The Wairarapa Daily WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1889. Our Election System.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3276, 7 August 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1889. Our Election System.

Some Parliamentary Paul Pry has been looking up the returns of the last general elections, and professes to have discovered that no less than twenty-two members of the House represent minorities, Put m a more expressive form, this would mean that tho majorities in the districts concerned actually voted against their present representatives. Such an assertion certainly seems a little startling, and at first glance to appear quito true. Even a very superficial research, however, will amply show that the whole fabric is based upon a misapprehension of the present system of election, and that the members referred to each commanded an absolute majority at the ballot box, Mr A. R, (in.inness, the member who professes to have mpdp tho discovery, or who lias, at any rate, brought the subject into prominence, appears to assumo that the elector, in giving bis vote, says " yes" for tho candidate to whom he gives his vote, and " no" to all the others, Jq this he is mistaken, for votes are recorded in favor of candidates, but never against them. Morally, a vote for one candidate must, of course, be taken. as being against the others, but the elector is not asked to sav "j.es" and "no," which he would virtually have to do under the system proposed by Mr Guinncea, Briefly put, the electors, when there are more than two candidates, would have to vote until one of tho candidates had obtained an absolute majority of the votes recorded, In support of the innovation wo arc tobj by the Evening Post that the system js In vogue in the United States, where the Presidential election is held under it. This is quito true, hut we are of opinion that there is nothing whatever analagous between the election of the President of the United States and that of a member of Parliament in New Zealand. The Americans have well defined party lines, and each party selects its candidate for office. Anyone who undertakes to stand outside of either of the acknowledged parties, Bimply makes a fool of himself. In the case of a presidential election, tho vote is not given direct

by the people, which makes another yerygreatdifl'erence. Even in England it is rarely that a candidate is proposed who has not been put up by one or the other of the great parties into which the country is divided. Wherever such a thing does happen bo will assuredly be found at the bottom of the poll. It is not a little amusing to find that our own member, Mr George Beetham, has been included in the list of those who represent minorities. It is quite true that the two candidates who opposed Mr Beetham together polled a few votes more than lie did ; but let us see what would, in all probability, have happened if the one who was at the bottom'of the poll had retired. His views were, in neaaly all respect, identical with those of Mr Beetham. and lie had come forward merely because lie thought he was a better man. Had lie stood aside, four-fifths of the votes polled by him would certainly have gone to Mr Beetham, If Mr Beetham does not represent the views of an absolute majority of his constituents then, we are afraid, no member in tlio liouso does, Why does not Mr Guinness go a step further and urgo the adoption of the principle under which polls for local bodies loans are held, and which counts every vote that is not recorded to be a "No?" He would then show that scarcely any of the members of the House represent minorities, We are inclined to think that an election costs quite enough without having it all over again, simply because someone whose chances of securing the seat are nil gets himself nominated. The expenses incurred by the Government or by a candidate are'very small compared to tlieamouut which it cost the district concerned. Those connected with the election of a President of the United States are said to exceed the allowance received by any sovereign in Europe for four years. In New Zealand, and more especially in the country districts, thtre are few electors who do not make a day of it when there is an election on, and there are members \vho spend both time and money canvassing for days and weeks. A repitition would be objectionable from almost every point of view. New Zealand politics will, no doubt, drift into well-defined party lines, and whatever fault there is to be found with our present system of conducting elections will then be reduced to a minimum, because the defined parties only will be represented by candidates,