The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1913. THE SECOND BALLOT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 22 November 1913, Page 4

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

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1913. THE SECOND BALLOT.

For the cause thai lacks assistance. For the wrong that needs resistance, For tlte future in the distance, And the good that ice win do.

The line of action adopted by Sir Joseph Ward and the Opposition in stonewalling the Legislature Amendment BDI is, of course, evoking a tremendous outburst of wrath from the "Reformers." At the moment even the strikers are forgotten, and the heads of the Reform party and their journalist:.- mouthpieces are expendin.2 all the copious reftourceis of their vocabulary of vituperation upon tin- Liberals for daring to obstruct Mr Masser and his friends in the perpe.traLion of a clever political ! trick, which, if successful, might have i i had the mo.st disastrous effect upon the I prospect? of constitutional democracy in ; New Zealand. : I ! Y\ c are well aware that the policy of, systematic obstruction that Sir Joseph! ; Ward and the Liberals have taken up I ' ; aL only be defended on tae pleii of grave J public necessity. But, in our opinion, the J ■ emergency i? quite sufficiently serious to | ! justify the decision of the Liberals to i ; employ evnry legitimate v.e.ip.'.i; th.it j ! Parliamentary proef'iure provide? to. j defeat the purpose of th" "Reformers."I What that purpose is we have already i attempted 1,0 explain. At the next dec j i lion the Opposition vote i? certain to be; J Fpiit between Liberal and Labour eandi-j i dates. If there is no Second Fallot the j ! Reformers may win; if there is a Second: i Ballot, in most electorate? the La-bo ir i I votes would be with the Liberals raiher ] I than with the -Reformers." At lii.-it j 'election the '-Reformers" polled alto- j gether 172.000 votes, and the. votes polled I ajrairrst them amounted cnlk-viively to 257.000.' Naturally, the • Reformer.-"" i would like to get rid of the Second Ballot j before next polling day. On this point ! the opinions expressed in Christclr.irch ; recently by several representative | ■ Liberal and Labour leaders are worth a J little attention from our readers. Mr ; Hunter. Mr V. G. Sullivan, and v v •'.; , McOombs. representing different aspc-ls . J of democratic Liberalism, agrped that the j : attempt to destroy the Second Ballot, j 1 without providing some sort of ■liter-1 native to nl.na;,- the evil., of minority i representation deferred the st r«:)-! . co:idemnr..tioTi. lie Second Ballot i- ad-; : mittedly an awkward and inadequate way of arriving at the people's will: but I it is infinitely better than the primitive j ' system of so-called majority represrnta- I tion. which so often practically disfran- i chiscs a largre minority of tin- electors.! .We readily admit that many Liberals I , are quite prepared to drop ;hc See-ind J Ballot ns soon :i5 a practicable sub.-ti- j , tutr fur it is nfTere.l. But this i- very j different from accepting the abolition of tin- Second T'i:illot withoii: any reason- | able alternative: r.nd. in ',iir opinion. I Sir Joseph Ward ami ;>!■■ Liberals now I l '"stonewalling"' in the House deserve the , thank.- of tli' country for ill ■ courage i -and resolution they hay- displayed. ! I ■ ' ■ ' I 1 T!,c iasL- for lii. •i,.p,,.i,,,n .is I ; well put the other .|av |, v, M. ' ; rvimljs. one of the ablest ~■ our ,;younger Liberal politicians. "There is • no mistaking the (iovernments motive j in introducing Uie 'Second Billot Ke-^ai ] Bill. Its onjy motive it- to try 10 frusI trate the »ii of the electors at the next ] poll. There will he three panic- in the I fie'ul. and the : .overrun .-eek.- by '.preserving ,md strengthening defects in ' I the electoral system to retain office on I a minority vote. T';e motive r.f the j! fownißoni is »o ira.T*rvreni .ir.d «.o . ! unworthy, that the ('ppivitinn would be I lacking in it.- v -\ to the _ i demoi'rocy if i- ;-..:,.jj .-, „*„ ail ! uin- forces of the Hon. p. and set up a i stonewall i!u; would l.Jock the hi!!.' . These remarks, were made ten ,;j >.-- .i'o. I be-fore .Mr. Mas>ey was struck with the j ingenious idea of " ringing in" the repeal of the Second Ballot imr'.er shelter I of a bill bearing another t tie. and mipI posed to h n directed townr- 1 an entirely I different object: and .-,:re'v the un- , worthy tactics that the " t!rfytrrnor* "* I have employed have vastly r-lrenprheuoii the rose for t.i» Opposition. V- to the out-cry sain?l the " ..inDou-sli." cur j reader- should hnt.i'y reed to be re-iminde-1 thai ibe " i;e'"rine:-.- " frequently indulged in systems ti■- obstruction when . they were the Opposition, with infinitely how liwijj the -rwii-ori list.-, .ye hope ' that Sir Joseph Ward M hi- followers ; will not. deterred "by the niji-.rcprcsen-i t.xt-ion and abut-e so strongly characteristic of the ■'• "pform '" habit of mini! ' from doing their duty to the pountry and 'defeating this insidious plot Djrain.-t the 1 richts of the elector?. But. putting -all other considerations ,: aside, the question may well be a.sked. 'Why should the attempt 1o ' force this very debatable measure '■ through at this late period of the 'session? Tlie order of P.jriiamenwry ! business is arranged 1-y the r.civrnn.'n!. i.md mam- irnpor'ant .tuatter.-. :T.-:u.-i;ng i tivo Public Works State^t-n!. rc«i;.in to l be dpalt with. In ib" oHin.i't t-eiirs<> '! Kiirl.r «-hieh th. votes o 1 p!v ppori'-r -ha :i be Mr ne ir.iiir.-if.; th.v - I he is in favour <->f proportions: rt-prr ! ;cnt-3t!on; •.r , ;.-- not. rherof^n s . bring . down an EJwtoral Bill on broa/J lir,e.». I e'e.T!'ric .Mih : ii"= -j-h'Tli --.jpj.-,-; in ,i j rtstearr.BnliUc- manner" £.ervou< who ■ Jtfate» at this matter matt

i admit that the manner in which this I sweeping change in our elc-toral laws is being attempted cannot he ju.-iif:rd. Xo mandate for the repeal of the Second > Ballot Ait has gone forth from the . country: '.md even if it had. public in- I terests would not be jeopardised by de- j laying the enactment of the measure for another year. It, is the business of the Opposition to see that important measures such as the one now under consideration, a incisure which seriously effects the rights of the electors, shall not be hastily enacted. By repealing the Second Ballot Act the voters of New Zealand will be deprived of a privilege which they now possess of exercising a final choice between men who come forward to represent them: and that right ought not to be withdrawn 11n.il some efficient, substitute effecting the s-arue purpose has been provided in its place.