The Whitehaven News September 7, 1905 Municipal Candidates

Municipal Candidates

The Whitehaven News - September 7, 1905

MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES.        The Whitehaven Ratepayer's Association has questioned the candidates who will be before the wards in November; and it has since been sought to be shown, first that they had no right to put any questions, and that those were to be most commended who refused to answer; next that on the answers received the Association is bound to abandon any idea of opposition; and lastly that all retiring members are unexceptionably of the best type, and all equally unblemished in their public record. There is too much special pleading about this kind of apology. Voters must ask questions if they wish to know how to vote to carry out their wishes.        To answer questions does not touch a candidates' "independence" unless he means by that that he wishes to be at liberty to do what he knows his electors desire him not to do. He is in no way "pledged" by his answers unless he gives answers that do not represent his own opinions, and which he would like to run away from if he could manage to do so. Neither does it follow of necessity because candidates answer questions so as to leave no objection so far as to those questions are concerned, that the questioners are bound to support the candidates. ******

 

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