1819 May 25

Defence of | | Ballot

Caucussing inevitable

2. beneficial

9

I say, that if in the division concerning the comparative aptitude of different Candidates any very considerable inequality has place no prospect of success can be afforded by the bribe and therefore the expence of giving it will not be incurred. In other words a bribe will not be given for the purpose of procuring the Election of a Candidate who in common estimation is not fit, or even of one who is not in common estimation fit. For in that country such is the multitude of the Offices filled by Election (all offices in general with but few exceptions being thus filled) such is the multitude of the occasions on which the process comes to be repeated such on every /each/ occasion /and so universal/ the scrutiny which the competition causes to be made by the supporters of each Candidate into the character of every other, that among /of/ men who thus put themselves forward every one is known to every other. When of the men who are more or less known to us there is such an abundance, what can be your inducement to put all these aside and recommend to us this man of whom nobody knows any thing? – such would be the question openly or tacitly directly or indirectly but at any rate universally put by the supporters of the other Candidates to any such Members of the Caucus as on the supposition in question have ventured to give their /hazarded their/ recommendation to stake their reputation upon the aptitude of a person standing in a situation so open to suspicion. For so strange a proceeding there can not be any good cause – there can not be any other than a bad one.