NOMINATION DAYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 921, 24 July 1869, Page 10

NOM INAT IO N DAYS.

' AMON'd 'the political onan'jges which. a*e J r npw finding fayp,^ in, "England; .theite * is one which heeds little' argument,. to \ recommend it—and that' ia, the abolii ■' tioh'df the ; riomifi^tion'.'day at'electiftns.' ' A' Committee 1 of 'the, HpW; ,bf Com-;' * mons, recenily ' appointed to, enquire . into the mode of conducting elections;* ' hhs included this proposal in 'the' range c "of T£s "investigations. The "weighty of [ evidence taken on the subject appears, ' to be wholly in favour of the proposed 'Jabdlition, The, only argument jidvkneed against it, is, that in the'ab-" sence «,of a contest,, the nomination,' is practioally the . election. But this' argument «: is" 1 very' easily dismissed., ", Tl ere' would be nothing' to present a ! ! Returaing'Ofncer .Irdin declaring'a/can^ ' didate as duly elected, in the event of bisntrt being opposed: "A publishednotice would be a v 'sufficient ceremony. " Alt' that would be iost wouMbe , two'

or three speeches, ithe uproarious mer1 riraent of the audience, and the usual, • accompaniments of the festival. / Itis' said '"that the abolition of tluV : festival would be unpopular ; but, that is- an assertion which "re- " quires to, be' proved. There is ' no reason to believe that such , a 1 , measure would be unpopular, ' unless among a 'class of men whose opinion of any measure is not Worth having. It : is highly' probable/, if it is not morally ' certain,, that among ttie citizens generally there would be few, if any, who would not readily dispense with the disorder and the unreason which usually

mark a nomination day. Most men would go further, and dispense with a pttblic declaration of the poll as well/ ■" One ceremony is very much like the " other, so far as relates to the character of the proceedings. It is not easy to see that any good purpose is served by - either. To bring together the supporters of the rival candidates, mixed up with a considerable number of ' roughs, ' is

simply to provoke them into noisy manifestations of their likes and dislikes, end- - ing not unfrequently in an open fight. The speeches of the candidates areusually drowned' in ' the yells and hisses of the opposing voters ; and yet the voters are ' professedly there for the purpose of listening attentively to the speeches. If they were listened to attentively— if every candidate could calculate on a patient hearing — the public meetings of which we speak would be useful, and no one would regret the custom which gives rise to them". As it is, they are just the reverse of what they are supposed to be. A nomination day does not even afford an index as to the probable result of the election ; for it often happens that the candidate apparently most popular with the citizens, is popular only with those who have no voto. It may very well be that the popula- • iion of our towns is too orderly to render the change alluded to a necessary measure of political reform. The scenes which are habitually witnessed at contested elections in England and Ireland find no parallel in New Zealand. Party politics among us are not yet marked by such a degree of intensity as to endanger the public .peace, nor does the fraternity of « roughs ' and 'loafers' congregate largely in our public places. So tar as more order is concerned, we have not any great reason to complain. But there is one ovil resiilt notwithstanding ; and it is one that will continue to show itself as' long as the practico of public nominations shall continue to exist. The difficulty of getting ' good men' — as the phrase sb — to como forward at a contested election either for the Mayoralty or the House of Representatives, can be ascribed to no other cause than tho reluctance of «oood men' to run the risk of being; abused by a mob. Tho ordeal is far too trying. Cases aro too common in which high character and ability, added to long years of public service, have foiled to shield tbo candidate for popular favour from brutal demonstrations of illwill. The absolute license whioh prevails on these occasions fe a temptation which a low type or human nature finds it impossible to reswt. But even if public assemblies ot this kind mighfc bo faced without approbmrion to to* aa the reception of * can

) didatev ia. concerned, ithe" diffibultyo-woilld: noffce 1 altoWtMr ttoWo\rie * 'evea'^hei? .charaqteE.would, .present > themselves,.-, to .the. mind of any. one' t who. might fie rb'friiested to coriteSt' aii' el'ectic%,-: which $bWd ; P r6bab^::%^ :.f^e; s ;eiaPect;: J #»-' ieiring .Him . irom doing'sp^althougli .the office itself would; be 1 readity accepted.^ ! The' office is not disdained, but 'the niannei^iii Vhicli Wjffag'fo by^sdyight; t The "men Vllo" ' wpuld, the^ office, most^ honourably* and ion whom the, electors would most gladly confer 'it, are precisely the ! men who- object ' most' 'strongly^ to"^ the n^cessa.ry, preliminaries.^ 1 , The I "^^ o^?^^^ the electors personally is not a .pleasant one,mor is that of canvassing by paid" ageiits altogether free fronv un^lea^ant^ : jaess.' r 'Yefi jbustp^'reqmre^ one who l aspires \ to t office musb'/igo through these preliminaries; at whatever sacrifice to hiniself. ''Tie general' result is Ith'at' the 'c^mniuiiityidsW'the services of its ablest members, and is. obliged to accept the services of men 1 inferiority is unquestioned. la ntf other way dan we accoUnt for the, appa-i rently unaccountable selectionsbmetimes , made by constituencies. Worthless cha--ractersare deliberately chosen as the representatiyes of the' elector^, while, men of standing and ability are practically excluded from all the honours of public life. "\tye ( are usually $id, as the reason of their secludion, that the * £ood men ' whose election is desired cannot afford, the necessary timefbr the discharge of public duties. ,To some extent, this, is true enough; but it does not represent the whole truth. All men are ambitious enough to love office, which means dignity and power. The only question with the higher class of men is, what should be the extent of their sacrifices to obtain it 1