, 1870-06-20
MINORITY REPRESENTATION.
Reper4 of the ComR1lttec Of the Com
ntituflonal ConvenGiom ON Electoral
and Representative Reform. Mr.
Medi3l4 CAAtFNAuv

The committee TO whom was was contfdcd
the enplect OF electoral ano feme1sl.au.e
reform, beg leave to report the 1o!lo~lnS ~
ticie, for the concurrence o. ne convention.
and ask that tho came be submitted sepafa.e!y
TO vote o. the people, as may pc pfosiosa "
the schedule; and that the same shall become
part o1 tae ne~ CONSTITUTION, IT be appsps-
ed ~ majority OF the 41altied Voters Fotlne
uPon the p1oPoslt1on; and, Il Approved ~ tae
people ~ SAD eieGtloH, " saal Bupst1ete auu .I
lake me place oi the conalctlng eectlons III tce
Legislative article: --.---.-..-
ns nnas ~ at; Of
,b1a ts ~. ~ naesF ~ IL ,ma:ra zaM of e
Snst s1 M tc9 ~ dt ~ IN s,t h IN yeafa
Tree isnrrsentatives shall be Elected In each Sen
atot1al District at the general election in the year
a. D. 1879, and every two years thereafter. In an
elections Of Representatives aforesaid, each quail
neg FascI may caSs as manJ totea los one ea y.
aIe ~ W ,a ~ t ne thcrof
11nonu r1e c.nttfaiea N he shpif acc nr AMI the
canddae hichest Ia votes shaii be declared elect
I'd,
syyops1s ~ rvr .,srsnyrYr
It will be seen, from an examination Of tho
foregoing pian Of annnrtionmant And of yot-
inr. fhat It il ereat Smnroyernent On the NJ
II nrnyifiee for an cniarred Sen.tn and Honno
nf Ranresentatiyes. tbe former to consist nf
mt less fhau 81, and the latter Of not 1csB
fh,n 15a members. 2. II nnnortiona tha stste
into tl1ree-membcred distFctss in order that
ihe minority nartv mar be- renrnscnted. IL Well
rescntnt m tion. tiat is. for the ranrasantation of
fhe ,rhole neonle nj both Ella crnat partiea.
AMI Of othar nartiea which NAV srisn is every
district or constitnency in The State Of 1linois.
l. It nrnyiaea that the o1nctor nhall eniny a
freo and t,nrestrainod ballot. and NAV concon-
trste or distributo his votcs enualIy or nm
eofta1ir amone the cotnneti1,r candidates "a lie
0-A>-~NN>~'T -
cit;zcn> WIN haa nm indefeaa;hla rivht to so
viii, his yote M he r1lessan. and whnns II ia i'm
n,oner ~ wai1 ~ ;1nnolti'. ~ 1rr;t ~ rea.r;ct
r. tf,e d;.trihntfon 81 his s1,fTrapa .mnnr I'm
candidates nresente.l for ],is cl,oice.
Here IA 1nirht sim md aul,yn;t mr. conc1r-
sions To tlo eonyeutiou. But. believing that
H'a ,,oo1,o a. ~, H." eonvn,t;on ics;-a ~
i.,ri, s1me ~ lie 1cssn,,s for tIcsc cnncln-
a;nns ~ nf7er .ta f,1foTina, ~, ~ tha o,hiart
Tuvonr ~ nrpVrsrxr.T1pr n,vpnx.tryr
f1nr foTn7 ~ government il ciaimct1 to Io
,anresentat;ra demo~rncr Va nrofcss II III
law lie mot}als Of tie Crack republica. whero
every c;tizc, ,sas en,1al. and enfnysd an equal
ity Of rieIt in 1nakips the laws In thc,u re-
nu,,lics The ro;nontv wcrn uot icuorod or ex-
ccIndei in framnr .tatntes or yotiu1. taxrs.
Tha whoIe hoiir Of eitizans assembled t1,oetbar
+, ,naas convention and t1;scnsseJ fhe ysrinns
rncssnres and Drnnoeitinns hro11rht before
them aftcr WHICH thoy nroceeded to vote
fhpf }NR H4&H3 Yor md In mi ifc
.rs;nst lin n.rt;c,,1s; ,ast;er u,.1er cans1o;5l
se;n1 s1, n.r+;as M n-;n,ona wora
ro1,roaante1 mi be.r3 md yntea m
o-p,r roooerro i1nt hv rooaon ~ +Io
raet axta.,, ~ he A,nar;csn Ronrh1;c ,u1 ia
,n.,it;trda NJ ia nnn1,iat;on nF;1narr assam
hIsres of the neopls Tor the nnrpose Of dis
49,. y. paI.;s, ~. ~ ;,,nrort;.sho
s.'., ti.e5ra a fsro ~ .t.s,a1,to4 hatf Vii
no toet :s nvs 10 .a La. 'n 49,,
~ so.eis y. tao4s sa.' nooa ~
tlae u n.oues ~ eunG ~ sue o'"tc t;a
iot tHe PhIpose " ehaetne ia"s. - asola
;he original thcofy OF ae!i-S9Eefhmen., 1he
american people nave ueTlseu or aaoptea
system OF Bcif-goEeEnment, by means OF aSents
OF representatives selected by themselves W
ballot. These agents are chosen from coun-
tiss or other convenient districts Of limited
laws i'll accordance with The popular will, with
in the restrictions prescribed by thelr power Of
attorney, called tho constitution. The act Of
the agent IL held to 90 the act OF the pr1nclpal
and the laws PASSED by these representatives
arc taken aud regarded as tho aets o. the 'hoe
convention, and dccrccd these cnactments.
