The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-05-19
THE KENOSHA TELEGRAPH.
THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1870.
Minority Representation

have been discussed to secure to the min
ority proportionate representation
through the popular elections. The first
practical application of the principal vas
in the municipal election Of the village OF
Bloomsbury, Columbia County Pa, the
residence of Ex-senator Buckalew Mr..
Buckalew is known as a persistent advo-
cate of the principle of minority repre-
sentation, and he had procured the pas
sage of an act relating to the election of
president and members OF the village
council which provides that when six
persons are to be chosen, each voter may
give one vote to each of the six persons,
one vote and a half to each OF four, two
votes to each Of three, three votes to tachi
of two, or six votes to one" Under the
law the election was held on the 18th of
April. The Democracy have usually
carried the election by Is to 20 majority,
and, though SO nearly balanced, the Re-
publicans had no representation what
ever. The Democrats nominated a tick
ct Of three candidates for the Council,
against which " Citizens ticket" Of four
candidates was placed in nomination
The Democrats concentrated their
strength on three candidates only, giving
them two votes for each voter, thereby
clecting them, while the Citizens party
undertook to elect four councilmen, but
only elected three-the strength of the
parties being nearly equal. The result
was much fairer expression of the pop
ular will than could have been obtained
under the old system.
An election was held in the State OF
New York on the 18th inst, for the cleo
ton of Justices of the Court of Appeals.
The amended Constitution provides for
the election by general ballot of a Chief
Justice and six Associate Justices Seven
Justices are to be elected, bnt each ballot
cast is to contain only five names, and the
seven highest of those voted for will be
elected. SO the party in the majority can
elect only five Of the seven, and the two
on the ticket of the opposite party re-
ceiving the highest woes will be elected
This secures to the party in the minority
two of the seven Justices, And If ally OF
the majority candidates fail to receive a
full vote the minority may elect more
than two. BY this system the result must
be much fairer expression of the popu
lar will than could be obtained by the
old system.
According to the first reports the Dem
ocrats have carried the state by $4,000
majority. The Democratic candidate
were, for Chief Justice, Sanford E. Church
Of Orleans county and for Associate
Justices, Charles A. Rappello, of New
York, Martin Grover, of Allegany, Ruff
w. Peckham Of Albany, and William +
Allen of Oswego. These, In all probabil
ty, are all elected The Republican can
didates were, for Chief Justice, II. R. Sci
den; and for Associate Justices, Judge
Mason, Folger, Andrews and Hale. Which
two Of the five Republican candidates ar
elected is not yet known, and perhap
NAV not be until the official canvass.
is generally admitted that all the candi
dates are able jurists and that they woulc
make good Justices. And by the mi
nority having two of the seven Justices
1t thought that the result ofthe election
will be more satisfactory than az election
by the old system.
A state Convention for the State of Hi
nois has just submitted to the electors
new constitution for their ratification O
rejection. The vote is to be taken o.
the I'd of July. At the same tim
four of the seven Justices Of tn
Supreme Court, and three judges O
the Circuit Court of Cook County, are t.
be elected. The Justices of the Suprem
Court are to be elected by Districts az
cording to the old system. The Judge
eff the Circuit Court of Cook County ar
to be elected by one of the new system
the same as that of New York. Fac
voter can vote for only two candidates
SO that one of the parties will elect tw
of the candidates and the other one--thu
securing to the minority representation
in the Court.
1t will be seen that the principle O
minority representation is making rspit