The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-25 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HORNING ADVERTISER.

SIR,—It has lately been my fortune to have
access to the " Objections to the Ballot" of a very
sincere and talented Liberal, which consequently
present an excellent field for controversy. For
brevity, the " objections" will sometimes be put
in a reduced form, but nothing unfair will be at-
tempted.
Objection I.—" Because the franchise is only
enjoyed by the minority ; and while the majority
are excluded, the minority elect the law-makers.
Therefore, the majority ought to know what the
minority are doing."
The question reduces itself to whether the in-
fluences brought into operation, by the absence of
the ballot, are in favour of the interests of the
majority. If men will better consult the interests
of the majority for being bribed and bullied, let
things go on as they are. It is like the question
whether a military court would do better or worse,
for every man being obliged to declare his vote.
II.—" Because the evils of corruption and inti-
midation would not be effectually prevented by the
ballot ; seeing that corruption could be conducted
on a large scale as in the Shoreham case, by brib-
ing large bodies in a mass under the name of bene-
volent societies, &c. Let St. John and Judas
Iscariot be the, candidates ; the agent of Judas in-
timates to the leaders of the corrupt portion of the
constituency, that 5,000/. or 10,0001. shall be given
if Judas is elected. Will not the Iscariot win?"
Granting that he would win at Shoreham, this
does not prove that there is not an immense majo-
rity of cases, in which the chances of his being re-
duced to hang himself would be increased. Ino-
culation and vaccination do not save all and every
body ; but for all that, they are great goods in their
way-
III.—" Because it would have the effect of re-
pressing public opinion, by inducing men to con-
ceal their opinions from each other."
The question is not of concealing opinions, but
votes. A military surgeon may have the strongest
possible opinion that a man with a sham wound
ought not to be invalided with a pension. The ob-
ject is not to make him conceal his opinion, but to
enable him to conceal his vote in a particular case
where the application of his opinion might be dan-
gerous.

IV.—" Because the sacrifice of public and pri-
vate virtue wouldbe a much greater evil than

any good that could be derived from party and
political advantages. If a voter can conceal his
vote from his landlord or customer, he cannot con-
ceal his promises from his family ; and thus he
will practically educate his children in lying, deceit,
and treachery."
Try it by the case of the doctor as before. What
is the sacrifice of public and private virtue arising out
of the doctor's being protected ? And what is the
good which is derived to the public from the doctor's
voting without force or temptation ? And after this,
which of the two is greatest? If the doctor makes
" promises," indeed, the spectacle may not be very
edifying for his family. But do doctors make
promises ?
V.—" Because in a case presenting the very
elite of electors, elected by the most intellectual
city in the world, the Common Council had before
them a great and talented Reformer, and an ob-
scure rival ; and on an agreement to show the pro-
mises on both sides, the Reformer had the ma-
jority. Nevertheless the obscure man was elected
by the Ballot, because ho was supposed friendly to
interests many of the voters did not like to avow."
The case of the cow with two heads ; a thing
by no means affecting the ordinary transactions of
the stock-breeder. The case of the Common
Council, was not the ordinary case,
.to begin with.
It was a case of double election; the effect of which
was to produce an increased proportion of men
acting under the peculiar temptations described.
When members of Parliament are chosen by Com-
mon Councils, the example may apply. As it
is, it only stands as an argument against mem-
bers of Parliament being elected by double election.
Vl.—" Because the Ballot is a degradation to
which no good citizen should be subjected. Every
man ought to have honour and respect for doing
his duty to his country. Of which honour and
respect the Ballot would deprive him."
Russian wives are reported to bring the whip to
their husbands, and say, "You have ceased to love
me, you have not beaten me lately." It would be
curious to know how much honour and respect for
doing his duty the aristocrat considers himself as
deprived of when ho ballots at his club.
VII.—" Because darkness is always unfavour-
able to virtue ; on the principle that men ' love
darkness rather than light, because their deeds are
evil.' "

Sending letters sealed to the post is not unfavour-
able to virtue. Breaking them open, on the con-
trary, is held to be a thing to which there are
serious objections. The simple question is, whether
the object of sealing them is good or evil ?
VIII.—" Because . enthusiasm is the handmaid
of liberty, and the Ballot would repress enthu-
siasm."

