[131a-020]

1818 March 22 +

Parl Reform Answer to Anti-ballotist

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But canvassing is mentioned:– and how (it may be asked), how, upon your plan, under all these prohibitions is canvassing to be carried on? I answer – to every useful purpose, just with as much facility as at present. Every person, who either proposes or wishes to support a Candidate, will be just as much at liberty as at present to declare his opinion of that same Candidate:– to commend as many candidates as he pleases – to discommend as many candidates as he pleases. But, that which is not by any means necessary, is – that to this purpose he should declare to whom he means to give, or to whom he means to refuse, his vote. Why? because betwixt the time of the commendation or discommendation altered[?], an event that has nothing at all improbable in it is – that of his seeing reason, and very sufficient reason, for altering the prior intention respecting his vote.

Still, as a farther security against Election tyranny, a declaration to any such effect may likewise be included under the prohibition: the use of it is – to prevent would-be Election tyrants, from forcing their dependents, by declarations of this kind to give additional and undue weight to the opinions declared by them, and at the same time in a sort of indirect way to put to others the question how do you mean to give your vote? – tell me this, or it may be the worse for you.