The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, DEC 7, 1893.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10214, 7 December 1893, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, DEC 7, 1893.

Beeobe the impressions created by the recent general election have been quite obliterated, it may be well to fix public attention upon some faulty features of our electoral system, with a view to eliciting suggestions for reform. We would first of all refer to the practice of canvassing and the still more objectionable proceeding of conveying able-bodied electors to the poll like so many “dumb, driven cattle.” We have abolished bribery and intimidation to a large extent by tbe agency of the ballot; “ treating ’ only lingers as an occasional lapse into a bad old custom; even the “ hustings ” have been dona away with as obsolete and unnecessary; why, then, should we continue practices which are only saved from being “corrupt” by not being specifically mentioned as such, but which are as barbarous, obsolete and contrary to the spirit of the ballot as are any of those that have been placed under legislative ban f Y/hiio these methods of electioneering are sanctioned or tolerated, there can bo no hope of attaining anything like ideal freedom in the expression of public opinion, and no prospect of the electors being able to command the services of the best men in the Parliament of the country. The canvassing nuisance is greatly modified of late as compared with the time when paid “touts ” used to invade the fireaides of the people; but there is still room for improvement. There is no reason why electors should be pestered for pledges during a contest by friends of different candidates, followed up to the door of the polling-booth, and confused with a variety of directions, prayers and warnings on a question which is supposed to be decided independently and secretly by each voter for him or herself. Again, it is repugnant to the sentiment of selfroapact in many estimable citizens to be parties to practices of this kind, and for this reason numbers of men well fitted for public life are deterred from offering their services to the people in a representative capacity. Thus the public suffer doubly. They are unnecessarily postered, and they are deprived of the services of the best men. There is also, in the covert attack on the ballot, an incitement to deceit and hypocrisy, since easygoing voters may, under pressure, give express or implied pledges iu a certain aad reeoEdc votes in .the

opposite way. As for the use o£ conveyances to take people to the polls, it is- a form of “ treating ” that ought to be suppressed by law.

It is not a little curious to find a few gentlemen—Conservatives, for the most part—who assume that the electors like to he canvassed and pleaded with and driven to the polls, and directed how to vote. These gentlemen deprecate as strongly as we do the practices referred to, but they profess to believe that it is only by stooping to such tactics that the support ot the people can he secured ; and because they very properly decline to beg to bo allowed the privilege of serving the public they do not offer their services. It is, we are convinced, a complete error to suppose that the electors approve of canvassing or like to be fawned upon and treated to a drive to the polling booth. They submit to a vicious system, from which, 'though it is utterly distasteful to them, they cannot escape, hut they would rejoice to see it swept away. Nor ia it true that these methods are necessary to obtain the support of the electors. The return of Sir George G rey for Auckland city by a majority of nearly two thousand votes over the next candidate is a complete answer to that assumption. The octogenarian statesman allied himself with no party, disclaimed connection with any "ticket,” had no Election Committee or other organisation to further his candidature; yet in spite of every effort made by others to concentrate support upon themselves, 6372 electors unsolicited recorded their votes for him, and returned him at the head of the poll. Of course Sir George is an exceptional man, but none tho less his election proves that it is not at all necessary for any politician to resort to questionable practices in order to secure the suffrages of the people. We should like to see many of our leading men, no matter of what shade of politics, emulating the courage and faith in electoral purity that have just been so conspicuously displayed by Sir George Grey.

The entry of women into the political field makes it more than ever desirable that canvassing and solicitation of votes should be abolished. Women both canvassed and were canvassed during the late election, and wo confess the prospect thus opened up is not an inviting one. As familiarity leads inevitably to contempt, there will not be the same chivalric feelings shown towards women electors at future contests as there was at that just over. The undignified and degrading consequences to be feared in times of high feeling and keen excitement could only be dimly foreshadowed in a onesided struggle like the late general election. But even in its course there were undesirable occurrences. It is not altogether seemly to have women accosting male strangers and arguing with them in the public streets. At Mosgiel a number of women voters so far unsexed themselves as to make themselves beasts of burden by dragging their favourite candidate in his carriage to a place of meeting. Women are more impulsive than men, and unless measures be adopted that will largely reduce election excitement there may be a number of unseemly and regret? table ” scenes ” at future Parliamentary contests. To make it illegal to canvass electors or convey them to the' polls would have a decided tendency to make election proceedings more calm and rational than they are at present, and we do not see why that reform should not ha adopted. It may be objected that it would ba difficult, if not impossible, to stop canvassing by a legal enactment providing penalties for the practice. The same objection holds good in the case of other laws, such as that making it penal to bet on the result of any Parliamentary election. But the moral and educational effect of such laws must he considered. If candidates and electors are silike disgusted with the prevailing system, mere legal censure might suffice to kill it altogether. As for the employment of vehicles in the interests of candidates), that should only be allowed in the cases of sick and infirm electors.

Even were the Corrupt Practices Act thus radically amended, and the alteration backed by popular sentiment, there would still be something lacking before we should he within measurable distance of an ideal method of electing Parliamentary representatives. There would still remain the objection that under existing methods the least desirable men frequently come to the front by dint of mere assurance and pertinacity. So long as trucklers, loudvoiced promisers and self-seekers have facilities offered them for imposing themselves upon constituencies, so long will the worthier hut more modest and scrupulous men hold hack and refrain from polluting themselves by entering into competition with such people. That the truckling self - eeebara do nob always succeed has been proved by the late elections. But that they do sometimes succeed, and that their methods keep better men from offering themselves are facts which suggest that some mode of selecting Parliamentary candidates might with great advantage take the place of the “ no-systein ” at present iu vogue. As things now stand, any male elector, whether at the instance of a coterie or caucus, or whether of his own volition, can announce hie candidature, utter the historical “ Here I am, and here I remain,” and either causo an unnecessary poll or confuse the issue and divide the votes. Before we agitate for the people being allowed the initiative in legislation, it would be well if we could devise a way of giving them the initiative in choosing their legislators. Instead of the second poll which some people advocate to determine elections in which the successful candidates have not received an absolute majority of the votes polled, would it not bo preferable to have a preliminary ballot to determine which of the candidates in the field should go to the poll ? All who did not obtain & certain proportion . of votes at the preliminary ballot could be debarred from being

under a system of this kind the most suitable men in the community could be induced to submit their names to the preliminary ballot, we feel satisfied that the electors would make a wise choice of candidates, and that they would go forward to the polls determined to choose the best men, no matter what their party predilections might be. The attempt to control, by means of . Political Associations, the nomination of candidates has been a dismal failure, and there will be no reason to regret the breakdown if it should lead to a transference of the preliminary choice from the caucus to the general body of electors.