The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-11-28

upon the radical managers in certain town
ships in this county where nearly all the
votes are returned for their candidates, and
where no democrat is appointed on the cleo.
ton board or allowed to watch that board,
yet we do say that their action is liable to
that suspicion,and the only way to avoid the
suspicion Of guilt is to give the minority its
fair representation on all election boards.
The question of the rights Of minorities to
their fair and proportional voice in the leg.
islation Of the nation is now claiming some
attention Of the public mind, aud promises
to be central point Of discussion by parties
in the future. 1t has received its first off.
cal sanction from Governor Hays (republi.
cam Of Ohio, who in his annual message
submits to the Legislature the propriety Of 50
amending the laws Of the state as to secure
to the minority Of the voters equitable repre-.
sentation in election boards, and consequent
| protection from a fraudulent abuse Of the du.
| ties coufded thereto. This is but an initial
step to an end but it is in the right direction,
and one that must be taken antecedent to
the action necessary TO q complete restOra.
ton of the right Of every citizen to an equal
voice in the direction public affairs. As
the surrender Of liberty by free people al.
ways begins with unimportant cessions, so
must needed reforms begin with similar
methods of progress. The theory of the ma
| tional government is protection of the mi.
nority of states BY Nu equal voice Of the
smallest with the largest in the higher branch
Of the legislative power; and equally was
the theory conceived in the state govern.
ments by division Of the state into counties
towns or districts, having equal voice in leg.
islation, and, therefore, power to protect 10.
cal interests or a minority as to area Of the
state against the majority. The principle
Of the rights Of minorities to representation
in the making of the laws was thus to a Ger.
| tain extent defined and its exercise protected
while the execution Of the laws was of right
confded to the majority in the nation as well
as the state, by requiring the election Of al.
miniatrative officers to be by the people Of
all the districts in which their powers were
eXercised-the President by the majority Of
states, having representation rs to popula.
ton; governors by the majority Of the people
Of all the counties or districts of the state.
That this protection WAS to great extent
simply local to states as well as counties was
due perhaps as much to the tact that political
parties were unknown to the trainers Of the
system as to an apparent and present need
of guarding interests Of local nature, as
one state against others, or one extremity of
a state against the other, in each case d.
versity Of opiuion and even Of requirements
arising from climate, commercial outlets or
educational prejudices. TIE attack upon
these rights and guarantees was FIRST felt in
the division and rediysion of states into
| legislative districts, to suit the fancied need
Of parties as to matters totally unconnected
with the legislative, commercial or social re-
quirements Of the district itself'-an attack
| which in its incipiency acquired the name
of "gerrYmanderiug,' from its inventor, and
which, in turn, has made the mans Of FL,
bridge Gerry known to those who never
learned or have forgotten that he was once
vice president of the United States. The
last is the persistent attempt Of the domin'
ant party to concentrate power in the ma.
tional congress, thus giving additional pre-.
ponderance to smaller radical states against
| the larger democratic communicable the
New England states having six times the
weight in the senate allowed to New York,
which yet exceeds those states in population;
the intermediate act upon which those at
tacks are based and by which alone they
can be sustained being an unlimited and alb.
soute control of the ballot box.
From this consideration Of the means by
which mino-ities, both of states and of citi.
zeus, have been and are to be controlled. we
may readily divine the animus actuating any
one in opposing any measure that shall give
such minorlties an equitable part in the di.
rection of national or state policy. To Sc.
cure the requisite division of representation,
it is necessary first to guard the ballot box
as proposed ly the governor of Oho--to
secure a minority not only against n fraudu,
lent manipulation of their votes, but the alb
soIute right to cast those votes. Not only
must the minority elect or appoint fair
| proportion Of the officers Of election, but
they should have an equitable representation
in the boards which determine whether indi.
viduals possess the qualifications Of voters,
and upon the boards which receive count
and return the votes, in order to ensure fair
ness and honesty in the performance of that
duty. After that shall be secured. minori-
ties should also be secured in the right to
vote for members of the legislature or for
congress, in other districts than those in
which they reside, in order to secure their
just and fair presentation in the state and |
national legislatures. For instance: Is
there any justice in depriying the $4,000 to
10000 democratic voters of Vermont of any
voice in the senate of that state2 Can any Just
reason be assigned why 10000 republican
voters in Kentucky should have no member
Of congress to speak for them 7--or why
10000 republicans in Indiana should have
seven members of congress, and 10000 l
democrats only four members ?-or why ,
$4,000 republicans in Chicago should have
all the members of the legislature, and !
1000 democrats none? But this matter t