, 1869-11-06

al 1ews Of the day. ana about IS many more Of
:,..se.tEeneuts, We hardly think that auy Of our
sr,scIisers wifi complain Of not having ali they
tan Ask lot IN u single ncwspspet.
TEE QUESTION OF REPRESENTATION.
The question of minority representation,
10th in legislation and in private corpora-
dnns, is attracting the serious attention Of
thinking Men in all parts Of the United
States mud in tie foremost Of the European
States. The subject will be brought before
the Constitutional Convention of Illinois
uhlch assemblies in Springfield next month,
and, aLethcr any satisfactory solution be
arrived at or not, it will at least be carefully
considered in all its bearings. Almost all
Intelligent men who hnTe investigated the
matter are unanimously Of opinion that
tie present sys:em of representation is
radically faulty sad full Of esil. Few per-
sons csn he found who defend exclusive
majority representation. As John Stuart
Mill remarked in the British Par
ianeat, at is great evil /;
it is one which exists not only in our own
Int in every other representative constitu-
,ion we are all aware Of it: We all feel and
nckno~!elge i in particular csses; itenters
srso ri! our calculations, and bears with
l.t:ary oe1Eht on us al But, aa VIC hare
alvn.s been nsed to think of it as incarahle,
We think Of it rs little as we can, and ara
hardly aware bow greatly it affects the whole
course of our AFFAIR.", and how psodisious
~onll he the gain to our policy, to our
morality. to opt civilization itself, il the
erI I~ere susceptible Of remedy. We arc
.ew anxiously considering what can be done
fer the 1ansepresented. In every Parliament
there is an enormous fraction Of the whole
tssay Of electors who are without any direct
representation. consisting Of the aggregate
ef the miuoritits in ali contested elections,
together with VIC know not what ninorities
in these which, from the supposed hopeless
ness Of success, have not even contested
AL these electors are as completely hlotted
OH. from The constituency Rs if they were
legally disqualified to voto they are, for
MI practical purposes, disftapchisei."
These are the words of the deepest
thinker on social science subjects that now
liTes- Bot, after a long and earnest inves-
s'eatlon u tne question. tno nf'tisn fafl'a-
nen' "eie uiAo.e ~ att'se II a''5 hal'AlAc. !.
'ors solu,"n o' 'ne p1op'e". ny way o1
experiment 'aes e,eateo a 1eS t':s't'c,s TO
'a1o'oe tn'ee, Ano o.netS lou. 'neuoef"'
ata p'o''1ea lnn' eacn so'ef 5t'oula oe te
s'1'elea TO voting 1of Dut one member OF
rutljament, thereby securing to the minor
ny parry Que o. loe seass u eacn u 1nese
as''1'e.s Inns l. gseat Improvement on
.he o'a system; ou' lis dement's afe
iln''eo 10 'e" olstf1cta, aoo sne "1oa6
Of non-m'nof7ss fepreseata11on remains IN
gseai oegfee' un'eatesseo'
ine ptac'.ca' oslaeuitt WHICH see'ns
20 en'"ou ta's 1oese'oh 8to~R oos e'
fne al'e'nPs 70 teta'n tne ea,.a1 Young Fo"e'
y. .ne AeAs'easAa'o III = a"4A@'aeas W A'es
is.a.u'e ano ,ne i c"ns'i 'ioI'lon ~ s1ns,e US
.4A&'- - on5 ""e s4'e'1oe' ella'' o' e'cs'<s
avn o'seiiet' - i'aA''ef VI cooise' on!
one pas'S can oe represented, ana Inc MN
of"' thooen eana IN s'senS'h 10 Inc MAJOR
~ S one 'o'e' tuu" go unteptesenseo
"o 'ne oine' nana' u eacn atStr'ct eieets t"s
Hnfinoe's, tae n"1os1's sue scts oota or,
the Feaels IRE 3est1'e1eo 10 soine 1of bu
.ne candidate, then 1t will result that thu
1a4confy, having elected member, Wsu ex
ess as much weight IN legislation az the ma
lo''ty, though they mas be bat one-thiru o
tie voters IN tho distinct :; on the oths
hsnc, il they fali short few votes OF beln
fhe "ne-fhlfd OF the whole, they remain CT
tiFelS un'epresented. Ihls trouble, 1t wi
ne seen, grows out OF retaining the pr1nc
pic OF equal voting power on the part OF tn
mfintefs constituting the legislature bu
. "uc1e - 'ne joaoee' p1op1'ets' OF necesslt
~ conie111ng Oh menleef VINO receive
:.'da' votes an equal weight With hnothe
member who received 5000 votes
lie member is not sent to tho Senate c
House to represent himself, but hl
constituents. II the political rights c
Voters are e9ual they should be equal
represented man In ona district shoul
lave as great political rights rs maa i!
any other dlAtrlct- Where is this fasHneF
'!]:stace II giving the Last Democrats G
Schuyler County m equal Legislative vot
with 4,'"' Republicans IN WlunebaGo
IN" Democrat IN the for1ner entitled to G
'"!eh representation rs three Eepabllca
s'';er; III the latter county, Tbs Count
/ e Knox cast 1901 votes, ind the County {
1'aa6e cast '''4-' Eo1es, yet eacn uaa VI
':;:tubrr and an equal voice IN Tue Leglsl
':e- Was that equity. OF ~iuai1ty
L. Il IS l'y ehagrg to this vicious idea
rr'e''7'ng "h each representative m eq''
voice m enacsing Laws regardless of l
Eu1Lbef u constituents t"r ~hom ne ae'
that rendess II aIIAFentls nnPosAnle
devise any pfacaacaa md satisfactory sehe'
!. "t n41noE1fs representation or even II
: majority representation Ihe Him
I 1S~ts aouse consists OF elSms-hVe ne
: a'e1h, and 1t ls found that tina fo'ty-t'
1nvnll'e1s In the Last Legislature ~ho
!, cr:red the highest number OF votes aeg
u gated nearly 5o,00 more votes than
~ '.tler forty~three- Thus We bad the cont
nj the House IN the bands OF fost7-th
1uembers, who represented an 1tnme'
minority of the voters VINO eleetea
H"cse lf'st TINS 1s not nj oi sac eSlA
:hvse toHS-shree d'sfr'c's the msno
:, i'af's was a''nost eiuat ID ~, elesen en aa," ~
r:in;nr1ty party and CAST 1ons l'p''"o 70
4 "snnsts perhaps llosooo east ios ,oe
'@rtsfui canoica'es' ana See 'ues nao
s'neie mehoe1 On toe n"'f ~ tep'e
ihtn-
ES the present system memoe1 u