. Lady Mary, working for hor fiance, and Mrs Pearson, WORKING FOR HER HUSBAND. the Liberal candidate, probably worked harder than ever women worked before in an eleotion, and fcef ore long the interest was centred on them and not on the candidates. They dashed about the country in motors, spoke to the electors, CANVASSED INDEFATJGABLY, shook hands with the energy of 'President Roosevelt, and made frank .•appeals to sentiment. As the Daily Express puts it neatly, the point before the electors was, "which is the more deserving of support; au » engaged lady who is so devoted that she wishes to mate her fiance a wedding present in the shape of a constituency, or a wife who is anxious to give her husband a seat in Parliament." That this is no mere sacrifice cf troth to SMARTNESS IS SHOWN by the appeal which Lady Mary sent to every eleotor in the constituency:—"My friends and neigh- ' boors,-— Yju will have heard that I am engaged to be married to Lord Graham, who, as you know, is contesting the Eye Division. lam sure yoo will be able to understand how very anxious my mother and myself ■are that be should win the election, and how happy 1 should be should lie do so. Will you do me a great lavour and help me by giving him your vote? Most of you, I feel sure, will remember my father, the late Duke of Hamilton, and will also REMEMBER WITH WHAT. AFFECTION •be was held in the county. When Lord Graham and I are married, we shall hope to fill the same place in .your affections as he did, and 1 can assure you it will be our constant -endeavour to make your interests our interests." It is pleasant to record tbt the contest was singularly 4ie& from ill-feeling. The only •occasion in which there threatened to be any bitterness was when Lady Jttary'a agent referred to Mr Pearson bb "a pleasant young gentleman of - twenty-two summers." Mrs Pearson promptly quoted with some heat "A lie whion is all a lie may be met and fought with outright, Hut a lie which is part is a harder matter to fight," for the truth was that Mr Pearson was twenty-three. However, the agent acknowledged his mistake, and there was peace again. But Lady Mary's appeals, which seemed to open up a terrible vista of unengaged candidates, was of no avail. Liberalism and Mrs Pearson were too strong, and the Marquis Buffered defeat by nearly 600 votes,