The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-07-01
CUMULATIVE VOTING.
From the Harrisburg Patriot.

II will he remembered that Hon. {. X.
BuckalrW last winter introduced in the United
States Senate the subject of cumulative vot-
ING, or. in other words, the representation Of
minoritieS \ committee was appointed 10
investigate the question, which, through Alr.
Buckalew made an elaborate and exhaustive
report The time is fast approaching when
it will become necessary to the perpetuitv Of
our form of government that equal represent
alton must be established in the legislature,
State and federal. Under the present cleo
loral system representation is strikingly IN
equal Take, for example, Massachusetts,
and Kentucky as represented in the federal
Congress The former al the last presidon-
ti.t election cast l9j, 81 votes. The radical
vote at the Presidential election was lbs, Az ;
the Democratic, 50, 1874 \ just and equitable
representation of the political sentiments Of
The people Of Massachusetts would therefore
Give the State three Democratic and seven
radical members. But under the present Sys
lem All the Congressman are radicals The
vote OF Kentucky at the last Presidential
election was lJ5, 40 of which the Democrat
ir candidate received ll5, $3.50, and the radical
candidate 80 ,GGG. Kentucky has nine men,
beers Of Congress, which gives her one mem
her for every H,272 voters. 4 fair repre-
~cniat0n of the politics of that State would
give the Democrats seven members and the
radicals two.
But under the majority plan the Kentucky
delegation in Congress is Soldly Democratic
Our own State is at present represented by
sixteen radicals and eight Democrats Count
ing Foster in(thc Iwenty-tirst District.) At
Me last Presidential election the whole vote
was G4j, 1862, divided as follows: Radical,
542 $50; Democratic, 3l3, 1872. Every q. 319
voters are given Congressman in Pennsvl-
yania. If the strength of the two parties in
Pennsylvania We're justly represented in Con
gress, taking last falls vote as the test, the
radicals would have thirteen members, the
Democrats eleven. All this serves to show
that a very large portion Of the people Of the
United States have no representation at all in
the Federal Legislature This is palpably
and indisputably unjust. 1t is the weakest
point in our tederative system To remedy
This defect Mr. Buckalew suggests cumula-
tive voting, whereby may be secured just
representation Of minorities. We can best in
dictate TO the reader what is meant by cumula-
tive voting, 10y giving practical illustration
of it, working. Let us take the COngressiOn
I'll election in Pennsylvania for example. The
number Of congressman to be elected Il
twenty-fOur Each voter Is allowed to cas-
as many ballots as there are members Of Con
eress to be elected, that is twenty-four. II,
may vote for twenty-tour different candidates
or twenty-fonr different times for one candi
date, or twelve times for two candidates, o
scatter his votes as he chooses. We will nov
say that the two political parties have hel'
State conventions and that the Democrat
have nominated twelve candidates for Con
gress to be voted for by the party Throughout
the State. Each democrat will cast two bal
lots for each of the candidates nominated
This would give a total democratic vote, OF
the basis of last falls election, Of 1921, 1863
and would give to each of the twelve Demo
Gratis 62G,764 votes. Now we will suppos,
the radicals to have nominated eighteen can
didates. Each radical voter would cast on,
vote and one-third of one vote for all the
candidates nominated by his party, because
twenty four divided by eighteen gives tn,
quotient one and one-third Again takins
the basis of last falls election, the entire radi
cal vote would be 8,2l4,720, and each of thu
eighteen candidates would receive 456, 81
votes This would show the election O
twelve democrats and twelve radicals, becaus
the democrats voted for but twelve candi
dates, and thus concentrated their strength
whilst their opponents, endeavoring to cleo
more than their share Of members. dissipate
their votes among eighteen candidates, SIX
whom were destined to inevitable defeat