The Gisborne Seat
Sir, —Your editorial of Saturday gives one food for thought. Has our boasted democratic system of election of Parliamentary representatives placed it in the power of one man to say who that representative is to be? That appears to be the position. All supporters of the Socialist Party will vote for the Labour candidate whether there are two or three standing.
Any votes that the Independent polls would be given to the Nationalist in a two-man fight. A three-cornered contest means a certain Socialist victory. It lies with one man, the Independent candidate, to say whether or not a Socialist shall represent this electorate. Is this the result of government by average opinion described by Huxley as "merely a circuitous method of going to the devil; those who profess to lead, but in fact slavishly follow this average opinion, are simply the fastest runners and the loudest squeakers of the herd which is rushing blindly down to its destruction?" It would be advisable for the opponents of socialism to decide by toss of a coin which of their two candidates goes to the poll, and to make the issue a straight-out one between socialism and liberty.—Yours, etc.. ANON.
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Bibliographic details
Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19693, 27 July 1938, Page 16
Word Count
201The Gisborne Seat Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19693, 27 July 1938, Page 16
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