Chap. 3.] SOCIAL AND POLITICAI, HISTORY. 97 



The work done by the Tory party in Longridge is chiefly confined 

 to general elections and to furthering the Primrose League. Certainly 

 they work well at elections, sometimes a little too weU. The Cranbome 

 and St. Michael Habitations of the Primrose League are both, I under- 

 stand, in a flourishing condition. Occasionally they give free tea 

 parties and concerts, and sometimes practice a little boycotting. Their 

 action at Whittingham Asylum has been not altogether fair, but they 

 are weU watched, and wiU not, we think, go too far. One little fact 

 deserves mention, as it illustrates the casuistry of Church of England 

 Tory parsons. In 1884 I made application to the Eev. C. 0. Gordon, 

 Vicar of Goosnargh, for his consent as a trustee for the use of the school 

 there for a Liberal meeting. In a very fair letter he declined my 

 rec[uest, promising to allow no political meetings therein except at 

 election times. In 1887 a meeting of the Primrose League was held 

 in the School, and a vote of thanks at the close was tendered to the 

 Vicar for his kindness in lending the school. At the meeting attempts 

 were made to hide its pohtieal character, but I wrote to the Vicar for 

 an explanation of this violation of his voluntary promise, and asked 

 him if the Primrose League was not just as much a political body as 

 the National League. I received the following reply : — " I beg to 

 acknowledge the receipt of your letter. — lam, etc., C. Osborne Gordon," 

 which, of course, amounted to a tacit admission that I was right. 



The number of voters for Alston on the registers is 300, and for 

 Dilworth 440. The probable voting strength of the three political 

 partiesis— Tories, 440; Liberals, 300; "Unionists," half-a-dozen, which 

 approximate very closely, it wiU be observed, to the strength of the 

 Church and non-Church people. 



The large majority take a keen and intelligent interest in politics, 

 and, where not blinded by prejudice or passion, are exceedingly weU 

 informed on the leading topics of the day. It is to be feared that the 

 love of the " green cloth " which has sprung up during the last three 

 or four years is proving stronger than the love of reading for the 

 younger generation. Politically speaking, Longridge is of vast im- 

 portance to the Darwen Division, as the balance of power may be said 

 to lie in Dilworth. Both Lord Cranbome and Mr. J. Gerald Potter 

 recognized this in 1885 ; and the Longridge Tories do not forget it. 



