The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-11-29
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vice by which the majority shall rule
andshall pronounce its voiccin fuirand
honest manner. Again,a systom of cum
ulative voting would secure to you, in
your legislative bodies, men of high
ability, and secure them for long pc
RODS of time, because elections would
not be subject to the uncertainties which
attend ordinary elections under the ma
lority rule. A political party in Penn.
sylvania, constituting about or near one
half its electors, assuming that the
state would be permanently entitled,
say to twenty-fOur members the pres
ent number, can keep about dozen
men continuously in Congress for long
period of time. Just as long as they re-
tain the confidence of their constituents
they will be elected, because the merit
of this plan is that one part of the COM
munity cannot vote down another.
Each will get its due share of represen-
tatives, and can keep it always simply
by giving votes only TO the number
which they are entitled to have, and
which they can elect. This system
would secure contentment TO men con-
stituting minorities, as they are known,
because such minorities would be abol-
ished at popular elections, and although
| their representatives be voted down in
representative bodies, they would be
heard there, and it Is great satisfaction
for man to be heard even when judy
ment Is pronounced against him. That
| is what we suppose to be one great adj
| vantage of courts of Justice: a man has
his day in court, and he is heard judg
ment is not pronounced in his absence
| or without hearing. Just so, mnOri-
ties in our country ~ they are now con-
stituted, are dissatisfied, and they al
ways will be dissatisfied under the
present system. Let them be heard.
and ifthc decision is against them in the
legislative body, they will acquiescc, be-
cause they have had fair treatment.
This is human nature. Every one can
see that that would be so. Should we
not, therefore, be less liable to revolt to
CONFUSION, to war? Content your peo-
pie, improve your system so that it will
work happily and properly, and you
crush out the seeds of political convul-
sion. Applause.
l need not go over the other heads of
the argument at length, because time
will not permit me. | insist as prin-
cipal argument however, for this mode
of taking the sense Of the electoral body
that it would be great check upon cor
ruptlOn. Now, what causes corruption
at your elections? What brings il into
being? lsubmit that question to you
gentlemen, as men of ordinary expert
cnce. What is il? One candidate wants
~ scb u IlldlOTllN over UuOlntT
date. The district MAY be close, or at
least each side may have hopes of carry
ing it, passion is aroused to use Il COM
mon expression, the blood is up, ambi-
ton calls, private interests prompts.
Here and there we know, for SO the fact
stands revealed to us, a candidate, or
the friends OF candidate, will resort to
corrupt means. For what purpose: To
: get the balance OF power, to turn the
! tn hn ~
the electors, but to gain the tenth, the
twentieth, or the fit'tieth man who holds
in his hands the balance of power be-
tween political interests. In this man
ner these contests for local majorties
and for State majorities between parties,
call into existence all the evil and cor
rupt influences which attend our elec-
tions. \ man at Harrisburg or at WASH
: ington is expected to distribute partron-
D age around his district. so that he can
= get votes to beat somebody else when
u he comes before the people again. A
g man with his pocket full of accumulated
- gains, the result of his own thrift and
II cunning, or the accumulation of his an
y cestors, wants few votes to make "a ma
II jority against an opposing candidate,
: and he gives money TO electioneering
y agents, and does not inquire how it is
o applied: After awhile great complaints
= are made in your community of II cor
e rupt election. You hear such express
70 ions as "shocking," "horrble," "what
u is the country coming to; what is the
n social body and what is the political
- body coming toe" Corruption raises
r, its head in America; it is the danger in
III our path; 1t is the giant we have to fear,
III whose blows will lay low our republic
III an system if it is ever prostrated. Does
g, not your majority rule invite all these
ne evil influences? Go out and make in
81 quiry about your last Congressional
a election in certain districts, and you
oi will hear, 'Oh, money carried it, here
,,al was boss who was bought up; he had
he control of fifty or one hundred men; ii
IL another district another had control o
js, fifty or one hundred electors, and thu
Isl election was turned. 1t took only GUt
votes to win, and away goes the victol
vh TO his post Ofduty, 10 make laws for th,
'te American people. l am not talking o
'ut things abroad, This cry comes to yol
Is, in this city. YES, corruption is increas
uT ing iii America. And what invites it
sit | will answer in a word-it is the ma
'n- lority rule at popular elections whicl
an invites it, it is because you have an un
p ust or imperfect system bv which near
IN ~ ons-hnlfofthe community have thei
'ta voices stified; the corrupt man buys
en- few votes, and thousands of his fellow
57t citizens have no voice in the govern
~ ment; they are outvotcd; five votes vii
ne do 1t, II they create majority, as wei
u n 5000. Adopt plan by which ever,
est political party, and every political in
'h- tcrest, lit choose, can elect its men
We and can elect n. many men rs its mum
.'G ber' cntltlc II to, and you are done will
ro' this abuse of corrupting votes to turl
re- the scale, you are done with this pun
Ich chase of nlaioritics, you are done wit
iic, this scandal of your system, and 20
ne have taken the most etiectual guarante
which, with our present information,
pic 10 p ssible for us to secure for its intce
. riiS and It's perpctuity hereafter, Grea
all applause Under a system of cunt
)se lutivc voting, in the present CongreS
)u, the delegation from thi. State woul
lan stand twelve Republicans and tWolv
vs. Democrats. Why? Because each part
at has 100000 votes in this state, and euc
i'c one knowing that its strength was abol
Of equal to the other, would have cumuls
W. tex it's votes upon twelve meu and elet
ere tr., hem, and there would have been
Sn .ur representation Of the state. We
on mont would have had two majority IA
no one minority member, us have show
nd Kentucky, which sends nine DemOCra
s"- ic members, would have sent two {
gle three Republicans in her delegation
.gei under q sound mode of voting: m
iu- | Maryland, instead If one Republics
u' hlbhlbHt oNt oI lNS, would nave SCI
an two. In Connecticut, instead Of thr,
fair Democratic representatives out of fou
at- there would have been two, bPcau
the vote of the State was about Il
hat, and 50 throughout the Union. You ca
our not take state and examine the lac
arb relating to it in any authen,
you publication without seeing this eleme
evil afinjustica entering into your syste
To of poisoning it at its very fountain.
y of need hardly say-and this is, p,
ling haps, q delicate branch OF my speech