Requisitions and the Ballot.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 197, 19 August 1873, Page 7

Requisitions and the Ballot.

The Daily Ti'ffies bus th? following remarks upon the practice of " roquisitionisin'i," which forms altogether too prominent a feature in connection with election matters : '"■ •'•" *"*; '"'•". recent election of a City Councillor for High Ware], complained that they had not received the amount of support which had been promised them.' -The . kdlot draws i\ veil over matters of this kind, so that it is impossible, even if it were desirable, to get to the bottom of them. .We may, however, mention a circumstance which goes a good way towards affording an explanation of the complaint of one at least of the defeated aspirants for municipal honours. It is that those who signed the requisition to one candidate, also signed theirequ.isition to another. How. these persons can reconcile it to their consciences

to pledge themselves to support each of two rival candidates, we cannot say, We .only know that they did so., Possibly they, looked .upon the signing of the requisitions as a mere matter of form or complaisance, hut the circumstance is on that 5 account none the less unsatisfactory, morally j considered. Good, however, may come j out of this evil, if the result complained of j should have the effect of checking the practice of getting up requisitions, which I has become so common in Dunedin. This I practice is entirely at variance with the j principle of the ballot. In fact, to ask a | man to sign a requisition of this kind,

is to place him in the possible predicament of having to do one of three things which may he alike disagreeable to him—viz., either to refuse to sign ; or to sign and <;ive his vote contrary to his bettor judgment, simply because he has so signed ; or to sii»n for one man and-vote for another. Every man who prizes the benefits the ballot confers on him should resent a re quest to sign a requisition as being a request to him to forego his electoral birthright. Jf experience proves that requisi-

tions are only empty and delusive forms they will die a natural death, hut this.will not. come about, until a great many pledges have been broken. The same remarks apply, in a large measure, to personal can vassiiig. Both means of endeavouring to secure support are simply tampering with the votes of the electors—the very thing (that the ballot is designed to ..prevent."",; .