There are plenty of ways to show enthusiasm,
besides forcing the man who apprehends kicking,
to bare himself for the blow.
IX.—" Because the Ballot is the refuge of the
coward, who will only be a patriot when on the
sunny side of the hedge."
The officer of the army is not called a coward,
when he votes under the protection of the Ballot.
The great object is to enable him to vote as ho
thinks right, without asking which is the sunny
side of the hedge.

X.—" Because a better plan may be adopted for
getting rid of bribery and intimidation, by making
the punishment infamous, and thereby rendering
the practices unfashionable. The tread-mill, pick-
ing oakum, the pillory, with loss of franchise, and
on repeated crimes, outlawry might be applied."
Why are not officers on a Court-martial threat-
ened with the tread-mill, picking oakum, the pil-
lory, 4;c., in case of giving way to undue influence?
Simply because a better way is known. And there
is another reason against trying to put down the
mischief by luxuriance of punishment in preference
to prevention ; which is, that after all, it is pro-
bable the punishment would catch some of the httle
flies and let the great ones through.
Xl.—" Because the people of England are habit-
ually frank and truth-loving. The Ballot would
occasion a vast change in these their highest attri-
butes ; and the various classes of society would be
estranged by suspicion, apprehension, and hostility."
Do frank and truth-loving people send their let-
ters open to the post? Why should a man's de-
clining to publish what lie prefers keeping to him-
self, be attended with ill-consequences in one case
more than in the other ?

XII.—" Because the unrepresented classes would
speedily become envious and embittered against
those who are represented, and would thunder at
the gates of the constitution to be let in, before
they are educated, or had any sensible notion of
what they were risking."
An argument apparently to show, that it is good
the represented should be kicked, in order that the
unrepresented may be less envious. Would it not
be better, to take down the envy, by improving,
the condition of the represented, and the unrepre-
sented, too ?
In conclusion, there is one circumstance con-
nected with the ballot, which is very generally
overlooked. And that is, that the ballot, like a
pair of crutches, is for those that want it, and not
for those that do not. What a shocking thing
it would be to propose that everybody should
go on crutches ! Do not be alarmed • the
the proposal is only that those should
go who like it. The aristocracy are always seen
prudently hopping on their supporters. It is only
when they meet the lame beggar at the
not cortnherrmovf
the street, that they ask him whwhyhedoes
away his crutch and hold up his head like a man.
T. PERRONET TROMPSON.
Blackheath, Jan, 21, 1854.

(From the Morning Advertiser.)

If it should happen that any reader of the Morn-
ing Advertiser possesses any lingering doubts as to
the justice and expediency of the Ballot, we would
direct his attention to the communication which
has just appeared in our columns on that subject
from the able pen of Colonel Thompson. The
letter, entitled " A Friend's Objections to the
Ballot," contains a resume of every possible form
in which any reasonable person can present his
arguments against this measure of justice to the
English, and as it is most desirable that people
should be armed at all points in a controversy
which is hastening to a decision, we are glad that
this document has appeared thus opportunely in
in our columns.
No one will assert that our correspondent has
not done ample justice to those who are on the
other side, since, in addition to meeting the more
popular objections, he appears to have cast about
in every direction for anything like an argument,
and to have cleared the field of every antagonist,
great and small.
There are one or two only of the points noticed
in the list of objections to which we wish to refer
particular notice, as they are points to which our
objectors attach the greatest importance, and on
which the discussion is generally made to turn.
We refer to objection 111. in the letter under con-
sideration—" that the Ballot would have the effect
of repressing public opinion, by inducing amen to
conceal their opinions from each other. - Every
one knows the handle that has been made of this
objection, and the flourish with which we have
been favoured by the opponents of the Ballot,