, 1870-01-25
ELECTORAL REFORM.
meeting OF the Chicago Mlnor-
Sfy Representation Society,
submission Of q Memorial to the Con.
stitutional Convention.
Discussion Of ths Report.

ihe Mhm1ty Representation 8ociety hkid a
Nesting lalt evening At parlor No. 10 saermxa
House. In the cnce OF tne President, General J,
l. Thompson took the ch1..
The Secretary, Nj. 6ydnsy MJera read the min.
n'es Of rne laat meestnr, which wene aaopsed.
MI sydneJ Hosasd GAY ia.d that The COMMITTEES
OF which he VIA Chairman had Azreed o. tbs
iol-wing nemor a 10 t,e presented on ben.u Of
lie Aoc4sty 10 Tho Constitutional EonTenloa:
TEX IMMORTAL
To ne eon.faufionaf Conrsnl,on non 1txm5,s5 at
Springfield:
The Minority Representation aoc:ety OF Cutca-
g, an aseoc:slion Of ctLEen. Of lnInols, vi nott
dttitcilon Of party. beg Isave 10 express to your
nonosan!n bocy tne!t hALrfact.oa tnxt the OBJECT
which hi. soc!es5 was organized to ese;. IL
aeont 70 receive your careful a.tentloo.
A1s1u ing that The N anlfotd evils Of the present
conAde1ed ~ hi tne n nrmoers Of tne conveaaon.
~ taas they 90 uoi Detst to be coa.tLce1 thA.
tne present t1tteln !Al.s to secure In iezt.lkrye
The optnlora md Hl-hes OF tae people, your ms
Eotlzilttt 10 not lnlrk It necesairJ To Tcu upon
!ho!e eSt: Wa.le they do not deny TIA, rus in4.
nor1ty thouid oe heard and have IL due weight II
LEGISLATION. They uasntatn tnat the mere rep,s.
eeLtation of the ajonsJ doss not a1ways socqta
ARoSeftntnt ~ Inc mnI7lity, -, where the dlf.
ft1e1ce between parties is snau, ! minority Of
nc Representatives of tue domiaant party eau.
tivea Of The Alaal.er pasiy, defeat the VII Of =
eiot1,y Of the people. AID ttey N asnr4l a tult
II tie Ahnlt People are represented. and not
vHhes and opinion. Of t%ne % wao;e vii ill.,: = dn'S ~"
eons.dered ana theft t12hts securrd; tbss parties
Hll be pu,i7ed u d tns esEs noH connected win
mem Do corrected: saat political corruption, II not
anto]ute!5 dole away WITH. viii be Al itAst mur1
utte d1fncu ot Accomplishment, and That the 1le
1td Of fep1nacan foru Of government, namely.
{ne or acd sht cafr lag 0uI The vii ott1c
whole peop 6, be attained Cp5a tne acceptance
OF these gtheEal prlnc pies any action upon me
subject must neces'a1li, hs ossrt. and the they
r1~ ~Etf ~ ~ Von
bodJ ana DO 10: Ietd clocsdauon at tceir nand<
Tne QUESTION then Arises IL 10 the best remedy
1er an sefno a a:lesgsd s7.sns ee,t method q
seulatuE l. experimental ONLY and ms bad
9ss.s1 ss sse9 s4S1as a:.9s
EngtaLo, has been put TO tne TEST Of practical
uisL Asan it!u.t!ye siep, this society believes
nat tnAt Whicn IS The simplest u tEe best ior
they oeeu Il postaos That ~n.ssver p.aa snlll
os uot pied. II seall be Que that ehsll no: awate
rteInoice, bhafl Oe easily understood, aud wntc
4a &c n,ossa ~ % t6s ponn:t
,aise SotsrQ. presented 10 you BY comm,ttee Of
ncc coilatis's or''e7- posses.es these adTan.azes
ncd they hslieEe Il would be gteat steo
s:ops er ,ps S'ua Sac = e.
tnls bo the dtciAton Of Jour h,uorabIe boaJ, tacy
beg esEe uEthEs to scRxcst that the snbtec. be SO
Ks n ts esos;Gt:oa sst sna p.op:e a, sE
popnar vote. IT, Al any time, auca change or N i'd.