PRACTICE ~. THEORY.
Thus sar the theory CT our representative
government seems perfect and satisfactory,
but, il practice. there u wide departure from
tho doctrine OF the Declaration OF Intiepen-
utAcG, Will s4444 As A!t"s FoFcAhi41@ut w
rive their just powers from tho consent Of tho
governed" In the selection OF the agents to
frame the laws, ou1y ono part Of tho people
arc permitted to be represented. True, they
may all vote for tho choice OF representatives
but only t1esc persons recclElnG tho highest
number cf votes may servo in . representa-
tive capacity. It is not eren required that
they shall havea majority Of all the yotes cast.
plurality that may not comprise shiru o.
quarter. may elect all tho nembora Of dis
trict and secure . monopoly OF representation;
5,oeo voters nay a. cast 1helr hauots tot =, n.
and q. anu s,3y9 TOT y, z anu get tnls
majority of o,4e Sote .a ls sufficient ,hS ,taN to
I'VE followed tnc otls'naa ~ model OF don-
oc1atlc government. ne 1.sys citizens, ~ & WIG
are tnus piaeticaatf uis1t tancnseu Auu tehueis1
solcelees n tae N6sla!se cnAnoeis, ~ noulo ~
uato eaa24 a.s' ~ " ~ ~ - te
gIaua p!as AaseHtp!1su. ""n ~ 5 o.t.ea
.;uuo c't1ens u sne1t a.sti.Sa. ana . .non Hlo
!neie eahe pa4t u ~ oeeuea1p ~ ooo paoeoea,
hss, MY sote 1os " afAnt % .n:sao % nr. %.ta
ptopoaaaouiS ,t luo ~. t,...e .i,o aToat
leasons .nu nsunien:e lazy 49,; eno taJes ~
.. eaanEns Va W. nreare;s tno aet.od d;Tran, - a.,
assem'aase. ann ptoauln pi nlus's a u,netEns ttn,
feSult 11on1 "nnt "o'1a " uone' "eie 'nes
apsen. OF eaeioaeo'
n .no lunay asaeaDo, ~ 81 r1sses ..,nIa n
OPINIONS Ate tep!eseuGa. 1no Aulolh5 bsal1os "1
OIL an estual luol4us WIN tue 14talo1it3 aa1 pus
seeses elua ko"e! .an ~. u.au; Wus ~ y, uo'
.nlt i.nstp'e a,,rs1e ~ 40 n;par
aehsapse e. ASSEMBLY ;,, Ie 2tas LIZ mnof~ nea
ny 4ase ~ 1nuEA ttsn. ~ ~ 1GYs~
ecntcd n tne !htter a. l1e iolnes. How 10"
ean "a" W uotan. o,i!as ~ .noso In1o
cltlzehs VINO nave peen ueneu .1o 51Snt ~ netp
ilame ~ @ao naso peen eae!unea, , ~ pe.son
OF ~ aetorheE, iloh oeS ne " nae
osltlon VINO nave psen anoSea r. no pa.as'pa. a. "a.
m,t,ar III heW gsy pr tbeir interests
who have peen pfesentea1 IRON onet1ng O. amena-
ments TO II, Or pointing ost 1ts injurious el-
iects on theii f18hts, Or oi entel1n8 ,heal Pro
test AGAINST u anu 5et 1h95 are oouno 70
sle'a w7'ltnE opeuleHce ~ 10 !nis nv " ~ ~
ny !atnel !na!l asIooel3c5L.no sssaIis ~ ~ ~,
itol!faIJ Ma1or5s imposing ,ts "lt ~ tn9
forrablS e3eludea mlhofltF: Hno eau delena q
orlusfAy sqcn aegstem on lepupheane eI9unus'
~ - 'ae tu1 - 11sI tu s.e ~ eno 10
1of1tF; put IL goes hot 1ouo" q seInenee,
that the mlnon6y must tnereio'e Ge suppressed
and haya no Pre- s11s% vas a. az DERIVED
We are aware oi the source whence thlH
undenocratlc mo4e OF rep5esenia.ioh ~as
derived: we kno" that our Eng''sli anceHtore
| originally b1sed representation and sunfage
on property. The fendal i'oIua alone Ve1e
sass The bov ae 81 a,a od 70 t
.lor1s Of the soil.' But, in tue course Of time,
| tho wcaltlier tenants and few favored ones
Of other classes we're cautiously snd reluctant
u let into this privileged order. OF rulors
GRADUALLY the number Of voters Increased IL
| the parent isles until now nearly hali OF tht
male adults are enlrancllsed; and even nj
| nority representation has been accorded II
all the three and four-membered districts O.
| the United Kingdom.
Our American forefathera. copying fron
their English ancestors, restricted the r7gh
OF suffrage to tho holders of proper
| ty; and the poorer classes Of citlzenl
Mere permitted 70 take no part u
TIC selection OF their legislators @
| governors. When this was reformed " let
ting in the whole mass OF citizens, the feuda
/ practice Of exclusive majority representation
waa retained, perhaps from tho mere force o.
habit and repugnance to change; At al
events, it has been continued after the feuda
reasons which gave it birth have Ceased Il
| exist.