accurate
proportional representation is quite out of the question. In
Switzerland, however, the electorates are made to contain sometimes as
many as 30 seats. The effect of such large electorates must be in time
to encourage the formation of a great number of small factions. At the
same time there is not so much incentive to split up the parties as by
the Hare system.

Passing now to the selection of party candidates, none of the methods
can be said to ensure the election of those most in general favour. When
electors are allowed to cumulate on individual candidates, the
favourites of sections within the party will be elected. If, on the
other hand, they are allowed to cumulate on party lists, all votes thus
given are ineffective in the selection of the successful candidates. It
may be noted that although the nomination of candidates in lists by
party organizations is less in accordance with the practice of British
countries than the individual candidature of the Hare system, there is
nothing to prevent one candidate being nominated to stand in the place
of a party.

A word of warning must be added as to the danger of holding up Belgium
and Switzerland as examples of true electoral justice to Australia. The
direct government of the people which Switzerland has adopted bears not
the slightest resemblance to the representative institutions of British
countries. Both the referendum and proportional delegation are suited to
direct government and are destructive to party responsible government.
The Swiss adopted the referendum to save themselves from the lobbying
and plutocratic character of their legislatures. The initiative and
proportional delegation have followed because they are complementary
reforms. The consequence is that the legislators have been degraded to
mere agents for drawing up measures, and leadership has been transferred
to the press. It is the peculiar conditions of Switzerland which enable
it to tolerate unrestrained majority rule. It is a small country,
surrounded by powerful neighbours, whose strength lies in its weakness.
Moreover, the people are very conservative. In Zurich, for instance,
which is largely devoted to manufactures, a proposal to limit the hours
of work in factories to twelve hours a day was rejected by the people.
Nor is direct government proving a success; the tyranny of the majority
is already apparent. The first federal initiative demanded a measure to
prevent the slaughter of anim