The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-01-08
REPRESENTATIVE REFORM.

One hundred and slXty-hYe years
ago, Newcommon, a blacksmith, and
John Cawley, a plumber, built, at
Dartmouth, England, the first steam
engine which ever had either q cyLtn-
der or a piston. One hundred years
ago, James Watt, a worker in brass,
obtained a patent for his seperate con-
denSer, and for bringing steam to bear
both above and bet0,0 the piston, and
for communicating a rotary motion,
enabling it to more a shaft, and thus
become he prime mover of every kind
Of machinery. Seventy-five years ago,
Oliver Evans. of Philadelphia, con-
structed the first complete and practiI
cally working non-condensing or high
pressure engine, thus paving the way
by economy Of space, and comparative
simplicity of the mechanism required
for the locomotive engine and thu
adaptation Of steam 70 the purposes OK
land carriage. The number Of invcns
tons, within tie last fifty years, imI
proving the form, the working, or thu
economy Of the steam engine, are ini
Vulnerable, and, like improvements, arr
quietly, effectively and mOdestly beina
added to the great implements Of civil2
cation each day, as any one may learis
by visiting some Of the great work.
shops in our own ity.
1t is proposed to improve the ma
chinery Of government by applying
more directly and more economically
the power, Popular Opinion, to thh
PistoH-the Legislature. It is proposed
10 make the engine Government doubfe
acting, by bringing the power of tb..9
majority and minority to act always
upon the pl>ton-the law-making body.
It is proposed TO convey the power Of
public opinion to points where it ca J
act directly upon the making Of each
law, in order that a steady rotary md
ton may Lc communicated to the shdtt
the Executive Department; so thdt
the machinery Of our State may mani
fest rs great contrast to what it 3
now as does the quiet, polished, eff
cient and powerful engine which fug-
nished rs from a distance Of FIVE
miIes) with the water for our morning
baths, ITO that Of the engine Of Saverf.
Again we say, government can only
be improved by men possessed Of NIB
chanical and inventive genius, coupled
with holiness and executive ability.
We believe that our present ConStith-
tional Convention contains these eIe-
nents, and that the first step in the
Improvement Of Representative COY
eminent is about to be taken in the
adoption Of proportionate representa-
ton, AZ applied in the simple aid
effective plan suggested by Mr.. joseph
Aledill at the meeting Of the Minority
Representation Society on Friday eve
ming last. It's provisions are perfectly
simple and easily understood by apy
mechanic oI other INTEL, .ent man VII
has had sufficient common school edu-
lion 70 have enabled him to mas Ter
the rule Of three. The provisions are
simply and lriehy as follows:
In districts where three or more
members are TO be elected to a legi4a
tive body each elector or voter sItall
have Gas lie has now As many votes as
there are members to be elected fitDm
such district-(so far there is no inho-
walton, for in a district where there pre-
three members to be elected each v&er
Las now three votes. but he must nou
give them to three different menl-
and may divide lis votes equally Tor
unequally among one or more carldi-
dates, and from the candidates highest
IN vote upon the return the requiiite
number Of members shall be declated
elected.
This il an, and this Il the same i'm
pic plan which We elaborated III bur
last article upon this subject, and wlbch
is familiar 70 our readers. We will
repeat the illustration Assuming that
there are three members to be eledted
from a district, say the South Divi@ion
Of Chicago. We will assume that
there are three thousand voters in THE
district; that the Republican pirty
and Democratic party each nomiaate
two candidates Under this prindpl
no party can elect I'll the candidate
as they can DO at present, unless fhey
have all The votes.
These parties and the Workingmk EMS
party each nominate and print 4 leir
tickets as follows:
? ? : : : Q . Q Q : :
REPUBLICAN TICKET. o
o FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
o JOHN Doe ol
o Richard Roc vo,af
. : : . Z : Z : : / e
Q : . 9 : : Z y = : 4 y
2 DEMOCRATIC TICKET Of
i FoR HOUSE OF RrPEEsESrArrvys o.
O Thomas Brown vo,si
n WIN. Jones votd
Q Q Q : > : : : Z : s :
Q . . . . Q . Q : . . . + .
0 WORKINGMEN'S TICKET o
FuRH1UsE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.