THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1908. TO-DAY'S ELECTIONS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3052, 24 November 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1908. TO-DAY'S ELECTIONS.

It i 3 only natural that there should be widespread interest in the second ballots that will be taken to-day. When the Second Ballot Bill was introduced into the House it was opposed by the Leader of the Opposition, who was twitted with being afraid that it would operate in the direction of wiping out "the remnant" of his party then in the House. Whatever may have been Mr Massey's views or fears upon this point, it is obviously clear that in the coming Parliament he is going to be at the head of a party much stronger, numerically, and in no way inferior individually, to that with which he faced the country. Already sixteen Oppositionists have been returned, and it seems practically certain that by the time the second ballots have been concluded a further seven, possibly nine, members will have been added to the -Opposition

ranks. Sir Joseph Ward may pretend to treat Mr Massey's partial victory with contempt; he may endeavour to explain it away as much as he pleases, but the people of this country are not devoid of ordinary intelligence. As a whole, they are quite as capable, as either Sir Joseph Ward or Mr Massey, of cDmprehending that an alteration in the strength of the respective parties has come about, and they are able to form their own views as to what the effect of the altered position of affairs will be. Sir Joseph Ward denies that the Opposition is now stronger than ever, ana his contention is based upon the following plausible argument—viz., | "That the total vute cast for the Government throughout the Do- | minion was 234,952. The total vote cast for the Opposition was 102,143. In other words, the Government vote exceeded the Opposition vote by 134 percent." Now, Sir Joseph's contention is simply a fallacy. The mention of one fact alone is sufficient to prove it to be so. In some electorates there was no Opposition candidate to vote for, but does such a fact prove that had there been an Opposition candidate that no one would have voted for him? Every reasonable person, upon a little reflection, if such be necessary, will admit that the only way by which the feeling of the country can be judged is by a comparison of the number of candidates which each party returns. It will be highly interesting to learn how the Second Ballot principle has worked. A Ministerial journal remarks that "the supporters of the defeated candidate have only to transfer their votes at the second ballot to the Liberal candidate who has been left in the swim, and he wiJl win as a matter of course." The phase "left in the swim" strikes j pne being of rather a curious character, and if used by an OpI position candidate of Liberal candidates Vvbtildl probably bring down upori hi* head the fury of the powers tftafc be. But though "the Liberal Candidate may be in the swim," the people are not in the swim, and they have never been, and never wanted to be lapped by the waves of party intrigue. So far as thd second ballots are concerned, we believe this, that because so many electors have voted for one. Government j candidate that, therefore, they will ' vote lor another, whatever he I does not follow as a ?Hafetel 4 of J course. We believe Eh&fc the electors will exercise the Fight of private judgment; we believe that they are of independent mind, and we believe ; that by far the great majority of them conscientiously vote for what j they consider is best. Holding such views, we await, with interest, the results of the Second Ballot.