The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-12-11

'ois ny clausesis a valuable testimony
Hlpport of she principle Of Proler-
iOgqGe RepreseuaaGiOn, which that
'Ia.Se vas intrndsd ito promote, As
Ii3Ority R~psesentaticn. under . res
I,d%ivS vote, ~ sPPIied III England,
r digMizes the principle OF Proportion
MISREPRESENTATION, and makes . great
~ ancO towards its perfect aPPli-
a! y.
SPacc will not permit us to trace the
Dr2gress OF this great and worldwide
nfiyemsat sos the improvement Of Re
.rSsentative Government, for securing
mighty, wisdom, end steadiness in
tn making Of laws, and for carrying
I'd the great republican principle Of
tie government of the people by the
psbplc," raising the character of
legislative bodies to that at least Of the
vSrsge Of the people, rather than ieav-
int il as now to correspond to that of
tlI most ignorant purchasable or i'm
DTl,ssiI,le class-that class which each
LEI ding political party in turn Hatters,
81 des and humOr-, and sometimes
Eyeglasses, in order to secure for them
selves the balance Of power. Thus.
lsdsr the present system. we see that
tSe country is not governed either BY
tBe people or by the majority party, but
"a some petty faction which can con-
rEsl the elections by throwing in vote
18th one party or the other
tWe are about to amend our organic
Nv. The Constitutional Convention
S*ll meet at Sprine6rld in o few days.
is hoped that the Stste Of Lincoln
I'D Douglas--thc home of Grant
v%Il not be among the last to recognize
I9e great and bene6cent principle 81
EOPOr'ionate representation, but that
II will be 10 far, az least, embodied in
our organic law, that Illinois shall be
agnong the first of the United States to
Alopt and profit by it in its fullnees.
We have alluded, from time to time,
\ the debates upon this subject in the
congress Of the United States, to the
EvorAble report presented to the U. S.
senate. on the I'd day of March, 500,
select committee on Represents
I've Reform, composed Of Messra.
8urkalew, Anthony. Rice, Morton,
Ferry. Warner. and Wade, and their
fi,port Of the following bill, which pro-
tNSdes so clearly and 30 briefly for the
duplication of the principle of proper
donate representation to the election OF
4embers Of Congress by free voting,
re give the bill:
Rs n EWACrxD by ,he Senate Nud House ~
Erprrrpn'AGIv Of th- United States Of Ameri
=, in Co"gress assembled. That in a. csi re
" the chOi Of representatives 70 she Con
4rpsS - the United States. ~hrnever more than
ne revresens tive l. g. b. ch On from Gt-Ip.
les-h eIersor Of snch State. daily "a IiA, d. shaI
r. pntltlrd g. ; q 1,b~r &c v"ts- -Quh ~ the
,un,b Der { representatives 60 b. ch"aen h0I.
1le state, q d m~y xive all ruCh vOtes 90 40.
tusGidate, may Distribute them, equally or
w. Qa'Ily, among gre ter TuTber az cHDdi-
l4I-r; and The randid Ies b g'.e~s IN vote upon
le IeGurn shAII b. declared elected
! This is free voting, which, after q
tflreful examination of all The published
h"des Of applying the principle Of
E'OpOrtiOnate representation, VIC deem
Eert adapted 10 orr needs, both in our
Aate and national elections. Under
bis plan Of application, the district
SyStem may be preserved, and We think
should be, in the larger states. but
ehe districts should not be 90 small as
70 defeat one Of the great objects Of
lhe measure full and orderly ex-
preston of public OpiniOA through re-
representatives in the law-making bodies.
in state like Illinois, elccting fourteen
4nemberr of Congress, the state might
well be divided. we think. into say three
congressional districts, each district,
according 70 population. having num-
per Of Congressman aPpOrt1oned to it
way the Northern District, 5 members I
She Middle District. 4 members, and
she Southern District, 5 members
Now, any one who will carefully read
ehe above bin and think Of the appIica-
zion Of the principle, with this mOdi6-
cation, will realize that in the Northern
ID ,strict or the Southern District. ~ the
hare may be, If one-6tth Of the votersiD
the district unite in the nomination OF
some one man, and vote for him, they
Iare certain to elect him. Thus, in the
Northern District Of Illinois, the Work
Iingmen'E Party would hold its conven-
ton, they would estimate their strength,
md nominate their proportion Of mem
Ibers; say they decide that they can
poll One-tifth of she votes in the district.
but not ft~O-Afths, they will nominate
for congress, cay. John Doe. Now,
uHdrr the system Of free voting the
WOrkingmen's Party win have it's
ticket printed as follows:
. wORKINGNENs' TICKET.
.f -Uqr BOR cOE0HEas
= John Doe, vOtes-
y" . 60 90
Each voter has as many votes As
there are members tO be elected in the
district, that is, in this case. each voter
-