The Hastings Standard Published Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1896. SECOND BALLOTS.

Hastings Standard, Issue 63, 9 July 1896, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1896. SECOND BALLOTS.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance. For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The Bill introduced by the Premier to give effect to the proposal foreshadowed in the Governor's Speech has been circulated. The measure is destined to afford the House much material for profitless discussion. A motion for a similar measure was presented to the House of Commons last yea* by a private member, and although it passed by 132 to 72, nothing came of it. The second ballot is quite a fad, and has not the merits of the system of proportional representation associated with the name of Hare, the inventor or adapter. Hare's system has something of a scientific character to recommend it, but the second ballot is of the species known as the common or garden fad. The second ballot, applied to the Hawke's Bay electorate, and assuming a case for the would work somewhat as

follows :—Let ns suppose that there are three candidates—Captain Russell, Bob Scratehley (a Liberal), and John Jennikins (Independent)—and that they poll severally 8,929, 3,457, and 1,3G4 valid votes. This would necessitate a second ballot, because Captain Russell, with his 3,629 votes, has nine votes short of the prescribed minimum, which is obtained as follows : Votes. Captain Russell ... ... 3,929 Bob Scratehley ... ... 3,457 John Jennikins ... ... 1,364 Total valid votes ... 8,750 Less 10 per cent. ... 875 7,875 Less one-half 3,937 Prescribed minimum ... 3,938 At the second ballot, which must be held within seven days of the first> only those who voted at the first ballot can claim admission to the pollingbooth, and the contest at the second ballot would be between Captain Russell and Bob Scratehley. The 1364 voters who recorded for the independent candidate must at the second ballot choose between the two candidates. It will be easily seen from this that this minority decides the contest, and that candidate stands the best chance of success who is prepared to yield to the demands of the minority. Captain Russell's defeat under such conditions becomes a moral certainty, because the Liberal candidate being a supporter of the party in power could promise roads and bridges, billets and concessions of all kinds because he is the Government candidate, and Governments, whether Liberal or Conservative, are not above log-rolling to secure a victory. The result of the contest practically rests, as we have shown, with the minority, and the candidate who wins at the second ballot must do so by political dishonesty. If instead of the third candidate being as we have described him, an Independent, he happened to be the chosen of the Prohibitionists, it stands to reason that at the second ballot the two candidates would have to bid, and bid high, for the votes of temperance reformers, who regard the triumph of a single principle of more importance than the welfare of the nation. There is nothing to equal log-rolling to cheek genuine enthusiasm. It degrades it by associating the cause which has aroused it with something inferior. Log-rolling has a charm for those engaged in the practice, but its effect on the rest of the community is to make the sight of a polling booth distasteful. As it is, we have far-too much of the business in our political world, and instead of our statesmen aiming a death blow at the log-rollers and wirepullers they appear to be going out of their way to encourage them. The second ballot is not only unnecessary, but decidedly bad, arid we hope the measure introduced is only intended as a stalking-horse for the coming election, and not intended to be passed on to the Statute Book.