, 1870-08-04
Minority Representation.

peunsylvania IN favor Of minority representa-
ton. Il commenced with the Republicans in
Democratic counties, then the Democrats III
Republican counties took il, and arc urging 1t
On their friends In counties under Democratic
couttul. The action Of Illinois ia contioualls
cited as precedent in favor Of it. We Oh
servo number Of influential Republican pa
pe1s in Republican strongholds are treating
the proposition in friendly spirit, and some
Of them are advocating it. Thus the Pitts
Lurgh Despatch sayH:
"on principle We favor minority representa-
tion We BaJ this Totally irrespective Of the new
movement, the ues1ta Of which We WILL con-
slider, when VIC fully understand what It sims nj.
Tlllnule 10 tn advance Of all the other States In
having aaorted what Is regarded a N excellent
method Of securing representation tn all
branches ., of rn1 ,he STATE e.mea y
lis Dei in tie hand Of eseIy Voter, ali Of
er IHa 1s,1sGn,ed & aona a! lie csnaidates We Ut
not sure that this will be found to meet the object
perfectly, In practce In I'll cases hut is step ln
WORK perfectly. Thna, il Illinois, ii IS proposes, to
| allow cumulative voting in the electtons to The
sTcn;e. q the Il as IL o.9 zss5s
Each Senatorial ai.utcs In the Slate is to send
thee members 70 The Lower House, and ever5
he mar give one TO one candidate and two to
sao'he ,se se nofy 81 mas IN sss ats ~ tefs
decided, 1t will ei course, concentrate all
It's yutes upon one candidate. and 50
secure Representative. II the district be evtots
tt na,,.es would De- III aoisnasc u cniire ID @ usset
and there would be tho same tfsd1ng thas there Il
nov. Bnt each pa1;J would certainty b. Asel5 T.
ssJstem. however, wheiaer experience shall SHOW
II to lie better adapted 10 It's purpose than some
other. or not, l. most significant faet i MARI
every principle III our systena is TO be investigated
and rrb@ed. II Indicates the perception that ou
system itself demands some 1nethod By which sht
| minority mty be heard. tna4usnch a. the uyateu
Ia 1bat Of tho government OF the people, aud not
! rart Of them. The voice Of the majority IL tn.
and naes but ny 20 means re the nssl @ A.
esme logic and c.--ss sense that led the wtsest o
revolutionary fathers 10 perceive tlat slavery "a
sa
dren to scc that tho Will Of hundred persons can
not t'e t1u1F expressed By nftY+ont, and that tn
lccaaSe uloTe' accurate, system Is devised. Soth
Ing coaa show more Clearly the political insei!I
eepee nt Illinois than it, perception Of the pro
pertinent could BE- Hatche.t with more interest b
al ssga2ioua political thinkers Of the country
We shall Il Eia!t + the convention PROPOSED ne1
measure tn this direction"
= X ENGLAND.
. The London correspondent Of tie Il ora
writing from there july l6, writes in regard
the adoption of the Illinois plan Of minorit
; representation "a adopted BY Parliament in u
: FREQ School bill. TheAtneulmcut ID In Alno<
+ the identical words Of the provision in onr no
: constitution, md was, evidently, copied fros
+! it. He ssys:
: "The principle Of the representation OF minor
na sone1 ap Fes5 np mne1pes.ed c has e.nes oft
:. unexpected and saiiAfactoE5 victory. TWO yea
: aKo, You win remember, when the Rouse Of Lot,
iu the tia5s bJ passing the Reform bill, they 81,
t denly conceived the tdea OF breaking their tail
i providing some 1ncans fos securing the represel
tien they hit upon me most clumsy and least cor
= | tneAdabe method OF securing thAt end-1he q
pctlleut Of erlpp1ug or reducing the voting pow
. Of roth maIozlt5 anu minority by the establishne
;. ! Ut thEee-cotnered constltuEncleS' The House
i commons have now acted With equal haste, b
III mnea q 9ese Y &c nea c
!. zion tll 1ney hare adopted the EatinEa and ssmr
!. plan u leaving ta:h man. a. A. nssSsnI as M,
Elm the new privilege ot accuuqlai1nS his sot
t1r one candidate, or distributing them among
Te = b spsS %sy ssesn 1sT nsT 4
: lumber Of he members Of The echos3 board 70
L j,isse, or mas tilstSiLutc them among The csa
dat.s as he thinks IT. Under this attanHenel
| which CCl tAtUt Il pla4H A3,N C1f8F EQoM2n, eve
party Will le able to obtain IN each boaru
amount Of representation proportlouatc 10
c. members IN the community. Il a board ts
il consist OF nine members, md the escculAr1s1
for instance, form nne-ahtfl OF the constituen,
;, l they will he able, By each Of them dividing
;. nire sttsa equally among three candidates, u
Of cure onc-,hfFt OF nc board, to which, under
- common rule nf na}ortttes+ thtJ could not eli
IL eEen one member. In the x1ne manner, tne
h. man Catholics, II they form only oue-utnth of I
~ cnpst1tueucf, toutd obtain ouc-n!ntt Of the rep
E" sentat1on, 6y each Of them giving MI bis al
In xute4 to cue candidate. It Is remarkable that
though Mr. Gladstone and Ar. Forster hAye b:
y, repcstcdiy declared their hostility to the psiac
- ~ Of minority representation, thrJ both xSvW
W lhelr eonxcuon OF tho e1pedfeueT Of adopting
be for this pu1pGse- II Is Nmculs to understand y
II . principle tnat is good In the election Of sch
IL hoard should NOT he equally good ii
~ election OF tncnbela Of Parliament Eret5e
- knoxr, OF course, thSt eyen the present cit1m
thrce-co1Leted system enables the Tories 20 rttt
Nme members whom they would othetKt1e ID
m ana II Is equally certain thst should the prtnc3
~ ! now to be adopted for the election Of elncAt
~ ~ ooardt, BE- extended 10 Parliamentary cont4.
ply | they Wou1i be Ahlc to teturn still more. 1t
H. | present government we're comp0scd simply OF I
itlcta1A, this consideration would be enough
In | explain ,hets &yoWeA disliEe to the extension
The principle: bat the government, IN tact. Is &
- posed Of statesmen, who should tre ABOVE 81
to | pe,ty EnA pk1ttsan yiewA However. We shall X
re- | see how The new ayBtetn NurE3 In the election
~. s<hoos boards, and, 1t It wosfS well ita e1ten.
=, to Parliamentary and nuuIepa1 elections win
III al the eader