MOVING BACKWARDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16487, 28 February 1914, Page 10

MOVING BACKWARDS.

Mr G. M. Butterworth seems to have made his address to the members of the Women’s Social and Political League last night the occasion for the exposition of some fine old Tory doctrines. “It was nonsense” he told the ladies “ to say that the man in tho street was as well qualified to vote as the governor of a bank or tho head of Dalgety’s.” “From the accession of William of Orange till 1832,” he said again, “England was an.oligarchy, but the nation was behind the form of government and they got just as good Prime Ministers as had ever been found since.” “When they found a minority ruling a country,” yet again, “ they would generally find the minority was in deadly earnest and probably deserved to rule.” We have few opportunities in this country to judge of the voting qualifications of governors of banks and heads of Dalgety’s, but ’? they really are so infinitely superior to tho qualifications of the man in the street then, of course, the advantages of an oligarchy and of minority rule must he conceded without further discussion. But without going as far as this, we may bo permitted, to wonder how Mr Butterworth would bring his ideal constitution about. The man in the street may be a very undesirable person from tho Tory point of view, but he happens, to be in a large majority in the country and the difficulty will be to persuade him to divest himself of the political privileges with which he has been clothed by the wicked Liberals. Perhaps the matter might be arranged on the principle of proportional representation which Mr Butterwortli in his concern for the superior classes so scornfully rejects. The governor of a bank might bo given 2000 votes, the head of Dalgety’s, a. scarcely less distinguished individual. 1950, and the man in tho street half a vote or even a smaller fraction. But still the approval of the man in the street would be required and being an illiterate person who has never read oi the merry times that prevailed in England during the reigns of Anne and the Georges he might object. We must turn to Mr Butterworth for a solution of the problem. But jesting apart, it is passing sad that women who, presumably, are earnestly seeking political enlightenment should be treated at this time of day to such astounding sophistries as Mr Butterworth, an educated, cultured gentleman, inflicted' upon the members of the Social and Political League last night. They would have been poor enough as an exhibition of humour; as a comment upon proportional representation they were simply deolorable.