representative government-第28章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


with　the　rest　of　the　community；　no　other　class　could　succeed　in　getting　represented　anywhere。　Even　now；　is　it　not　a　great　grievance　that　in　every　Parliament　a　very　numerous　portion　of　the　electors；　willing　and　anxious　to　be　represented；　have　no　member　in　the　House　for　whom　they　have　voted？　Is　it　just　that　every　elector　of　Marylebone　is　obliged　to　be　represented　by　two　nominees　of　the　vestries；　every　elector　of　Finsbury　or　Lambeth　by　those　（as　is　generally　believed）　of　the　publicans？　The　constituencies　to　which　most　of　the　highly　educated　and　public　spirited　persons　in　the　country　belong；　those　of　the　large　towns；　are　now；　in　great　part；　either　unrepresented　or　misrepresented。　The　electors　who　are　on　a　different　side　in　party　politics　from　the　local　majority　are　unrepresented。　Of　those　who　are　on　the　same　side；　a　large　proportion　are　misrepresented；　having　been　obliged　to　accept　the　man　who　had　the　greatest　number　of　supporters　in　their　political　party；　though　his　opinions　may　differ　from　theirs　on　every　other　point。　The　state　of　things　is；　in　some　respects；　even　worse　than　if　the　minority　were　not　allowed　to　vote　at　all；　for　then；　at　least；　the　majority　might　have　a　member　who　would　represent　their　own　best　mind：　while　now；　the　necessity　of　not　dividing　the　party；　for　fear　of　letting　in　its　opponents；　induces　all　to　vote　either　for　the　first　person　who　presents　himself　wearing　their　colours；　or　for　the　one　brought　forward　by　their　local　leaders；　and　these；　if　we　pay　them　the　compliment；　which　they　very　seldom　deserve；　of　supposing　their　choice　to　be　unbiassed　by　their　personal　interests；　are　compelled；　that　they　may　be　sure　of　mustering　their　whole　strength；　to　bring　forward　a　candidate　whom　none　of　the　party　will　strongly　object　to…　that　is；　a　man　without　any　distinctive　peculiarity；　any　known　opinions　except　the　shibboleth　of　the　party。　　　This　is　strikingly　exemplified　in　the　United　States；　where；　at　the　election　of　President；　the　strongest　party　never　dares　put　forward　any　of　its　strongest　men；　because　every　one　of　these；　from　the　mere　fact　that　he　has　been　long　in　the　public　eye；　has　made　himself　objectionable　to　some　portion　or　other　of　the　party；　and　is　therefore　not　so　sure　a　card　for　rallying　all　their　votes　as　a　person　who　has　never　been　heard　of　by　the　public　at　all　until　he　is　produced　as　the　candidate。　Thus；　the　man　who　is　chosen；　even　by　the　strongest　party；　represents　perhaps　the　real　wishes　only　of　the　narrow　margin　by　which　that　party　outnumbers　the　other。　Any　section　whose　support　is　necessary　to　success　possesses　a　veto　on　the　candidate。　Any　section　which　holds　out　more　obstinately　than　the　rest　can　compel　all　the　others　to　adopt　its　nominee；　and　this　superior　pertinacity　is　unhappily　more　likely　to　be　found　among　those　who　are　holding　out　for　their　own　interest　than　for　that　of　the　public。　The　choice　of　the　majority　is　therefore　very　likely　to　be　determined　by　that　portion　of　the　body　who　are　the　most　timid；　the　most　narrow…minded　and　prejudiced；　or　who　cling　most　tenaciously　to　the　exclusive　class…interest；　in　which　case　the　electoral　rights　of　the　minority；　while　useless　for　the　purposes　for　which　votes　are　given；　serve　only　for　compelling　the　majority　to　accept　the　candidate　of　the　weakest　or　worst　portion　of　themselves。　　　That；　while　recognising　these　evils；　many　should　consider　them　as　the　necessary　price　paid　for　a　free　government　is　in　no　way　surprising：　it　was　the　opinion　of　all　the　friends　of　freedom　up　to　a　recent　period。　But　the　habit　of　passing　them　over　as　irremediable　has　become　so　inveterate　that　many　persons　seem　to　have　lost　the　capacity　of　looking　at　them　as　things　which　they　would　be　glad　to　remedy　if　they　could。　From　despairing　of　a　cure；　there　is　too　often　but　one　step　to　denying　the　disease；　and　from　this　follows　dislike　to　having　a　remedy　proposed；　as　if　the　proposer　were　creating　a　mischief　instead　of　offering　relief　from　one。　People　are　so　inured　to　the　evils　that　they　feel　as　if　it　were　unreasonable；　if　not　wrong；　to　complain　of　them。　