The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-06-27
PERSONAL REPRESENTATION.

PERSONAL REPRESENTATION.
That the will of the majority should gov IN
is rule accepted almost everywhere, and
this country has long been deemed the key
the most satisfactory form of democratic
representative government, and the only
principle upon which such government is pos
sible. few wise men very early foresaw
grave objections to this method of rule; but
as in the main it worked we'll, no efforts were
made to change it for any other plan. But in
the presidential election of 1860, by the divis-
ion into parties, the successful candidate had
not received majority Of the votes cast; he
had only received more votes than any one OF
the other three gentlemen, who were his COM
petitors for the presidential Office. The i'm
mediate result Of this election, as we all know,
was gigantic fratricidal war, the most unfor-
tunate ever waged on this continent A differ
ent scheme of representation, in which the
wishes of the majority could have been consti-
tutionally ceptered upon one candidate, would,
in all human probability, have averted this dire
calamity.
This subject has received considerable atten-
tion of late, particularly in England, where
Mr.. HARE has offered scheme, which would
secure effectual representation to every suf-
fragist But before we enter on its e1plana-
ton, we will briefly review the chief objections
that have been made TO our present System by
several leading American writers, as also, by
M. DE TooUEvILLE, JOHN STUART MILL, and
other foreign publcists. These We find clearly
set forth in late paper on this subject in the
GALAXY. l. Our present system of electing
leads to tho separation Of the
whole voting population into two great parties,
compelling forced and unnatural uniformity
of view, intensifying partisan conflicts, and
giving undue power to small majorities.
2. 1. has led in practice to the non-re-
cognition of the rights of minorities, as we'll as
to their misrepresentation in our legislative
bodies
8. It condemns to private life the best, wisest,
md most original minds in the country, and
gives nearly all the prizes Of high public sta
tion to "available" mediocrities.
4. It fills our representative halls with pur-
chasable representatives, who, in spite Of their
known unworthiness, are kept in official posi-
ton by ignorant OF Indifferent constituencies.
s. 1t has given birth to the convention, the
caucus, the lobby, the ring-irresponsible
bodies unknown to the Constitution, yet oft
times far more powerful in controlling legisla-
tion than wise public opinion.
6. 1t incites to demagogism-that is, to un-
wise and hurtful adulstion Of the people, makes
the majority intolerant and tyrannical, and
compels an unwholesome uniformity of view
and action at times when debate and opposition
are needful to form correct public sentiment.
The practical working of the system is thus
happily illustrated: 'tvoters in this country
may be classified into three parties-say the
Blue, the Green, and tho Yellow. The mass Of
voters belong either to the Blues or Greens,
and not over one in ten to the Yellows; yet
this last is the power-cOnferring party The
bulk of stolid and prejudiced people are always
Democrats or Republicans, but so, also, are the
men of sincere convictions, as we'll as all the
really honest voters but the Yellow, or bal
party-a contemplate faction In
point of numbers, and made up Of the most
questionable voting material-after ALL controls
the action Of Conventions, and dictates the
choice Of executive and legislative officers
That is to say, our system gives the controlling
power to the exceptional, purchasable and i'm
pressible minority vote"
Mr.. HARE's plan has been brought into no
tice by the reform agitation in England, and is
strongly endorsed by Mr.. MILL. A modifca-
ton of this plan, under the name Of the "cu-
mulative vote," has found its way into Parlia-
ment, and is favored by the tory government
It was first proposed by Lord JOHN RUSSELL
in 1854. His proposition was to increase the
number Of "three-corner" Constituencies. e.
electoral districts entitled to three MEMBERS
but to restrict voters from giving their voices
for more than two Of the representatives.. Of
course under this rule the majority would al
ways have two Of the members, and the mi
nority, if large enough, the remaining one.
But this, after all, only recognizes two parties
Of the State, and gives no representation to the
minor interests and opinions which exist in
sll free governments, apart from the leading
political organizations.
Mr.. THOMAS HARE published his plan in
1868; but to Mr.. MILL, we believe, belongs the
honor of bringing it into general notice. In
his Representative Government" this scheme
will be found warmly and cogently endorsed.
Mr.. MILL proclaims this plan as of "transcend-
ent Importance" and sees in it Q cure for the
most palpable evils of representative institu-
tions This plan operates somewhat as follows:
If the election is for o member of Congress,
for instance, the voter is to write down the
names of his candidates in the order of his
preference. He may put down two, six, ten,
or any number of names, and these will repre-
sent his first, second, third, ETC., choice. If
The first fails to get the requisite number of
votes, perhaps the second may be more lucky,
and SO on. The process of arriving at a cor
rect result is necessarily more complicate than
our present system, but this is matter for the
or judges of elections, with which the
voter has nothing to do.
Among the advantages which would arise,
from the adoption of the HARE scheme, or
wise adaptation of the cumulative vote in this
country, are the following: l. 1t would Sc
cure to minorities, beyond all peradventure,
heir true representation in our legislative
bodies. @ 1t would revolutionize the ire
sponsible convention system, perhaps do away
with it altogether, thus Kidding US of the wire
pulling, log-rolling and corruption, which the
present system necessarily entails. 8. 1t
would do away with caucuses. 4. 1t would