The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-11-29

litical thought have been against The
undue concentration of power ut any
particular point, whether Washington,
Harrisburg, or Philadelphia, OF else
where, and | have been in iaNOr ot It's
distribution, us far a. possible, into all
the local communities into when the
State or the country is divided. And
this objection, from my point OF view,
deserves respectful treatment aud res
pcctfuI answer. | have to observe, chen,
that, in my opinion, PARTICULAR lncall-
ties within the State would have due
voice anAdue influence in the selection
of candidates: that if they were select
ed by a common body, by state Con
vention, any attempt to dlslranchise
any particular section OF the state would
be met by counter combination in the
interest Of fair play, and that the prnc-
teal result would be that there would
be on 'the whole fair distribution OF
political power in the different parts of
the State by the selection of candidates.
II, however, my difficulty were appre-
hended on this ground, there might be
rule adopted by which nominations
should be made by districts, IL thing
very often done in counties. and even
in States. 1t would be rule to party
making its selections, that there should
be distribution of its candidates ac-
cording TO district divisions, either
those established for other purposes by
some general state law or established
by the particular party organization for
its own purposes of selection on dis
tributiOn.
But the conclusive answer to the OBJ
lection is this, that any important local
ity would have the power TO defend it.
self against such injustice; and that is
one of the merits of this system of
cumulative voting. If there was an at
tempt to dlsfranchise the City of Phila-
delphia, to prevent her returning her
four members to Congress, and the thing
was gross and glaring, what could she
do under Il system of cumulative vot-
ing; Just combine her vote on her four
men, and elect them In spite of all the
other electors in the State, and thus any
attempt Mt injustice in any section Of
the Commonwealth might be resented
by the people aggrieved by cumulating
their votes upon one or more local cam
didates of their own. They could de-
feat any such attempt at injustice. and
defend themselves against it, and the
fact that they had such power of de-
fcnse, would always secure just dis
tribution of nominations.
for by the whole State, there would be
opportunities for making better selec-
| tions than are made by the district sys-
| TEN. Let me take an illustration on
this point. What's misfortune itWould
have been if the narrow intellectuali-
ties of our modern political reasoncrS
had controlled in England when Ed
mund Burke was a candidate before the
electors of Bristol in 1850, Il distinguish
ed member of Parliament, whose name
is given to the literature of the world
for all future ages. He stood up in the
British Parliament defending the just
rights of the American Colonies Words
in our behalf which yet echo through
the world were heard with admiration
and pride even by those opposed to him
in the House of Commons. But they
We're heard with other feelings in Bris-
tOl, which he then represented in Par
lialnent and when he went down to
his constituents, instead of re-elccting
they rejected him he was voted down.
His own district had local majority
against him of men who hated Amcri-
ca, who were with the King in the war
he wagcd against our fathers. Their
passions and prejudices were aroused
against their eloquent representative
lament of the Empire. He was defeat
ed under the majority rule and Il single
district system. Fortunately, he was
returned to Parliament by another con-
stitnency, who thought ii an honor to
be represented by him, and he contin-
ued in the House of Commons aslong as
he lived, adorning it by his eloluencc
and his genius, and giving his name to
his country and the world as cherish
! ed recollection for all time. IN our
country, Inder similar Circumstances
such man would remain out of Con-
gress, or out ofany other legislative body
upon defeat in his district. He would
he ostracized from the councils Of his
country, his voice closed and stified (;
his career would be closed. What does
cumulative voting do? 1t enables the
| freemen oia Stateto select their Burkes
and their Websters; their Clays and
Calhouns, wherever they may be i'll the
| State, and use their abilities, SO long as
they please, in shaping the legislation
and administration of the government
of the country. tApplause.) No abil-
| ity, no merit, no eminence, no greatness,
could be stfled in any Of our States un-
der this system. The majority rufe,
which would seem to have been invent
ed to submerge merit and to lift medi-
ocrity, would no longer operate its
course unchecked in American politics,
the freemen of our country would have
a breadth of choice which they would
exercise, doubt not wisely 10 The ad-
vantage of themselves and Of future
generations.
Our experience in this State and in
other States is not clearly In favor Of
carrying the idea of single district too
tar. 1 drew the amendmen. 10 the Con-
stitution Of our state, By which your
city is broken into single districts. APP
plause. What was the idea of that
amendment? Il was that ono political
interest should not absorb the whole
sixteen or eighteen representatives.
which you send TO the Legislature; that
Il little shifting majority one way or
the other should not cast tina. large
number of votes on one side or the Otll-
er at Harrisburg. The idea was 10
break up the'pOiitical commuuityHndal-
low the different political interests
which compose it, by choosingl in single
districts, to be represented in the i.egis-
lature of the state. Unfortunately,
when that arrangement Waa made for
your city land for Pittsburg also, to
which it will soon apply, this Just,
equal, almost perfect system Of election
which | have spoken OF tonight was
unknown. 1t had not then been an
nounccd abroad, or considered here,and
we did what best we could. Now,
however, if IA change were to be made,
suppose the same current OtopiniDn and
Of sentim ent would take place in this
state which has prevailed In New York,
where the system Of single districts
throughout the State for the election of
members OF the Assembly or lower
Legislative branch Of that S,ate ha, lost
credit. The idea is very generally aban-
dOned 10y thinking and rejecting men
in that State. 1t is Il failure; il has not
produced the results which it was sup
posed would flow from it. Cumulative
voting, however, comes in, and il is q
principle which is capable of extended
application to popular elections where
more thana single officer is to be chosen.
II can be applied TO the election Of rep
| resentatives in the Legislature from
your city and from each of the COMMITTEES