Yet；　avoidable　or　not；　he　must　be　a　purblind　lover　of　liberty　on　whose　mind　they　do　not　weigh；　who　would　not　rejoice　at　the　discovery　that　they　could　be　dispensed　with。　Now；　nothing　is　more　certain　than　that　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　essential　part　of　democracy　that　minorities　should　be　adequately　represented。　No　real　democracy；　nothing　but　a　false　show　of　democracy；　is　possible　without　it。　　　Those　who　have　seen　and　felt；　in　some　degree；　the　force　of　these　considerations；　have　proposed　various　expedients　by　which　the　evil　may　be；　in　a　greater　or　less　degree；　mitigated。　Lord　John　Russell；　in　one　of　his　Reform　Bills；　introduced　a　provision；　that　certain　constituencies　should　return　three　members；　and　that　in　these　each　elector　should　be　allowed　to　vote　only　for　two；　and　Mr。　Disraeli；　in　the　recent　debates；　revived　the　memory　of　the　fact　by　reproaching　him　for　it；　being　of　opinion；　apparently；　that　it　befits　a　Conservative　statesman　to　regard　only　means；　and　to　disown　scornfully　all　fellow…feeling　with　any　one　who　is　betrayed；　even　once；　into　thinking　of　ends。*　Others　have　proposed　that　each　elector　should　be　allowed　to　vote　only　for　one。　By　either　of　these　plans；　a　minority　equalling　or　exceeding　a　third　of　the　local　constituency；　would　be　able；　if　it　attempted　no　more；　to　return　one　out　of　three　members。　The　same　result　might　be　attained　in　a　still　better　way　if；　as　proposed　in　an　able　pamphlet　by　Mr。　James　Garth　Marshall；　the　elector　retained　his　three　votes；　but　was　at　liberty　to　bestow　them　all　upon　the　same　candidate。　These　schemes；　though　infinitely　better　than　none　at　all；　are　yet　but　makeshifts；　and　attain　the　end　in　a　very　imperfect　manner；　since　all　local　minorities　of　less　than　a　third；　and　all　minorities；　however　numerous；　which　are　made　up　from　several　constituencies；　would　remain　unrepresented。　It　is　much　to　be　lamented；　however；　that　none　of　these　plans　have　been　carried　into　effect；　as　any　of　them　would　have　recognised　the　right　principle；　and　prepared　the　way　for　its　more　complete　application。　But　real　equality　of　representation　is　not　obtained　unless　any　set　of　electors　amounting　to　the　average　number　of　a　constituency；　wherever　in　the　country　they　happen　to　reside；　have　the　power　of　combining　with　one　another　to　return　a　representative。　This　degree　of　perfection　in　representation；　appeared　impracticable　until　a　man　of　great　capacity；　fitted　alike　for　large　general　views　and　for　the　contrivance　of　practical　details…　Mr。　Thomas　Hare…　had　proved　its　possibility　by　drawing　up　a　scheme　for　its　accomplishment；　embodied　in　a　Draft　of　an　Act　of　Parliament：　a　scheme　which　has　the　almost　unparalleled　merit　of　carrying　out　a　great　principle　of　government　in　a　manner　approaching　to　ideal　perfection　as　regards　the　special　object　in　view；　while　it　attains　incidentally　several　other　ends　of　scarcely　inferior　importance。

　　*　This　blunder　of　Mr。　Disraeli　（from　which；　greatly　to　his　credit；　Sir　John　Pakington　took　an　opportunity；　soon　after；　of　separating　himself）　is　a　speaking　instance　among　many；　how　little　the　Conservative　leaders　understand　Conservative　principles。　Without　presuming　to　require　from　political　Parties　such　an　amount　of　virtue　and　discernment　as　that　they　should　comprehend；　and　know　when　to　apply；　the　principles　of　their　opponents；　we　may　yet　say　that　it　would　be　a　great　improvement　if　each　party　understood　and　acted　upon　its　own。　Well　would　it　be　for　England　if　Conservatives　voted　consistently　for　everything　conservative；　and　Liberals　for　everything　liberal。　We　should　not　then　have　to　wait　long　for　things　which；　like　the　present　and　many　other　great　measures；　are　eminently　both　the　one　and　the　other。　The　Conservatives；　as　being　by　the　law　of　their　existence　the　stupidest　party；　have　much　the　greatest　sins　of　this　description　to　answer　for：　and　it　is　a　melancholy　truth；　that　if　any　measure　were　proposed；　on　any　subject；　truly；　largely；　and　far…sightedly　conservative；　even　if　Liberals　were　willing　to　vote　for　it