THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 6063, 24 September 1894, Page 4

THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY.

We are often admonished by the profsssional politician and by the man of " oommon ssnre," of the saoredness of the will of the majority, or, as it is sometimes called, the popular will. It is assumed by the person! m question that tha will of the majority has an inviolable claim to respect. This assumption is not true at all m modern society ; it can only be true m a society of equals, and even then m order to be true we must have a high ssnse of publio duty, & standard of morality which exacts that everyone shall take the requisite interest m publio queitions for forming an independent judgment on them. What has been called lbe wilt of tbe peoplo, or the will of the majority, does not express any aot of will at all, but the absenoe of will. It is not the will but the apathy of tbe majority that is represented. How many of the peraons who vote, oomciiutly will a particular line of polioy? The man who has not taken the trouble to train himself to think out publio questions for himself, cannot help to form ao effective public opinion on any question presenting itself ; and nntil the majority have so trained themselves, the opinion of that majority as euoh oan have no moral olaim on the allegiance of minorities or of individuals, although it may be convenient m many or m most cases to recognise it. As to those persons who prostrate themselves before tbis idol;," the will of the majority," of the mere mechanical majority, the oount of heads, and ewear they would yield anything to tbe authoritative utterances of " the' people," it would be interesting to know how far m the direotion of its logioal conclusion they would be prepared to follow their principles. Unless a man is prepared to follow a majority, 80 to say, through a quick-set hedge, the principle of bare majority worship falls to the ground.— (fi B Bax.)