[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR. " ] Sra,—I venture to
offer a few remarks, founded on the article in the Spectator of September 12th, on " The Church and the New Voters." So far as my own experience goes, over a pretty wide field in this county of Hertford, the refusal of school-rooms to candidates of either side has been entirely exceptional. Instances, but only a very few, there have been on the part of the manager to decline their use for any description of a political character. At the same time, I freely admit the force of your stricture that the Clergy, as a body, have been culpably lax in neglecting the singular opportunity which the coming Election offers for educating the newly enfranchised on the nature of their electoral privileges, and their conscientious discharge of them.
I speak from long and intimate knowledge of the agricultural labourers in these parts, when I say that they are crassly ignorant as to the exercise of their voting powers ; and it will ba no surprise to me if they will be found supine to a great extent when the day of election has come. I feel confident that very many will not take the trouble to go to the poll, if, by reason of distance, it involves the loss of a fraction of their day's wages.
It has been utterly impossible daring the busy weeks of harvest to adopt any measure for their enlightenment ; but now they are over, it is our purpose, in this and some neighbouring parishes, to invite all and sundry, wives as well as men, to a series of evening conversaziones on the elements of politics, but with a strict avoidance of all partisan colouring. It is our expectation at these meetings to induce, by plain-speaking, our guests to put questions to us on such topics as are of interest to themselves,—notably the land, for instance. I make bold to commend our experiment to others.—I am, Sir, &c.,
COUNTRY PARSON.
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