Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-09-02

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THE RIGHTS OF MINORITIEs. 1t IS correct
theory of the advocates Of the republican
system Of government that majortles should
govern; but it is at the same time conceded
that minorities have rights which it Is net just
to disregard or trample upon. The idea that
in popular governments the majority OF the
ouali6ed electors should dictate the policy Of
the government is certainly the true one, and
if it were limited to the assertion Of the simple
right of the majority to control public policy,
there would not be any objection. But in
maintaining this theory many oft advocates
have lost sight Of fact which all men who
will reflect upon it must admit to be true, that
the voice of the minority should have weight
equal to it's proportionate strength; but the
establishment of system by which this rela-
tive influence could be adjusted, has been pro-
blem which statesmen and political economists
have utterly failed to solve, and the consequence
has been that the rule that the majority should
govern has been left to operate in It's most
latitudinous sense, and but little respect has
been paid to the wishes or views Of those who
composed the minority
It must be admitted however, thai as
matter of mere justice, each Individual per
mitted by the form Of government to partlcl-
pate in it's administration should be entitled,
and is entitled, to equal authority and weight
ne truo but
practically it is not. If bare ajority is OBJ
tanned in State by the advocates OF partlcu
lar set of measures, the voice Of the opposing
party is stihed, and the majority is supreme.
The individual members OF the minority I'M
mediately become political cypherS.
AS we have remarked the trouble has been
to devise plan by which the right OF the ma
iority should be maintained and at the same
time the rights of the minority be respected
and its proportionate weight and influence IN
the Government be recognized. Various plans
have been suggested by which this result can
be attained, but the one just now attracting
considerable attention and believed to be the
most practicable is what is called cumulative
voting. This plan can only be employed where
number of legislators are to be elected. 1t
was explained by Senator Buckalew, OF Penn
sylvania, at the last session of Congress, and
plan for the reconstruction of the South. lie
said:
'Now, let me illustrate how this scheme
would work by particular example. Take
the case of Vermont, State with sixty thous-
and voters, forty thousand of which are mem
bers of the majority party, and twenty thousand
of the minority By act OF Congress--the
existing gapportiontment law-that State is entl-
tied to three members The numbers l have
stated are very nearly the exact numbers OF
voters in that State. Every one at glance
can see what ought to take place. The major
ity having forty thousand votes should glucose
two members of Congress from that State, and
the minority having twenty thousand votes
should elect one member. Then there would
be just representation. Then there could be no
complaint in any quarter. Then our principle
of the representation of the people would be
applied in the particular case, and no human
being can conceive of any argument or objec-
ton against that result.
This system of cumulative voting renders
just that result certain-renders 1T morally
impossible that any other should take place
and why? Because the minority cumuatlng
their votes upon single candidate can give
him sixty thousand votes; each elector giving
his candidate three votes, it would count him
sixty thousand. The forty thousand constitut
ing the political majority in the State, If they
attempt to vote for three candidates, can only
give them forty thousand each. If they cumu-
late their votes upon two candidates, which is
what they are entitled to, they can give them
sixty thousand votes each SO that two men
will be elected to Congress representing the
majority and one man representing the mlnorl-
ty, and it is impossible for either one OF those
political interests to prevent the other from
obtaining its share of representation.
If this system had been in operation during
the political struggle which preceded the war,
it is quite possible that the Union might have
been saved and the collision prevented. The
conservative vote Of the North would have
been more fully represented as we'll as the non
shareholders and moderate men OF the South.
The extremists in both sections would thus
have been held 10 check, and milder counses
might have prevailed. .-LouisrtHe Courier.
The venerable Dr. Strong, of Hartford, pre-
siding for one year in the general association OF
Connecticut, called upon ministerial brother
as follows
n ID IL. cto