art of them be
sent, for that is the amount of his faculty in it? Destructive or
Conservative, what will either of them destroy or conserve of vital
moment to this Freeman? Has he found either of them care, at bottom, a
sixpence for him or his interests, or those of his class or of his
cause, or of any class or cause that is of much value to God or to
man? Rigmarole and Dolittle have alike cared for themselves hitherto;
and for their own clique, and self-conceited crotchets,--their greasy
dishonest interests of pudding, or windy dishonest interests of
praise; and not very perceptibly for any other interest whatever.
Neither Rigmarole nor Dolittle will accomplish any good or any evil
for this grimy Freeman, like giving him a five-pound note, or refusing
to give it him. It will be smoothest to vote according to value
received. That is the veritable fact; and he indigent, like others
that are not indigent, acts conformably thereto.

Why, reader, truly, if they asked thee or me, Which way we meant to
vote?--were it not our likeliest answer: Neither way! I, as a Tenpound
Franchiser, will receive no bribe; but also I will not vote for either
of these men. Neither Rigmarole nor Dolittle shall, by furtherance of
mine, go and make laws for this country. I will have no hand in such a
mission. How dare I! If other men cannot be got in England, a totally
other sort of men, different as light is from dark, as star-fire is
from street-mud, what is the use of votings, or of Parliaments in
England? England ought to resign herself; there is no hope or
possibility for England. If England cannot get her Knaves and Dastards
'arrested,' in some degree, but only get them 'elected,' what is to
become of England?

* * * * *

I conclude, with all confidence, that England will verily have to put
an end to briberies on her Election Hustings and elsewhere, at what
cost soever;--and likewise that we, Electors and Eligibles, one and
all of us, for our own behoof and hers, cannot too soon begin, at what
cost soever, to put an end to _bribeabilities_ in ourselves. The
death-leprosy, attacked in this manner, by purifying lotions from
without and by rallying of the vital energies and purities from
within, will probably abate somewhat! It has otherwise no chance to
abate.

CHAPTER III.

THE ONE INSTITUTION.

What our Government can do in this grand Problem of the Working
Classes of England? Yes, supposing t