The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1908. THE GAG' AND GOVERNMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 230, 25 September 1908, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1908. THE GAG' AND GOVERNMENT.

— ■ ■ Far the cause that lacks assistance. For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance. And the good that ice can do.

I Tt is most unfortunate for the reputation of the Ward Government, as an exponent of Liberal principles, that it should have tolerated the inclusion in Government treasures of the undemocratic "gag" clauses that have disfigured the Arbitration Amendment Bill and the Second Ballot Bill. Happily this objectionable feature has been struck out of the Arbitration Bill. But *o far as the Second Ballot Bill is concerned, the difficulty remains, and it does not seem likely to be solved except by dropping the bill altogether. We are reluctant to recommend such a course, but Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues tr.ust understand by this time how repugnant this "gag" clause is to the commonsense of the community, ana hojv absolutely it conflicts with tbe ordinarily accepted ideas of justice and pnpula.r liberty. The inclusion of this oh use in the. bill was distinctly an error oi judgment. But obstinately to persevere in forcing such ,1. measnre upon the people against vigorous and justifiable opposition would be a grievous tactical mistake, which quite apart from the important principles involved, we hope the Liberal Government will not commit. But, while we object most strongly to this obnoxious "gag" clause, we are not of one mind with those who can see in it nothing but an attempt on the part of the Premier and his colleagues to set themselves above criticism, and to ride, rough-shod over public opinion. The idea behind the clause, of course. is that the. second poll, if itCis to represent the political convictions of the people, fairly, ought to be conducted under precisely tbe same conditions as the first. The principle of the absolute majority underlying the bill is generally put in practice and in the case of appointtnents by municipal and other public bodies, by successive votes at one meeting, and there, is no provision for adjournment. In such cases, the continuity of the proceedings is, of course, maintained, and the final ballot is taken under precisely the same conditions as the. first. Theoretically this is the ideal way of conducting such an election, and it is to ensure the absolute uniformity and similarity of the conditions obtaining at the two separate polls, that the Attorney-General and his supporters have urged that no public comment or criticism should be allowed on the candidates or the questions at issue after the first poll has been declared. As we hay„ said, this is theoretically the perfect way of applying the principle of the absolute majority. But Ministers do not seem to appreciate the extent to' which, in their well-meant attempt to secure ideally fair conditions for the second ballot, they are coming into conflict with other vitally important principles. It is hardly necessary ror us now to emphasise the danger of infringing in any way upon that freedom of speech which is rigl tly regarded as one of the most inestimably valuable of all out popular rights and liberties. We fully appreciate the emphatic protests uttered by all tne leading journalistic organs in the Dominion against this encroachme.it upon the liberty of the Press; and we endorse them the more earnestly because, we hold that tho liberty of the Press is an impregnable defence for the liberties of the people. No sacrifice, was deemed too great to obtain these precious privileges; and no sacrifice shoula now be held too severe to uphold and . maintain them. This, we. believe, is tlw ' 'unanimous feeling of the people of ihis, [country, and Government will do weil to, hesitate beinre rashly entering into a. conflict with public opinion on such j a question as this. A further purpose that the "'gag" clause is apparently intended to serve is to secure for the poorer candidates as I good a chance as their wealthier rivals when putting their case before the electors. The Premier seems to believe that if the whole machinery of electioneering is forcibly stopped bptween the two polls, the advantages enjoyed by the richer candidate will be curtailed. and the poor man who cannot afford to go on spending money so long a.s his rival, will have a better chance than if . the campaign were protracted or renewed. Our answer is that no legal re- ; striction could possibly prevent canvassi ing and the use of political influence after ihe lirst poll; and success iv that case is assured to the candidates who have already provided the best organisation and taken the most effective moans i to reach the electors before the i election comes on. In smb. a competition, the poor man's best hope and defence lies in the championship of his cause by an unfettered and outi spoken public Press; and this is the ! very ally of whom tho bill would deprive : him. Moreover, it must not bo forj gotten that the value of the whole mens- ! mi' and the success of the new elettural system will depend entirely upon j i lie extent to which the electors can be i induced to take an interest in the Second Ballot, and come in large numbers to register their voles. Unless public interest is sustained by the only means that produce much effect under such conditions—that is, by Pre.- commeat, axid by the puMicity ai-ord-d by 4

the newspapers to all important political matters—we do not be-sitate to predict that the Second Ballot will be a fiasco, and the measure, will entirely fail to effect its purpose. Let Government reflect carefully upon all this before deciding irrevocably to force upon the country a measure, which raises so many insuperable difficulties, and which, at the same time, is directly antagonistic to the fundamental principles of our boasted democratic Liberalism.