The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-04-30

"A'AAn uoA ASt'ous BUS As SLOW 10 grasp ltf
Eleotoral Rcform--Ns.v Mode OF Voting
Tho FIrst Step.
We have recently called the attention
of our renders to the necessity of reform
in the matter Of representation, to the
end that hinorities might he duly repre-
sented, It win be, remembered that we
gavejian briefi history of this important
mdyYHIaSsylf yI wherein II appeared tlat in
this nonntny Senator Charles r. Bdok-
H Hhnsyif ylssais, %aBaa waa the first
mover. jgsera g Chat the system has
beehhRdhl sSs5.ed S5. a ia ia n home.
BlodnSb1fg, Panhsylvahia, We give
the toHoiRihg details, ffom the .5eiiTe CORES:
pohashSsof the New York W59sttlz5 W9ttlz5 --ih
ordeztthat it1nay, ,be seen how the sya-
tena @ .,,,,,. ,a3'2, 2, q. q T% 4
BLoo,1sBuRa. Paly April: .i3.-4This
PehhByla adfiis towh, WITH d DO bd3atibn of
little over 5000. ii the h6n3e, "a as you you
may know, Of Hon. Charles r. Bucka-
lew, who Was one !'of Gar United States
Senators last year, in the seat now filed
by Hon. John Scott. Mr. Buokalew has
q great deal of influenza here, where we
carry the Democratic ticket pretty gene
rally, though not by q large majority, and
as he has taken great deal of interest
in the subject of representative reform,
our citizens were disposed to support
him in an effort to have what he calls
''the freq vote" tried. Accordingly, the
Legislature passed can Act to define the
limits, and to organize the town of
Bloomsbury" not long since, and in the
Act inserted provision suggested by
Mr.. Buckaiew, in reference to the Presi-
dent aud members OF the Town Council.
The Council was ordered to consist of
six members; and. as we go Democratic,
If thez.eiection had been ordered in the
old way wewould have carried all six.
AS twas, Il was Thought fair. to give tue
radicals o chance and the "free vote" was
ordered, that is, every man might give
one vote 5to each of six candidates, or
distribute his votes among less num-
ber,' as he might Wish, but in such way
as not to!have any fractions less than O
half. Perhaps the right words of the
Act, however, will explain this better.
The sixth Section says:
When six persons are to be chosen,
each voter may give one vote to each of
six persons, one vote and half to each
OF four. two votes to each of three, three
votes,to each OF two, or six votes to one."
The prohibition here implied against
dividing the votes unequally, Yves 0aeant
to prevent confusion, and the omission
OF tho case OF man wishing to give his
six votes to five candidates, is due to q
belief that such case was so improba-
BILE tbat,it was not worth while t0 pro.
vide for it, This being, the law, and it
being very novel, and the election being
to organize our town government OF
stable ;bnsis, there was quite good deal
of interest shown in the election. It
came off on Tuesday of this week, the
18th inst. and resulted in very general
approval of the new plan. The Demo
Gratis nominated Robert F. Clark for
President of the Town Council, and
Messrs. W. B. Koons, Stephen Knorr,
and Fred. @, Eyer as Councilmen. The
radicals did not seem to understand the
new law very we'll, and though no formal
radical ticket was put out, the bulk of
that party, with some others, formed a
peopie's ticket, with candidate for Pres.
dent of the Council, and full ticket of
six candidates for the Council The
nominee for President declined, and
then, as the law came to be better un-
uerstoOd, tne TICKET was rem odelled SO
that the peoples ticket finally stood,
Elias Mendenhall for President, and
James Sharpless, Caleb Barton. Charles
Ct. Barkley, and s. G. Shivs for Council
Senator Buckalew cast the first vote.
and then the balauce of the day the
election went on as usual, the voters each
voting the ticket he favored, and the
vote counting urder the law, each OF the
three candidates Oh the Democratic ticket
being credited with two votes and each
OF the four Peoples ticket nominees
with one and n half. The voting for
President OF the Council was in the old
way. The total number OF votes cast
was q little over 400, though the voting
strength of the town in all is $50, and
the polls stood:
l. Chas. G.. Barkley Top. Dem.) 42o
2. VIM. B. Koons DENY 393l5
3. Joseph Sharpless Top. rad.) 3O2
4. Caleb Barton Top. rad.) 364
o. frederick @. Eyer (Dem.) 362M
g. Stephen Knorr (Dem.) 297
g. =. y: Snlve (Op. Dem.) 26O1a
0. scattering 35H
Total L votes 1854
Total voters 400
By this you will see that the three re.