RESPONSIBILITIES, February 10.
Tr the Italian Premier succeeds in persuading the Parliament to accept a measure that he has proposed for the extension of the franchise, 'a most interesting political experiment will be initiated. Signor Luzzatti's proposal is to grant the suffrage to all male Italians, who can read and write. Though the standard of literacy is not so high in Ttaly, as it is in most of the! northern countries of Europe, this would enfranchise almost the whole of the male adult population, and therefore would, did the innovation end there, appeal strongly tothe more Democratic element. But Signor Luzzatti, while making so great a concession to the non-propertied classes has hedged it with a provision which in the eyes of the Socialists and "advanced" thinkers of Italy rob it of its attractiveness. Provision is made for the compulsory recording of votes. If the electoral privilege be not exercised fines and civic disqualifications will ensue, and these become severe with each reper negligence. Such punishment would not in all probability fall with any weight upon the newly enfranchised electors, as experience has shown that the Socialists and Labourites in all countries that have the felix city to harbour these political parties poll, practically, their full strength. Those who sleep on their political rights are those for whom politics are but one of many interests and others who regard the struggles of opposing politicians with a sense of detachment, in which by some curious train of reasoning, they find justification for an assumption of superiority. These people, if compelled to'record their pee views, would scarcely be found ranging themselves under the Socialist-
Labour flag.
Regarding the matter from a non-political point of view there is much to be said in favour of the enlistment of compulsion to ascertain the real views of the electorate as a whole. The Commonwealth of Australia has an electoral system even more liberal 411 than that proposed for Italy, as all adults, malo and female, possess the vote, But the complaint is insistent there that the electors neglect their duties and that the Parliament does not necessary represent the people. In some constituencies at a recent election ottly forty per cent of the qualified electors took the trouble to record their vote, and this in spite of extraordinary facilities, sach the privilege of voting by post and other Labour-saving devices. As a result of the political apathy in Australia the one party that appraises its electoral privileges at their real value, the Labour Party, has gained power. The a now is that the people of Australia are ruled by a Government that represents a alert and organized minority. The recent general election in the United Kingdom, though not so useful for comparative purposes as the franchise is limited, also emphasizes the inadequacy of voluntary voting as a means of obtaining a definite mandate by reason of the large percentage of qualified persons who absented themselves from the. The total number of na in Great Britain entitled to vote at the general election last December was, approximately, 7,000,000. of this tal not quite 5,000,000 voted. In other words at a time of great political excitement, when a proposal for Constitutional amendment of a most grave character was in question, about a third of the electors did not deem it worth while to exercise a right to obtain which the Persian people have exiled a Shah and some of the lo of India have hinted in the plainest terms at revolution.
It is obvious that, where the part system exists, an election at whicl large percentage of the voters on one side are too indifferent or indolent to play their part does not enable definite knowledge to be gained of a nation's real Whether there be any magical wisdom or not in the opinion of the majority is a question upon which some still retain doubts, but the fact has to be accepted that in every country that enjoys representative government the theory is that the will of the majority of the enfranchased should prevail. It cannot yet bessid that any system gives theoretically satisfac results the most that can be claimed is that 'a rough indication of popular sentiment can be gained from election: Even Mr. Balfour's expedient, th Referendum, which has much to commend it, would not be conclusive unless every one who had the right to vote were compelled to regard the right as daty. The
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.