Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-12-04

and two Democrats, instead of only one
Republican. So in all the States
You can not name one where this in
justice is not found entering into your
present system.
l need hardly say that if any part of
this Union we are to have two classes
of voters distinguished by race or color,
very great part Of the evil that may
arise by arraying one race or color
against another would be removed by
this system of cumulative voting. In
stead of the cry that one race out-Votes
the other, each would obtain that rep
resentatlou which Its numbers entitled
it to, and there would be no war Of ra-
ces. This, however, is an argument for
gentlemen who occupy different party
position from that to which l am as
signed, and it should be q reason for
their rendering a support to the plan 1
submit. Now, as to the application of
the plan in the selection OF PIesiden-
tial electors. General jackson pro-
posed that the people of the United
States should vote directly for Presi-
dent of the United States, and this
proposition at several times has been
brought forward in Congress. At the
last session, it was again introduced by
Senator Wade, of Ohio. Crest COM
plaint has been made that the people
are not heard directly in the choice of
President; that the Electoral College
is q mere form. As q substitute for all
this, the system of cumulative voting
by the citizens of the several States
would secure every practical object
sought by the friends Of that particu-
lar reform. l
The result in Pennsylvania, for ex-
ample, would be that each of the poli-
tical parties would select as many cleo
tors as they would be entitled to, accor-
ding to their numbers. How isIt now?
There are six hundred thousand votes
to be polled in Pennsylvania Each
party has three hundred thousand in
round numbers. From Lake Erie to-
the Delaware this State next year is to
be conyulsed by an exciting election
campaign for the Presidency; thous-
and disagreeable things are to take
place; men of property are to have
their attention5turned to the security
Of that which they own, and every
device will be resorted toby the par
ties in the canvass. And whyl Be
cause each viii have an interest in OBJ
tanning bare majority; of one vote,
perhaps, will elect tWenty-four repre-
sentative and two Senatorial electors
for President of the United States
AID the struggle will be for the little
majority that turns the scale. Now, as
parties stand to-day. each party is en-
titled to thirteen of these electors, sc
cording to their numerical proportions.
That result, however, cannot take place.
The whole twenty-six electors must be
given to one side only, and that result
may determine the destinies of the
nation, not for the ensuing four years
only, but perhaps for generations
The result of our elections is, there
fore, an accident matter of chance.
On the other hand. take a fair and
honest mode Of voting let each party
have the number of electors it is entit-
led to, and let the people Of the other
States have the same, and let the voice
of American freemen be pronounced
fairly, and then let the majority select
that high officer who is to preside at
the head of the nation. Applause.
In the last place, this plan of repre-
sentative reform is convenient in the
highest degree it Is practicable. Ii
requires only legislative action to per-
NIT the citizens in this state, which has
twenty-four Representatives in Con-
gress, to cast these setEenty-four votes as
he pleases. He may give two votes
apiece Tor twelve candidates, or four
votes apiece to six candidates. just
let him alone to exercise his own will.
Here there is no complex system, no
great scheme of reconstruction. just
trust the people, and let them vote as
they think best. And il we can have
that law next fall, 1 will go to the polls |
and vote for twelve Representatives !
out of the twenty-four to which Penn |
sylvania is entitled, and If think the
political interest to which 1 belong is !
growing in strength, and is entitled to
more than the half. will vote for
thirteen. If l should be mistaken
get nothing more than my proportion.
There would be no buying up votes,
for it would be too difficult to 90 thro'
the State and attempt to effect the re-
suit.
1 must point out one special act of
injustice Of majority electians. Observe
that the party which prevails at an
election does not merely carry the day;
does not merely get its own votes
but counts all the power that
belongs TO the other. Suppose the two
parties in Pennsylvania are divided,
that one has 100000 and the other
30I, 900. The 30I, 900 in prevailing in
the Presidential election does not get
merely their own votes counted, but
they get counted the voJes of the other
100000. That is what sharpens the
injustice. Take the elections of 1866
in what was known as the "Free States"
Two millions of Republicans voted for
members of Congress. The Democrat
ic party polled in these States little
over one million six hundred thousand.
In Congress, the ], 5000 voters had
% representatives only; the 200, 600
had 14S. The proportion between the
two great masses was 20 to 16 votes
polled in the States; the rep
in Congress, instead of
standing in the same proportion, stood
l43 to %. Why Z Because under the
majority rule in these States, the ma
iority not only obtained representation
for its own votes, but obtained. that
which belonged to the other side. By
voting the representation
would have stood in the proportion of
20 to Is. Do you not see now the whole
policy of the Government can be chang
ID or affected under system in which
you are told that "the majontyrulesl"
Mr.. Buckalew then went into q con-
sideration of some Of the objections to
the plan, sll of which he met by forci-
bic argument, but that We have not
space to enlarge upon. He continued
by saying that one of the strongest OBJ
ections to the present system Of voting
for Presidential electors in State like
is, that the 100000 vo-
ters who may concentrate upon twenty
six Presidential electors, will not only
WELD the power to which they are
Justly entitled, but also WELD the pow
er and weight they are not entitled to
IN any manner whatever. He said
that he had not accepted the invita-
ton to speak in Philadelphia through
any desire for display, but from busI- j
ness and public motive to have the {
subject examined by the people; and ]
# he could enlist the powerful aid of {
she press and the people of the city of |
7