have a duty not to lie or to mislead the people, a duty not to provide biased or incomplete information and a duty to be honest and open with the voters. In order to have a democracy it is also necessary to have tolerance of minority views. We have to wonder these days if Bermuda even has tolerance of majority views. Many of those opposed to Independence have been frightened to speak out because those who have spoken have been maligned and vilified. Government leaders in favour of Independence have made their intolerance very clear, just ask Mr. Peter Lloyd, Mrs. Gloria McPhee, Dr. Clarence James and Mr. Eldon Trimingham.

A fair number of people have sought to have their say, especially to this newspaper, while concealing their identity, only to have their use of anonymity attacked. Yet some of those politicians allied with the attackers have refused to make their position on Independence public even for the consideration of their supporters. Those who have asked questions at public forums have been dismissed because they have not always received straightforward or complete answers. Viewers of these forums have been insulted by being faced with a rigged panel.

Democracies also operate on trust, trust in fair, open and honest leadership.

Bermuda's leadership promised the people information on Independence and also promised that the information would be straightforward.

Many people watching the television advertising which is supposed to provide unbiased information, have been shocked by the one-sided pro-Independence content and by the lack of any attempt to provide both sides of the issue.

Once again there is an effort to convince people that Independence is a magic solution to Bermuda's problems.

The information the people have received from Government has been subjective, incomplete, slanted toward Independence and paid for out of public funds. Some of the information provided has little foundation in the truth. It is hard to believe that people watching the television ads could be left with one shred of respect for the politicians appearing in those advertisements. Government even uses one politician who is credited with ruining Bermuda's education system and who was defeated at the polls in the last election. We understand some politicians had the decency to refuse to make the ads.

The civil servants who have been asked by politicians to produce misleading material should refuse to do so and if they are badgered they should resign and sue. One of the great safeguards of democracy is the independence and the integrity of the Civil Service. If that integrity is destroyed by politicians, then little stands between bad leaders and the people, now or in the future.

The voting public has been treated with total disrespect by leaders of the United Bermuda Party. The disrespect is now such that the Minister of Information has refused to tell the people how much of their money he is spending on this "information''. "Not now,'' the Hon. Jerome Dill has said.

He has called the cost of the ads "another issue to distract people''.

The Progressive Labour Party is no better. Followers of the PLP have been treated like blind sheep by their leaders. They have been asked to abdicate their freedom of choice and to give up their democratic right to vote in the Independence referendum. That may be the most outrageous suggestion ever made to voters in a democracy.