The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-06
would elect them to serve with the six first

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elected. . - AZ
4. ssThe fourth plan is sometimes called that
of prory voting, which permits every voter 10
give his vote or proxy to any personhe pleases,
and that person to represent him in the repre-
sentative chamber if he can unite upon him
self other proxies sufficient to make up the
electoral quota, and if he receives more than
this sufficient number, then to cast additional
votes in the chamber, proportional to the
number OF proxies received. This is the plan
put forth three years ago by the Personal Rep
resentation Society of New York.
s. The fifth plan is that of list voting, or
what is called the free concurrence of lists or
the open lst-a plan recommended by the re-
formers of Germany. 1t supposes lists of can
ididates containing each the names OF as many
as there are representatives to be chosen,
ranged in the order ofpreference, to be deposi-
ed with the proper authorities certain time
before the election and numbered. Each elec-
tor gives his vote for O particular list. Tne
whole number of votes for that list IS divided
by the electoral quota, and the result gives the
lumber of candidates chosen on that list. For
example, if there be fifteen representatives to
be elected, $1,000 voters, and five lists CT can
didates List A receiving 5000 votes secures
FIVE representatives; list receiving 1000
votes secures four representatives; list re-
ceiying 5000 votes secures three representa-
tlves; list D receiving 1000 votes secures two
representatives; list E receiving 1000 votes
secures one representative. In the case OF
vacancy caused by death or resignation, cleo
ton on more than one list, or other cause, the
place is to be supplied by. the candidate next
in order. This plan would operate thus in a
State having $1,000 voters and ten represen-
tatlves in Congress to choose, and three par
ties with each o list: List A receiving 10000
votes; list B receiving 10000 votes, and list c
receiving 10000. The quota or electoral
quotient being 10000, list A would be entitled
to six representatives, list B to three, and list
C to one The slxhighest names on list A, the
three highest on list B, and the one highest on
list would then be chosen as the representa-
tives of the State in Congress"
6. The sixth plan, which we have purpose
ly reserved to the lost, is that Of cumulative
voting. The theory of this is, that, quota
being ascertained as before, each voter shall
have as many votes as there are representa-
tives to be elected, (either from the whole
State, or from electoral districts less than
the whole State, as may be determined;) and
shall be at liberty to cast them all for one
candidate or divide them among several,
as he pleases. This plan has been proposed
in Congress by Mr.. Buckalew, Of Pennsylva-
MIA, and is the plan submitted for approval
at the Illinois constitutional elections held
on Saturday last Its operations may
be illustrated thus (: Massachusetts, has
ten representatives in the lower house OF
Congress; each voter has ten votes; lie may
give them to ten candidates, one to each,
or he may cumulate them upon less num-
Der than ten, even to one. One-tenth OF the
voters may thus he sure of representative,
if they choose to unite upon one person.
Thus, suppose the number of voters to be
200, 900, and each with ten votes, making
2,0OO,O 900 votes in all, OF which 200, 900 shall
be sufficient to elect; the friends of any one
candidate might secure the concentration or
cumulation of the 100000 votes cast by
20, 900 voters, and those would have one repre-
sentative, though all the remaining votes
were cast for one person. In practice, no
doubt, tickets would be made up by the two
parties, and each party would send represen-
tatives merely proportionate to its constit-
uency. This plan of cumulatice voting
seems TO be the simplest and plainest yet
devised, and, where it has been tried, it is
found to work exceeding well, as we shall
take occasion to show.