The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDQEOUMBE, Proprietor. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1900.

Waikato Argus, Volume IX, Issue 772, 5 October 1900, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDQEOUMBE, Proprietor. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1900.

The Electoral Law Amendment Bill has been circuited. It provides that for the purpose of enabling the Begistrar to make the roll as complete as possible all members of the police force and persons in the employ of the Government are required to assist him by informing him of the name of nr.y person who is qualified to be enrolled but is not so, and of any who are enrolled and are not entitled to be. Residence in a district is not to be deemed to be interrupted by absence from the colony on public business, or in other cases provided the term of absence does not exceed three years and the voter has not during that time established his residence elsewhere, such person shall within three months after his return be entitled to be enrolled. The Bill makes it unlawful for any person to canvass for votes, whether for payment or otherwise. Any canvassing is to be declared a corrupt practice, and mock ballot papers are declared illegal.

The most important provision in the Bill is making canvassing of any description illegal. "We have frequently advocated this step. Canvassing in a degree does away with the secrecy of the ballot, which is enacted in order that no voters shall be intimidated from voting in accordance with their opinions by fear of the consequences. If a man is canvassed he can refuse to answer, can make a promise which he means to keep or one which he does not. In other words may protect himself by telling an untruth* It is from being placed in this position that the law is meant to protect him. In addition, professional canvassers, and for that matter all others, are more or less imbued with the not very estimable idea that all is fair in love, war and elections, and in consequence are not very particular as to the statements they make in order to secure votes. If the Bill becomes law it will only be lawful to appeal to the electors by speeches from the platform or by printed circulars, in which candidates can lay before the electors their opinions on political matters on the strength of which they claim that they are entitled to election. Speeches and documents, if inaccurate, can be refuted, but there is no possible means of counteracting the statements of men who hold the opinion which we have above attributed to canvassers. Fortunately, in these days, all can read, there is no reason therefore to object on the grounds that voters will go to the poll ignorant of the principles they are asked to approve or condemn by means of their votes. The other clauses of the Bill are likely to prove useful, and we sincerely hope that it will pass.