Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-10-06
The Springfield Cheat.

editor of the Springfield Republican, and those
wings who sympathize with him. The doctrine
was announced in the Republican several weeks
ago, and was introduced 10 the notice of the
| Wing State Committee by the editor of that pa
! per, about the same time. Here is "the Spring
field Cheat:''
Z. Resolved, That we ale in favor of the follow
ing leading amendments to the present Constitution,
10 be obtained possible through The action OF the
| Legislature; and failing there, by new and pop
uar Convention, based upon an equality OF repre-
| senation.
III The entire establishment Of the plurality
system, in elections.
[2.l The election of the Senate from single dis
! tricIs
1871 The reduction of the number of members of
| the House of Representatives, and the adoption OF
the district sy stem a basis of representation, by
which shall be secured TO the whole people of the
CommOnw eath, the right of annual representation,
upon the principle of justice and equality.
! al The election by the people of many OF the
executive officers chosen by the Legislature, or
! appointed by the Governor and Council.
| I5l Such other changes and reforms as are nee
essary to the convenient, safe, and economical
| ganization and administration of the government
We shall now show that every single one of
these 'Reforms' which are defined above, can
| be obtained, [f the people wish them] By Uoting
| for the amended Constitution, and by no other
method at present.
| |. THE PLURALITY SYSTEM.
1st The Senate. Article 3d. chapter I'd of
the new Constitution, is as follows:
ART. 3 The Governor and Council shall,
| may be, examine the returned copies OF the
record provided for in article second of this chap
ter, and ascertain who shall have received the hrg-
number oil votes in each of the several senator al
districts, and the person cho has receUed the largest
number of each of sad districts shall be
ator for the following political year; and the Cow
ernor shall cause each of said persons, appearing
TO be elected to be notified at least fourteen days be-
| fore the first Wednesday in January of each year,
10 attend On that day, and take his seat accord.
| ingy.
Here is the plurality system established for the
Senate. Article 8lh, chapter 9th, contains the
same provision
2 Councillors and County and District
! Officers, Article Sth, Chapter 9th is as fol-
lows.
ART. 8. In all elections of Councillors aud Sen.
ators, aud in all elections of district Off
GERS the person having the highest number of votes
shall be elected,
Here is the plurality system established for
large class of officers, now obliged to be elected
by majority.
Sd. Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secre-
tary, Treasurer, .auditOr, and Attorney Gene
raj. The mode Of elecung these officers is land
down in article 9th, chapter 9th, as follows:
ART. b. A majority of all the votes gwen shalIbe
necessary to the election of Governor, Lieutenant
Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor, and At.
torney General, of the Commonwealth, untu other
provided by Ian, but tho such law providing that
snch officers, ethero them or representatives TO
the General Court, shall be elected by plurality, in
stead of majority of votes given, shall take effect
until one year after its passage; and al any time
alter any such la " shall have taken effect, ii shall
lie repealed such repeal shall not become law until
year after the passage OF the repeating act and,
in the absence of any such aw il at any election Of
either OF the above named officers, except the repre-
sentatives 10 the General Court person shall
have majority Of the votes gwen, the House of
Representatives shall elect two out OF three persons
then eligible, who had the highest number OF votes,
il many shall have been voted for, and return the
persons elected TO the Senate, from whom the
Senate shall choose who shall be officer thus
TO be elected.
By this article, all these State officers, which
are now chosen by majority, or by joint ballot in
the Legislature, may be chosen by the plurality
system, if the Legislature determine If the
people want this system, they have only to elect
Senators and Representatives in iayor of it, and
they can have ii in gear after the legislature
has time to act upon 1t.
4th. Representatives. Article 9Th Of chapter
9th, is the following:
ART. g. A majority of votes shall I've required in
all elections OF representatives 10 Inc GENERAL Court,
until otherwise provided By taio
By this provision, the plurality law for rep
resentatiVes may be enacted forthwith, or soon
as the Consultation goes into effect.
9TH. City Gad Town officers Article 9TH Of
chapter 9th, is the following
ART.7. In the election of all city or town officers,
such rule of election shall govern The Legislature
/ may By lalV prescribe.
The remark made above as to Representatives,
| applies to this article.
The Springfield cheat proposes 10 vote down
| the above articles, and retain the present Con-
stitution. UNDER THE PRESENT CONSTR
| TUITION, NOT ONE OF THESE OFFICERS
Is, OR CAN BE, CHOSEN BY PLURALITY.
Now let US see what the prospect is, for getting
this plurality system by the plan proposed in The
| Springfield Cheat
''To be obtained, if possible, through the ac-
ton Of the Legislature This can only mean
IFS action in proposing amendments to the
| Constitution. The present Constitution contains
this provision
II, at aay time hereafter, any specific and partic
| ular amendment or amendments to the Constitution
| be proposed in the General C0Ert and agreed 10 by
majority Of the Senator'S, and tDo thirds Of the
members Of the House Of Representatives, present
and voting thereon, such proposed amendment
aunt ndnens ehall be entered on the journals Of The
two houses, with the yeas and nays taken thereon,
and referred to the General Court then next to be
chosen, and shall be published and If, in the Gen.
eral Court next chosen, aforesaid such pi opposed
amendment amendments shall be agreed TO by
majority Of the Senators, and tt00 thirds of the menu
bers Of the Fou'e of Representatives, present and
voting there' nj then it shall be the duty of the
! General Court to submit such proposed amendment
or amendments TO the people, and If they shall be
approved and ratified by majority Of the qualified
voters, voting thereon, at meetings legally warned
and holden for that purpose, they shall become
part Of the Constitution of this Commonwealth.
This is the first process TO be tried, as recon-
mended in the Cheat. Suppose the most iavora-
| BILE result possible, TO be obtained. Suppose the
Legislature of 1854 [by two.thi -ds vote in the
Housed to adopt amendments. Then they go to
the Legislature of 1855, and get through that
body [again by two third vote in the Housed.
In the fall of 1855 they 90 to the people, and are
accepted. Then in 1876, and not before, officers
can be chosen under that SYSTEM Suppose it