Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-12-04
The @. g. Ghraaitle.
RIGHTS OF MINoRITIEs.
Cumulative Voting-Its Origin
and History.
Its Adoption in the United States
Advocated.

AT the invitation OF Q number of citi-
Zens of Philadelphia, irrespective of
party, the Hon. Charles r. Buckaleu,
one of the United States Senators for
Pennsylvania, delivered an address on
the true principles ofyoting for Rep
resentatives under 9 government like
ours. Having opened the subject by
reference to the theory of popular gov
ernmen: b passed on to the fact that
under cur present system Of elections
it is only the majority in any ELECTORAL
district that has q voice in the legisla-
tive body; the minority, although it
may be within one vote as numerous
as the majority, being entirely cut off
from any voice whatever, 30 far a. the
election is concsrned. This has always
been felt 70 be an evil, and accordingly
the statesmen of this and other coun-
tries have been engaged foe a consid-
cradle time in trying to ind the proper
and just remedy for it. In this city
and State q partial remedy had been
attempted In the choice Of election
officers, school directors, Jury commits
sisDers, &C.. by what might be called
the restrictive" or Limitation" sys-
TEN. That is where two inspectors are
70 be chosen, tbs elector votes for but
one and thus the majority and the mi.
nority are sure to have q represents.
ton. In the choice of school direc-
tors, where four are to be chosen, the
vote is restricted to three, and the mi
nority is thus enabled 10 make sure Of
the election of one, and thus secure s
voice in the board. This i the "res-
tructive" or 'limitstfuhH kystem. 1t
has lately been used on q large scale in
choosing delegates to the Constitution
al Convention In the State of New
York, and was embodied in the Reform
bill passed at the last sessiou of Parlia-
ment in England. Another plan for
securing representation to the s1hoLs
body of the people Is that known as
the personal representation" system of
Mr.. Hare, OF England, and advocated
by John Stuart Mills and other Liber-
ais in Parliament. This. Mr.. Bucka-
lew said, would occupy more time b.
examine than could be given TO it in
one evening. And he then passed on
to the more simple and practical plan
known as 3. r-
CUMULATIVE VOTING,
this also securing representation of
the whole body of the voters, while it
preserves the just proportion of power
to the majority. What then is ''cumu-
lative Eoting" 1 propose that what is
known by this term shall be applied
to the the selection of Representatives
in Congress and in the choice of Elec-.
tors for President and Vice Preside6t
of the United States. 1t admits of
application in the choice OF Senators
and Representatives in The State Legis-
lature, and some other officers. This
reform can be introduced by Congress
without any constitutional amend
ment, so far as Congressional represen-
tation is concerned, and the plan can
be applied to the choice of Presiden-
tial Electors by the Legislatures of the
seEers. States, who have power to pres
cribe the mode in which these Electors
shall be chosen.
Cumulative voting, then, is, that
where more than one officer Is to be
chosen, the elector shall possess as
many voters as there ara persons TO be
chosen, and he may bestow these votes
at his discretion, upon the whole num- |
Der or upon any less number, accumu-
lsting, if he choose, upon one two or
three persons, or any number less than |
the whole. The result Of this would
be, that any political interest IN COM |
munity, if it can ascertain about the |
relative proportion of its strength to
the whole vote, may cast its votes in |
such q manner that they will tell in the |
result, and it will then happen that
every man who votes will vote for some !
candidate or candidates who will be |
certain to he ciosen. Corruption then |
will no longer exist, for there will be
no necessity for it. Far be it from me
to ask that minorities shall be armed |
with powers which we know even the
msjoritIes abuse. The proposition Is |
not that there shall be majority and |
minority representation, but that men |
who vote will vote for those who will !
be certain to be chosen, and who will |
represent them according to their views. |
Take the case of Vermont as an illus 1
tration. There are 10000 voters there,
40, 600 are Republican and %, 900 Demo-
cratic. The State is entitled to three
Representatives in Congress, What
would take placef The majority would
get two of these Representatives and
the minority one. Now, the majority !
elect the whole three. Under the
present system it is q matter Of chance !
IN the choice, for the Legislature can I
at any time re-district the State, and !
so provide for a continuation OF power
or the control of party. By the
vote the 20, 900 votes would
be represented; each of these 10000
could give his three votes to one can
didate, giving him $4,000 votes, The
majority can elect two in the same
manner. If the msjority should prefer
TO vote for all three, they could only
give them 10000; if they voted for one
they would give him I20, 600 votes. and
they would not be likely to throw
away their strength in this way. The
same result would apply to al other
States. In each State the Freeman
would vote for Representative in
Congress who would speak his voice,
obey his will, and we would thus OBJ
tain an actual representation of the
whole mass of the people upon both
sides; and then in fact there would be
q representation of the whole mass of
the people upon both sides and then
in fact there would be representa-
ton of the majority, for it would be
of the whole. APP
plsuse, The legislators would no lon
ger "gerrymander" the State and con-
coct schemes of injustice.
The speaker referred at length to the