The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-12-19

~ $50
The ApvoeSFn ~ rspessedly eellsd "a.
tsnsion 70 ~ isja1kles q or present cleo.
sIcs systsn--a $780, otirk lxnoues 49,
rights "a pfnoriiis1 ~ nIvse ~ sov
msnt of ths o. sntvy q 6likls party s.
rsthsr to fsw profsssionaa polisielsAs Hho|
ere he naseesrs * such : psrty.
Our elsctio1s ar& kasticslly dsxraaed H.
70 ! psrs periodical strife FOR o1iss--a strife
carried On bstveen the ne asd no osftas q
the expense Of the psopls, ssd Ter ths sOle
benefit Of those Who prodsos nothine. and
who live BY cliaeins like vanpirss 10 the
body polite and sucking its blotd.
Again are the labor candidates defeated
both In this country and IL England, and
such dsfeats viii be repeated unsil System
shall BE introduced which shall secure 70 all
Glasses representation IN the Legislative
bodies Of the country Id proportion 70 their
Numbers. n the Labor Party les oae-kf m
Of the votes In State, Il should have eris-
ffih Of the representation. II some other
party has oae-tssatisth Of the votes IN q
State it should have one-f,cessistl Of the re-
pressasatioa. Uadsr the present system .
party must be able 20 control one more than
haif o. the sofes In order 70 secure any re-
presentation whatever, and party having
one vote 10 excess Of hale the votes has not
--one-half the representation, o. wo-thirds,
or three-foursh, but ALL the representa-
ton. Under the present system, minorities
are crushed between the upper and the Meth
or millssones Of the two great parties. and
seem to have no rights which the majority
seems bound TO respect.
There is growing conviction both 10 this
country and in Europe, that this system %
crude, primasive, and iDperfsct, should no
longer prevail that though the SiII Of the
majority should govern when properly am
noanced, the voice Of the minority should
be heard, and all classes and Interests
should be enabled TO send Representatives to
all The legislative bodies Of the-coantry in
proportion to their numbers.
There are numerous simple ways in which
this great and just principle can be readily
broL. ht into practice-some OF these have
been already presented in he ADyocAFK we
viii here suggest another. Suppose the
State 10 be divided into three districts for
the election Of members Of Congress, viz:
the northern district, the middle r'istriyt,
and the southern district, each dist : 20
elect Eve members Of Congress.
Now. suppose that in the northern dis
trict Of Illinois the labor party has tw y
ffths Of the votes, under the present system
1t would have no representative, under the
proposed system il would have too.
The Labor Party would hold It's cOnven-
ton and nominate a full ticket--.JfDs mem
bers Of congress-and would cause the
names Of the Eve persons nominated for
congress to be printed on each ballot. Each
member OF the labor party world deposit
one Of these tickets, and though the ticket
contains FIVE names | is counted for only
one. commencing with the first Whea all
the votes cast by all eaIsier at the election
have been eoanted, the number is divided
BY five, to ascertain bow many voters should
be entitled TO one representative. We will
assume that the total vote pollcd at the
election was 5000, there are five members
to be elected; 1000 votes then elects a
member. The votes of the Labor Party are
counted and found to number (2,O001 two
thousand. which equals two quotas, where
upon IT, two persons frst named upon the
labor ticket are declared elected.
If, at the same election, the republican
party had two Efths Of the voting strength,
they would have two quotas and elect their
two candidates FIRST named upon their ticket.
II ano,her party having one nth o. the
votes, had nominated a full ticket and cast
1000 votes, the FIRST person named upon
their ticket would be de iiared elected.
Thus we should have Eve members elect
ed by these parties in proportion to their
numbers. Certain cases should be provided
for where there would be fractional quotas,
&C., but we do not apprebend any difficulty
in applying the principle in this way,
though there may be other plans that
night be preferred The principle can be
applied 20 the election of members Of all
legislative bodies-Uaited States, State,
and munic pal What we want is the
practical app zion Of the principle; We
are not particular as 10 details. We want
all classes to have fair representation 10
proportion &c their Numbers, and upon this
We shall insist until the principle is adopt
ed a. sooner or later 1t must be in every
representative government.
Mach interest lie now being manifested In
our State upon this satject. 1t has been
discussed at length in the ADvocAFE, but
more recently it has been taken up By our
Chicago daily papers, and earnestly sup
ported by several Of then. without regard to
patty considerations, and We hsse not seen
. single objection, or single hostile corr
ment upon the principle enanating from the
morning or evening press Of our city.
The people Of Illinois. BY recent vote,
have declared in favor Of convention TO be
held during the coming year TO form new
state constitution. II 10 not improbable
that the Convention may incorporate this
great principle In the new constitution Il
is necessary, however, that the delegates
should be Influenced and instructed npon
this subject, and we trust that the labor
party viii cast its vots, 10 each locality, for
candidates to that convention who are pled4
cd to establish 10 illinois q system b. watch
all the people shall be represented 10 pro-
portion TO their numbers.
REsP0NslBlLIrY or PARENTS.
In the ApyocATR for November 2lst-. we