The Daily News TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8. MAJORITY REPRESENTATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 218, 8 September 1908, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8. MAJORITY REPRESENTATION.

Ihe progress made with the Second Hallot Jji.l in .Parliament should be it source of satisfaction to ail those who desire that the democratic will should be expressed in an intelligible and ell'ective way at all Parliamentary elections. \\ liile the lneasure is perhaps not perfect, it embodies a genuine attempt to secure the fullest measure of constitutional freedom—majority rule. .Mr. -\lassey all'ected to see in the measure retrogression in the direction of political corruption, ile failed to curry conviction with this class of argument, however, nor aid he endeavour to show why a second ballot should be less secure against political bribery than the present ballot system. As a matter of lact, and so far as it is reasonably possible to guard, the measure provides, under heavy penalty, against the possibility of even tr.e mildest form of corruption. It is proposed thai it shall be illegal for any candidate, or any person on his behalf, between the lirsi and second ballots, to attend or address any public meeting, free or restricted, of electors, •jr for any person to print, publish, exhibit or distribute any advertisement, notice, address, article, or other document ill connection with the election, to procure, advocate oppose, or prevent the election of any candidate, under u •peiuity not exceeding £IOO. The Bit imposes practically 110 additional work or expense on a candidate other than he would be liable for were the second ballot, in his case, unnecessary, the Government defraying the cost of the second election up to J. 50. The principal point made by opponents of the measure was that minorities would be practically disfranchised in Parliament. There is no doubt much to be said, theoretically, in favour 01 a system whereby all parties would ue represented in Parliament proportionately to their numerical strength, but the ideal is 100 far removed from the.' realm of practical politics at present to be entertained, even were a workable scheme proposed. So long as our present system of election obtains, no argument can place the rights of minorities ahead of the rights of majorities. While Mr. ilassey may, with some measure of justification, contend that a minority is entitled to proportionate representation, he cannot justify a system which enables a minority to be represented to the exclusion of the majority. The absolute majority of the Hill lias been waived in cases where any one has a majority of 500 over his nearest opponent, even although he may not have an absolute majority mathematically. Although this exception is not in accord with the principle 011 which the Bill is based, it is a concession against which little can be urged even by the supporters of the measure. And for the very 1 obvious reason that a candidate who, at the present numerical voting strength of the electoral-, can command a 000 ■majority over an opponent, even although he may not have an absolute majority of the votes cast, would have the sucond election, to all intent, and purposes, won before he started. It would, therefore, be a waste of both time and money to decree a second election under such circumstances. We are not inclined to agree with those who profess to believe that a large number of electors would absent themselves from the poll oil the second occasion. On the contrary, it is our opinion that a second ballot, especially only a week after the first, would excite! intensitied interest, it will probably be found in practice, however, that second ballots will be fewer than the recent increase in minority representatives would seem to indicate, because tile chief object of the Hill is deterrent to those who set up candidates to split votes. This pa••lieular move in political strategy will, under the second ballot system, represent only wasted energy, and is therefore not likely to lie indulged in to anytiling like the extent to which it has been practised in the past.