Be not deceived: _a new and specious enemy_, with a very
apparently humble name, "The Small Ratepayer," has recommended
you a List of Guardians, for whom _decency must blush and
virtue must tremble_.
Fellow Ratepayers, enquire for yourselves, and you will be
easily able to unmask this Small Ratepayer and find him an
_enemy to morality_, and a _promoter of Mormonism_ in its most
disastrous and hideous form. _He blushes not to recommend for
Guardians_, men whose lives are not regulated by the paths of
virtue and morality, but tainted with _noon-day adultery and
heartless debauchery_.
RATEPAYERS, AWAKEN! _Let not naked Adultery stalk through our
streets, unabashed_, without manifesting your _manly disgust_
at the _audacity of the attempt_ to seat men of vice upon
the same benches with men of honour and integrity at that
Board, whose most painful duty too often is to admonish the
_unfortunate daughters of sin_ for burdening our parish with
the results of such vice, from which their judges should be
free and unpolluted.
We grieve for the honourable names that have been _made to
stand godfather for the vicious and intolerant_ aspirants,
dictated by the organ of a _dangerous, maligning local
newspaper_. But we know that there is enough regard for virtue
and morality in the Ratepayers of Dudley to discriminate
betwixt the _evil_ and the _good_ men; and we again call upon
you to _exercise your votes_ _with care, honesty, and justice_.
The Times are _Hard_, indeed, when the town is subjected to
such _daring insults_.