The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1889.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2617, 20 April 1889, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1889.

We have from time to time discussed in these columns the question of the readjustment of our electoral system. It is one that is certain to take a prominent place in the deliberations of the General Assembly, in order to secure measures to eliminate the serious anomalies that exist in the reprcsensation existing at present, and which were impressed on the public mind very conspicuously at the last general elections. As things are now, the rule that the majority shall govern remains an abstract principle not visible in practical reality. There is no security against dominance by the minority ; and, as a matter of fact, owing to the ex-

travagant waste and misapplication of the country's voting power, the minority, more often than not, do gain the ascendancy. The theory of pure democracy has not yet attained its complete realisation, though it is no longer counted amongst were

speculative political science and is not an insoluble abstruse problem. The plan of true democracy lias been well prepared and the foundations laid. It probably has become the distinguished task of these new and free Anglo-Saxon nations to continue the erection of the edifice to the last pinnacle. We have for our guidance the evils of old countries, legacies of misgo-

verninent and class rule, as well as the errors of the great American and other Republican systems, into which they have fallen during the process of carrying out the design. In lending their fresh vigour to the work of evolving a true democracy, the colonies have before them the leading lights of the master minds of political economy in the old world to assist and encourage them. In the science of government the doctrine is laid down that to secure the greatest good to the greatest number and make a free people happy and contented, the form of Government must be of the people, for the people and by the people. That is the principle aimed at in order to reach as near to perfection as any humanly-de-vised institution can approach. Such a popul'tr system of government is only possible by a wise and equitable representation, which provides absolute equality and an even balance between the majority and minority. There is not this equalibrium under existing circumstances. It is to be secured only by, what is termed, proportional representation. In a former article we gave quotations on this view of the question from eminent economists. John fc'tuart Mill has distinctly declared that "in a really equal democracy every or any section would be represented, not disproportionately, but proportionately ;" and that "unless they are, there is not equal government, but a government of irregularity and privilege." Now, is this the very danger into which we have been drifting in these colonies, but to which we an- opening our eyes in time to preserve the integrity of our democracy. In endeavouring to adjust the basis of the relations that should exist justly and fairly between th') larger and lesser numbers of the. people, proportional representation does not seek to extinguish the minority, but to establish and preserve it. On this point we again quote John Stuart Mill, who says :—

The majority would indeed outnumber the others, as much as the one class of electors outriumberH the other in th<' countrj'. They would always outvote them, but they would speak ami vote in their presence, and subject to their criticism. When any difference arose, they would have to meet the arguments of the instructed few by reasons at least apparently as cogent, and since they could not, as those do who are speaking to persons already unanimous, simply assume that they are in the right, it would occasionally happen to them to become convinced that they were in the wroug. Now, nothing is more certain than tl.at the virtual blotting out of the minority is no necessary or natural consequence of freedom ; that, far from having any connection with democracy, it is diametrically opposed to the first principle of democracy-representation in proportion to numbers. It is an essentia! part of democracy that minorities should be adeqmtpjy represented. No real democracy, nothing but a false show of democracy, is possible without it.

It will be seen how broad is the spirit breathed by Mill into tin: principle of proportional representation. ]t virtually claims that with it there will be no more appeals to brute force, the tyranny of party passions blinding the minds of men ; but that reason, calm and dispassionate, shall sway the deliberations of the people on all questions affecting the national welfare. With it shall be seen the triumph of mind over mutter, with the assurance of wiser legislation. We have said that the existence of the minority will be preserved and their interests protected, under the proposed system, by absolute equality. It will not be possible for a minority to rule, nor a majority to tyrannise. Mr Fawcett, referring to this phase of the subject, said :—

Far from those, who advocate proportional representation, wishing to give to the minority the power which properly belongs to the majority, I think I shall have no difficulty in showing that one of the chief dangers which the advocates of proportional representation desire to guard against, is the minority obtaining a preponderance of representation which ought to belong to the majority.