The Evening Star. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2118, 18 February 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1870.

The question of the ballot ought not to be allowed to rest, for everything is of importance that tends to perfect liberty of thought and action. It is, no doubt, a very enviable position to be in to be enabled, like Mr F. D. Bell, to say— “ I vote as I choose, “ and every other man should do the “ same.” We take it for granted that all will admit that under no circumstances should a person who expressed himself thus endeavor to influence a single elector. We only use that gentleman’s name as the type of a class, and never have heard that in practice he did otherwise than accord to others the liberty he claimed for himself. * But it is notorious that similar arguments have been used by persons who were very unscrupulous in their efforts to coerce tradesmen and dependants into supporting their views. We speak from the practical experience of many years, both at Home and in the Colonies. In Great Britain, on account of the peculiar relation between rich and poor, landlord and tenant, tradesman and customer, there is more intense pressure brought to bear than in the Colonies ; but even moral Dunedin is not free from the sin of endeavoring to thwart free expression of opinion. Perhaps few would believe in the extent of the despotic spirit. Even a newspaper cannot take an independent stand without payinga penalty. If the Evening Star were to toady to men in power and abandon its independent position, it would receive many advertisements that are purposely withheld from it. It is the fate of every outspoken journal, A late Treasurer, Mr Yooel, truly said that a public man who made no enemies could not have acted independently. We are glad to say there are many men who are above such petty tyrannies; but there are others, in whom the public place confidence, who because a journal dares to criticise their actions, or reprove their follies, can affect to bo dignified, and say “ I cannot conscientiously give the Evening Star an advertisement,” and who not only withhold their own support, which they have a right to do, but use their influence to withhold public advertisements, which they have no right to do. Now if there are men who will do this—and wo could, if necessary, prove that there are—is it too much to say that such men would use every effort, fair or unfair, to secure the return of a candidate who advocated their own political views ? We do not think it necessary to name them in our own case, for we have reason to know that the public think, very correctly, that it is their interest to support a journal that, on account of its independent character, has the largest circulation of any in New Zealand. They may, and have good reason to find fault that on that account the withholding such advertisements is detrimental to the civic or public interest; but that is not the present question. What we wish to establish is that if those who have been pitchforked into honorable positions use their transient power so unworthily, is it too much to assume, that in the excitement of an election a similar spirit may load many others to acta of tyranny, from which in their calm moments they would shrink? It is the interest of every man who is a true disciple of liberty to guard against this. If public opinion is in error, let it be corrected by the dissemination of sound information. Let the question at issue be discussed at public meetings, and through the Press. Give every opportunity of free expression of opinion, and, instead of endeavoring to crush the truth, let its advocates hail even opposition to their views as aids to its fuller development “ the rod and reproof give wisdom ” but meddle with no man’s rights. A free expression of political opinion is an elector’s most precious right ; and since it is so liable to be tampered with by the interested and intolerant, in the interest of conscience, truth, and liberty, let us have the protection of the ballot.