The Hare System of Election

Southland Times, Issue 14101, 14 July 1898, Page 4

The Hare System of Election

One of the strongest objections urged to the Hare system was (says the Hobart Mercury) that it kept out popular men, men who would have been sure of election under the ordinary system. In Hobart the name of Mr Hiddlestone was constantly mentioned as a proof of how unfairly the system worked while in Launceston Mr Barrett was the shocking example of the system, Those persons who understand the Haro system know, of course, that not one of the charges brought against it is true, because it always returns the candidates for whom the electors vote. It is not a system which will return a candidate for whom the electors do nob vote, which is what some see.n to desire, though why they should expect the Hare system to do what no other one will, we are quite unable to understand. However, Mr Hiddlestone, who used to say that he was defeated by the Hare system, has had a trial of voting under the old system, and he finds himself in the same position as he was at the previous election. He might now say, with quite as much truth as on the previous occasion, that if the last election had been under the Haro System he would hs.ve been returned. The fact is, that no system is answerable for the results. In Hobart and Launceston ethe electors did not vote for the ipopular candidates er rather the candidates who were thought to be the' - popular ones, and the natural and the proper consequence was, that they were not o ected. In Launceston it is understood that Mr B <rrett was thought to be quit* safand so he l.sb votes, which is by no means an unusual thing to hapjeo. In Hobart the truth is, we believe, that the electors desire a change. I his is the reason why Mr Hiddlestone has been defeated twice, not became he was the victim of any system, and those who have taken this objection will do well to reconsider the subject. The Hare System is the only one under which a true representation of public opinion can be obtained, and this is surely worth a great deal more trouble than the system entails to pwure,