'tica.,on Shall setEu dts1abl., 10 far u political
Jour memo,taitats cocce,ve that m.nonty repre-
sentaton may BE- safe1g mAde and tasy uEga That
!! ec 20 u ade pafs of The fu1oa1neu'ai iav OF
the State IN al oorpc!ate bodies inlt mar be here
sitter constituted uadef cnaftefa or general act
& Wii be honoratlo 10 sec State Of Illinois 10 be
tho h1ss to take shi1 new stco toward N actual
Ptpu.ar government, which maouesuy cur pfes-
tnt sssttm doea not secure and credi.ao'e = ina:
pcoy which shall be the nrkt 10 led State tor
"asa III 50 s'sa: a pSsasA SiseS+s1sat ds,orn'
Nj: AurT5 selsoa moved the adoption Of the
III. Sydney Myers seconded the motion.
Mr. AdaI1s oonbteu the prppr,cty Of urc,tn4
upon the convention the adoption Of hny ptan OF
rtnIetentauon- Tnat oody was toIlJ eonapc'eut
cate The feconneudat:ou Of minority iv
cntailou In corpofs bodies, ba: he deuoted
TO re Convection. lie woala Suggest A an.pd:
neht 10 tte memorial. They snoaId guard
aga.t st recommending Ally plan that n,Sht po.si,
alr. sJenrS Ayers eaid be was IN Springfield
when The matter wss referred to tae CONVENTION
ctmnlttee, and he toaad tuat comnl,tee Ct oosn-
.on!tat any nlsn wa, better han The pie,enf. a.a
,ha! the cun uh,tse p!au WAS lIei} 10 PROVE mos,
acceptable 10 The connlttse and sae props OF tne
Mr. Adams icgored II the Committee on E!rc.o.
"a. 1tfofm haa cotslatIcd snc ade:sa7!tt.y Of
s4opuig minority representation IN corporate
G1Q4C&.
MT. Myers did not Know II such was the case, OF
II the Chairman Of the coG hltce had been IN.
sICcsed to eueody IN his teonft pro 1ia.o s. appT
ing 70 corporate tod cs but tae sediments Of The
Iii. Ac ANS thought tho better Ray to introduce
the reform to TIE people was bJ nrat INTRODUCING
Il TITO coHpQtatou8 Ut til the ptopls btc4 &c loH
iaI with Il Afterwards l: could DC extended to
The Chairman tnoueht that corporate electiori
were purely legtslattso, and could be provided foI
eJ eacn successive Legislature.
Mf. 4 lSoa<n y As IN IHrur Of pesiaon:uX the
entycLtnu 10 At least leave tue question cp=n a.
that theEe would NOT &C in tue future anJ cous /.
tutor objection to future leSttla:ntes a1ep1ul
ntIotty 1epsesentatoo as the progress Of 1ns
MI. Adsns wa faifer iu favor or the eaut
Course The retit1oa Eus anly drawn up, but Dc
Nas IN fnror Of ieas,rE tue 4ubjec. IN The cousin
Te1fessptstion By vote a Rny tttEe they Pleased
Trey Should alFo AJAX 10 bare the new principle
I accepted In all co1pofat.onf.
Int. UAy Anet dtd tie merp0rtat accontipRly,
NE. Aatteson VA opposed 10 NEEDING Witt
I corporations, IL they we're tickttsn aucj-cts Ht
] treW That the Chairman On the Conu1ttee ol
Oh Corporations she prnps,s'J Of aaopt.Eg tho nr1
! ,.r1' clt'lr. Tnas y .. sut11cieGt.
I Mr. GAY fenit ded the meeting that trey wert
| nos an eldli 9 the constitution but were s.mpil
I The ne1oral II amended WIS adopted.
Tie secresar5 was sulhcs,kta to fotwar,l q cop,
| Of the roen os'al 10 sne convention.
| Mr. M3c!s announced tsst large number o
| t ctr pamphlets hRd t'etn sent TO Switzerland
EreIsLo. atd TO duerers sta,e. Of the Enio1.
| TIE Eo1 e<no1oipR Secretary NAs req7ested i
/ kttp the Chairman Of the Cppxcntaon Com 1,ittc
on Electoral Raio1m sdylsed Of the ac.ioa ct ID
| socle'y.
~. Franklin Mseveagh was elected nemoe
l OF The 50 lett,
The Chaxman wss requested to rreseat 70 II
Efxt eettnG plan f1s raising fQnds.
! The Meeting then adjourned