Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-11
The Minority q Part Of the
People.


The Minority q Part Of the
People.
The new Constitution recently
adopted by the State of Illinois is so
full Of excellent provisions that it is
very likely to serve as model for
all the States that hereafter revise
their fundamental law. The gener-
al applause with which it is received
by the country shows also the wis
dom of vigorous and radical action
by'a Constitutional Convention.
When system has been shown by
experience to be inadequate, Ham,
let's advice is the true conservatism
reform it altogether" Undoubt-
eddy the Constitution proposed to
the State of New York by the Con-
yention of 1867 would have been
more generally approved if it had
been new instrument instead Of an
old one patched and darned. We do
not mean, of course, that Constitu-
tional Convention is to seek novelty
rs of itself an advantage. But expe-
rience reveals in every fundamental
law certain imperfections and weak
nesses, unsound principles and prac-
tees, and these should be shorn
away. For instance, the present
Constitution of this State is unwisely
jealous Of appointed officers. But
there are Offices to which, from their
very nature, it is better that men
should be appointed than elected,
and experience therefore proves it..
But the New York Convention was
afraid that it would be accused of
seeking to take power from the peo-
pie. That timidity was the bane of
the Convention, and ruined its work.
The Constitution seemed to have no
friends. Even the party that con-
trolled the Convention was unwill-
ing to recommend its work.
The Judiciary article Of the Con-
stitution of 1867 was the boldest and
most thorough in its reforms, and
that was adopted. That article has
one point like the new Illinois Con-
stitution. It gives the minority a
chance. Thus, in the late election
for Judge Of Appeals, under that
article, although there appeared a
majority Of nearly ninety thousand
against the Republican ticket, two
Republicans from the five nomina-
ted were elected. In like manner,
in Illinois, it is proposed to allow
cumulative voting in the elections to
the lower branch Of the Legislature.
This is a system which secures a
representation Of the minority. Each
Senatorial district in the State Is to
send three members to the Lower
House, and every voter may cast
his three votes at his pleasure. He
may give one vote to each Of three
candidates, or he may give one to
one candidate, and two to another,
or he may give all three to one. If
the minority In the district is deci-
ded, 1t will, of course, concentrate all
its votes upon one candidate, and SO
secure representative. If the dis
trict be evenly divided, it is not SO
easy to foresee the result. Both par
ties would then nominate an entire
ticket, and there would be the same
trading that there is now. But each
party would certainly be likely to
put forward its best man.
The adoption Of the system, how
ever, whether experience shall show
it to be better adapted to its purpose
than some other, or not, is a most
significant fact. Itmarks the progress
of political science. 1t shows that
every principle in our system is to
be investigated and proved. 1t in
dicates the perception that our sys-
tenn itself demands some method by
which the minority may be heard,
inasmuc1 as the system is that of the
government OF the people, and not a
part OF them. The voice of the
majority is the first and rudest, but
by no means the final and best meth
cd OF ascertaining the popular will.
The same logic and good sense that
led the wisest Of the Revolutionary
fathers to perceive that slavery was
constant satire upon government
professedly founded upon popular
consent, lead their children to see
that the will Of hundred persons