There is so much that is wearisome and detestable in all other election machineries, that I well understand, and wish I could share, the sense of relief with which the believers in this scheme throw aside all their trammels, and look to an almost ideal future when this captivating plan is carried.
Bagehot expresses his understanding of the appeal of a new electoral scheme amidst dissatisfaction with existing systems.
Share
More from Walter Bagehot
All savage religions are full of superstitions founded on luck.
They are solely concerned with his attractiveness as a candidate; they need not regard his efficiency as a ruler.
Savages waste away before modern civilisation; they seem to have held their ground before the ancient.
If the above reasoning be sound, compulsory constituencies are necessary, voluntary constituencies destructive; the optional transferability of votes is not a salutary aid, but a ruinous innovation.
Other voices in this conversation
