PLUMPING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 278, 23 November 1893, Page 4

PLUMPING.

ITS EFFECT AND HOW TO COUNTERACT IT.

We gave a word of warning yesterday in reference to the evils of plumping. The necessity there is for emphasing this subject leads us again to revort to ib. Its important bearing upon Liberal interests at the presenb juncbure demands the seriouß attention of every elector who is desirous of promoting bhem. There is nob a shadow of doubb thab unless the Liberals of Auckland are weakened by divisions amongst tbsmselves they can win the three City seats by sweeping majorities. What is the present position? There are 16,783 voters on the City roll. Of this number wo have no hesitation in saying thab 10,000 at least —although represenbing various shades of opinion where minor issues are concerned— strongly favour a continuance of tho present Governmenb policy. According to our computation 6,788 is the highesb number of votes that can be recorded for any one Conservative candidate, as against a possible 10,000 for a Liberal aspirant. Of the ten gentlemen running for the City, wo may class six as Ministerialists. The 10,000 Liberal electors represent 30,000 votes, giving an average of 5,000 to each of their candidates ; bub of course in actual polling some will score much higher than others. The large number of Ministerial candidates is a source of weakness to tho Liberal party, and the Conservatives a chance by concentrating their energies, to wrest one of the City seats. They are not leavine a stone unturned to elfocb this, and let bhose who favour plumping consider the effect ot their policy very carefully. In this contest, what they have to fear is not merely the candidates .who hold the same views," bub those who are in Opposition. They cannot reduce the weight of the solid vote, which, for the sake of illustration, we have' estimat&d at 6,788 votes, capable of being exercised in favour of each of three candidates; but fchey may and can reduce the available store of Liberal'votes upon which they must rely for their own election. They will, indeed, as certainly as that 2 and 2 make 4, if this pernicious practice is pursued, reduce ib to _uch an extent that the success of any Government candidate is absolutely impossible. Government supporters will do well to clearly recognise thit* fact. We do not fear ; resuits if Liberals are only true to them- ! selves. United they stand ; divided they fall. Their divisions are already strengthening the hands of their opponents. Whab then, we ask, will bo tho effect if undor present circumstances tho vicious system of plumping is resorted to? Suppose for a moment the supporters of oach Liberal candidate adopted it. The average for each man, instead of 5,000, would be reduced to 1,666, and 20.000 oub of 30,000 votes would be absolutely wasted. The caso ws havo supposed is, of coUr«e, an extreme one, bub if plumping is resorted to even on a much more limited scale, it cannob fail to disastrously affect the interests of the Liberal Party. If candidates introduce this objectionable system, they advocate a principle that will prove destructive to their own interests, because its tendency is to reduce the number of votes they as Liberal candidates may obtain. Ib is a eword that cuts both ways. One candidate lias no righb to

gain a selfish advantage ab the expense of others. All true Liberals should unite in condemning such tactics. _ff an aspirant for political honours, or his Committee,asks for a plumper vote tho great body of the Liberal electors should make ie clear that persistence in such a course will alienate their support. The candidates who are opposed to plumping should show their resentment at such a request by refusing to co-operate with any candidate who solicits a plumper vote. If the members of an Association aro asked by a would-be legislator to " plump," they may be sure he will carry on the same game wibh others. And in this connection we feel constrained to remark that if the religious element is introduced ib will nob fail to engender strife. We allude to this because we hear from so many quarters thab we cannot doubb its truth, that a Committee of ladies is industriously canvassing for plumpers in the interests of one candidate on religious grounds. In such a case those who do nob advocate plumping are likely to retaliate by excluding from their ticket any candidate who encourages such practices. We have no desire to say anything further on this point, bub we deem ib expedient to caution those who resort to plumping, that they are provoking a spirit of antagonism which will be destructive to the end they are aiming at.