The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-01-23

MINORITY DIFFERENTIATION.

One CT The most encouraging signs OF the
times III this country, and in England, il
the growing interest bat il felt in what is
called the system Of Minority or Persona
Representation. No one can doubt that the
results which it proposes to effect are *
ceedlngly important ID their influence urOn
legislation, ana the political character OF the
community. Ia what particular form the
system is best adapted 20 American politics.
remains for the present az open question.
Several plans have already been noticed in
The Advocate Others will doubtless be
proposed and criticized, when the public
has become convinced that the system, in
some form or other, is feasible and advan-
tageous-
This after all is the first thing to be done.
Until the community has come to believe
that under our present system legislation is
TO much under the control Of a small num-
Der y, persons, not a political party merely,
bot q small Clique Of professional politicians
within party, and until it is made clear
that this evil would to a great extent, be
remedied by due representation of minor
tiles, it Is idle 70 expect that much interest
will be felt ID the com parali- merits Of the
different schemes in which the principle is
embodied We earnestly hope that the
press q this city, and the northwest gene
rally, viii force this subject Oh the atten.
ton Of the public. Our object in this
article i net 80 much to ex plain o. advocate
any particular plan for attaining the pro-
posed results, but 60 suggest Que or two ad-
Vantages Of the results themselves.
IL is obvious that the safety Of a republic
Use ours depends upon an identity, or, at
least, q harmony u interest and feeling, be-
tween the legislative body aud the commu
nifty at large. All The republics OF the an
cient world fell from independence into abb
so4utIsm, simply because the men who either
made the laws, or controlled those who
made them, did not fairly represent the
opinions and wishes Of the whole people. 4
One OF the most valuable parts OF the British |
cons 'itution, Il has been said, is the practice
= dissCiving parliament and ordering a new
election, whenever the government has rea- /
son to believe that parliament does not
truly represent the people Of England.
Yet the method employed in England as
well as in this country for ascertaining the
state Of public opinion on political aues-
tions, Is certainly very imperfect, since the
IN
which of two great parties has the majority
Of votes, and the contest may turn on only
one question Of public policy, leaving en-
tirely IN the dark the strength Of other par
ties, and the state Of public opinion on
other political questions however important.
Even # the legislature truly represented
the comparative strength OF the two leading |
parties, there is 90 reason why those who
do not happen to belong to either Of them.
should be entirely excluded from represent |
alton.
But leaving cut Of view al other political
organizations and varieties of political
opinion, ought not the two great par,ies 10
divide representation between them accord
lng 70 their comparative strength. II the !
democratic party contains nearly half the |
voters Of the country, is Il fairly represented |
In Congress by minority of one-fourth or
one tenth This question would be eoualIv |
pertinent 50 ths republican party, were il |
like situated. The same principle which
gives a majority in Congress to she strong
est party in the couDiFy, ought to give il
greater or less prePoDderanee in legislati IN,
IN proportion 20 its greater or less preponc- |
erance 1t the polls. The only reason why !