THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1902. THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 267, 9 October 1902, Page 3

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1902. THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Now that the House lias dissolved and members are free to commence , ! their efforts to secure, re-election, i public interest in the contest shows signs of awakening. It may, there- j fore, be an opportune; time to draw J attention to a ivy\v -clause embodied ! in the Electoral. Act setting forth ! that—" Every pe.Yßon who at any j time between, the issue of a writ and the day of the poll publishes or exposes or causes to be published :or exposp.d to public view any document or writing or printed i I matter containing any untrue | j statement defamatory of any can- ! dicb.te, and calculated to influence I ; the vote of an elector, is liable to a | penalty not exceeding £SO or to a I term of imprisonment not exceeding | three months." j Several newspapers have made great complaint about the inclusion of this section, but we can hardly I understand their reason. At I present, although the libel law gives a man some redress for slander, it could .hardly be brought to bear on half the statements made at election time, unless at consider, able expenditure of time and money. The cause of the new clause doubtless lies in this fact. As matters now stand, to become a candidate for Parliamentary honors is something akin to playing the name role in the ancient game of bear baiting. Every elector and every son of an elector looks on the aspirant as fair game, and works olf cheap humour and nasty eggs upon him. This is taken as part of the performance, but evidently Parliament intends to inaugurate a new state of things, and render it impossible for a candidate's personal appearance, his family tree and more or less truthful accounts of his failings to bulk more largely : than his political views. All of these may tend to render election, times exciting to the general public, I but they are disconcerting to the i candidate, and often do him a great deal of harm. An election should be a selection of the fittest, and to assist in securing this the elector of the future must curb his'-, tongue and before he speaks reflet '-t whether his utterances will! be th e truth, the whole truth, and nothing * but the truth.