The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-06-16
Minority Representation in Congress.
The Washington correspondent OF the
w., Work Tgybslue saws:

minority Representation in Congress.
The washington correspondents /" inc
New York Tribune says:
owhen the amended House bill incrcas-
inc Representation to three hundred mem
bcrs in the Forty-Second Congress re-
turned to the House, Mr.. Marshan Nv: W
Illinois. will submit an amendment FL ~,
yiding for minority rcprcsen,at'ont o 20 at
election Of members from inc ~ IL thr
large, The amendment VIII C m"s;
principlc contained in the new ~, ha~c nc
of Illinois. allowing each rJ.or Of LARGE TO
Icy ,.; ss;th the right to give all the votes 70
o Eve, c,,m5;a,te or 10 divide them among ING
ouo as the voter may desire; III i
sa,asnoi that the Democrats VIII MAKE
,hn ,dontion of this amendment '"na,,
tinu PRECEDENT to their support OF t''c p'"'
The Democrats will be beaten upon TINS
;ssne. we trust. Minority representation
is beautiful in theory. II com'nehos -,
s,,f to the Judgment of every ml''r.'".
rers,n who reflects upon the su'9cc'' io'
!, r,,,st h, admitted TO he a dangerous cx-
,,nr;nncnt. If it had been allowed through
ont the United States eight years ago the
National Government could never nave sue
cessfullv waged war upon the South.
Think what a change such law woula
make in Congress. The Republicans now
have two-thirds Of the members OF inc
House of Representatives. If the In" hao
heen srch in 1865 as to secure to each party
anumbcr of representatives proporlioheo
to it's strength the Democrats would nave
elected nearly half of the whole NUMBER
Whilst johnson was President no bitl vc-
tocd BY him could have become q law NV
executive and the legislative departments
If tho Government would have come 10
dead lock. In 1861 the southern reprcseh-
tatiyes in Congress would probably nave
been numerous enough. with the aid OF the
strength from the North that minority re-
presentation would have given them, 10
have either controlled the National Govern
mcnt. or at least to have clogged Its wheels
so that it would have come to stand-s1ili.
Perhaps the reader will see in all these
objections nothing but features recommends
ing minority representation to general favor
in the South. Such may be the case. We
confess that the system would not lind IN
us 4 very decided opponent ii nothing else
could be said against it. But the fact Is 'ha'
we are afraid we should not admire inc
manner i'm which the scheme would operate
in Virginia. 1t would probably insure To
the miserable faction Of carnet-bagScrs anu
scalavaes that now infcSts the state TOO
large a representation in the General AS
sembly, in the city and town councils, ana
wherever the minority might I've allowed
representation in proportion to Its
voting power. 1t would enable unprlh-
cipled candidates to combine their forces
for the purpose of defeating good men, II
yyould give to one-third, or onc-fourth, OF
one-f;fth. or even one-SiXth of the voters
depending upon the number of delegates or
members to be choSenfrom single district
the power to send to Congress, or to state
legislature, absolutely worthless charac-
ters-mere yagabonds. For the system can
only operate where several persons are 10
he elected from single district. In Massa-
chusetts, for instance, the knights OF Crls-
pin, who are said, either truly or untruly,
to be a terrible set of scamp>, would pro-
baby have strength sufficient to elect q
large proportion of the members Of the Cen
cral Assembly. The majority would have
no rights which the minority would be
bound to respect.
AS to the particular proposition referred
to by the Tribune's correspondent, we do
not so much fear it per Sc as we dread 1t us
an entering wedge. Virginia cannot posi-
bly, have more than two members OF Con-
gross to elect at large, and will i'll all proba-
bility have only one to elect i'll that manner.
If there is only one thus to elect, the Con-
servativcs will certainly have the selection !
Of the man. If there are two, the Radicals |
may, and probably will, get one OF them. As,
however, the Republicans would lose un-
der the new system in every northern State, |
we do not think it at all likely that they Will |
have the manliness to adopt the system to |
which we have thus objected.