The Midlothian campaign of 1879-1880: William Gladstone runs to relieve an old woman of her burden; representing his intention to relieve Midlothian of the burden caused by fraudulent voting and land laws. Wood engraving by A. Mantrop, 1879/1880.

The album of which this print is part refers to W.E. Gladstone's candidacy for the Liberal Party in the Midlothian constituency in the General Election of 1880. An old woman walking along a road in the pouring rain personifies the Midlothian constituency. She is labouring under the burden of the Earl of Dalkeith, the Conservative member of Parliament (William Montagu Douglas-Scott, subsequently 6th Duke of Buccleuch). He holds an umbrella, and underneath it, faggots of wood. The faggots represent 'faggot votes' produced by manipulation of the electoral register: votes "manufactured for party purposes, by the transfer to persons, not otherwise legally qualified, of sufficient property to qualify them as electors" (Oxford English dictionary). The old woman's bonnet is labelled "Land laws" and her bag is labelled "Tenants". Gladstone runs towards her holding a baton labelled "Land reform"