The Second Campaign

Abstract

The December election, by contrast with January’s, followed an autumn of relative political calm. The campaign itself was not only shorter, but also quieter than its predecessor. How far this was evidence of public apathy was much debated. Sidney Low described the election as ‘the most apathetic within living memory’,¹ but Sydney Brooks, another respected observer, noted that the ‘uncanny decorum of the election did not imply disinterest’.² And in fact the turnout indicates that public interest remained high.³ One other contrast with January is important. While the first election remained throughout a debate on all the great issues of the day, in the second election the constitutional question achieved the primacy denied it in January.