Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-06-29
Cumulative Voting.
From, the anderson Intelliqencer


mulative voting, was reached in your last
issue. 1t claims attention from its impor-
tance, as well as from the fact that an eff
fort will be made to engraft this plan upon
our election system. The report was well
written, and doubtless well presented by
Col. Thomas.
The report assumes that the system Of
mere majority rule is defective; that its
abuses are fragrant; that there is a neces-
sity for its modification, and that some ef-
,fectye organism must be devised for the
protection of minorities. 1t further as
sumes ehat the trne Office of suffrage is to
collect the'sense of the whole community
end illustrates this point. The report
!, e.almsithat this. system would alleviate
many evils incident to our present abnor-
inal condition; that if the dominant party
grants this reform, it will widen the circle
OF peace Finally, thatmaiorities change
therefore, 1t may be the best policy 70,
Republicans in the future, as well as tho
highest wisdom for the present.
When considering any question, We
should be sure we know what that oues.
ton IS. Cumulating means beaping up
cumulative voting, then, is heaping vote;
upon one or more candidates, to the eS.
cluslon of others, when several men are
70 be voted for, to fill the same position
The substance Of the arguments advanced
IN sup, oort of this plan, as especially ap
pi!cab-e to South Carolina, has been given
hse them be briefly considered.
- In logical reasoning, several general pro
positions are laid down to Serve as basi:
tor the argument. If these are granted
to be, tue, it is not difficult to make cleal
case, If these leading propositions do moi
hold good under examination, then the
reasoner has failed to prove his point. Ii
the casa under consideration, it is claimed
That the system of mere majority rule j:
defective. This is true in the abstract
discourse. for there is nothing on this
earth in which human beings have any
agency, that is not defective. If perfection
be the thing aimed at, the whole idea is 8
dream. We look to the naked despotisms O.
the East, and to the modified despotisms O
Europe, andthen at our own country. We
at once see, that so long as the government
Is properly and Justly. administered, we
are infinitely in advance of any of them
II our laws are sufficient in themselves to
secure us justice ard protection, we want
no changes in them Its principles that
need correcting. Il political morality and
true patriotism are at low ebb and bad
.neni creep into Office to plumber and out
. rage the people, we must strike at the root
OF the evil. In South Carolina, for in
stance, We must nos corrupt the Legisla-
ture, to secure special legislation, and then
denounce it for doing our own work. Com
mon report says that there are members Of
the Legislature who have been corrupted,
that is, paid for their votes. But in that
body, even as now constituted, there are
good men; and if no outside influences"
had been brought to BEAR it might have
done better. 1t is hard to believe any
thing true and manly of men who will
sell themselves; but at least, it is not too
late for the corrupt ones TO unite with
rlght-minded members, in measures for the
public good. A man must be a fool, as well
as knare,, who will twice allow himself to
be made tool first, and then scapegoat
BY all this have tried to show that it
y Is men who are wrong in their principles,
and that it IS not our majority system
which is to blame. The same facts offset
the pleas Of its fagrant abuses, and the
necessity for its modification. As to an
" effective organism for the protection of
mlnorlties, it may be answered that the
laws OF our country i;now no difference in
the citizens Of our country. They are
intended 30 throw tire broad shield Of pro-
tecton over all parties, all sexes, all colors
and all classes. If there is man in South
Carolina who is deprived of any political
right, IN violation Of law let him appeal
TO the Courts. If one tribunal does not
redress MS grievance, lethim appeal to the
highest III the State If that does not
avail, let him appeal to the highest legal
tribunal in the land-the Supreme Court
OF the United States-one of the three CO.
ordinate branches OF the general govern
ment. II there is such a. man, he must
fail there before he ought to say that our
system, IN itseLf and as an organism,
fails to protect even minority OF one.
Democrat as am, and expect to be, while |
that party retains its principles. l, for one
do not want changes made in our political |
structure. 1t is enough if the Democratic |
party Will show to the people Of this State |
that all they desire is an honest, faithful
snd unsei6sh discharge Of official duties. |
by members of their own party, as well as |
oy Republicans If we can counsel togeth-
II, and cell men into the Offices, who will |
az them lown with clean hands, and clear
when their terms expire, W.
will .:aTe met the demands OF the hour.
Ii 70 sec to it that The Democratic part.
5 true anil honest. patriotic and ,tnsslfM,
he day Is near at hand when no party
si;h unsound men in the lead, and un-
ound principles at its heart, can stand
,etore 1t; not even in South Carolina,
hough she retain her "mere' majority"
ystem.
i certainly is the Office OF suffrage to
olee. the'sensc of the whole community.
W Illustration given in the report is
Ornnuaitc of two hundred voters, who
iect four representatives Under the Gu
plan, assuming that the commu-
ity vas equally divided politically, each
arty would elect two representatives. If
ne supposltion Is III order, another is
qua!iy so. Let US suppose that in a
tate there is a difference of only u few
otes between the parties. Under the
roposed system, each party would cleo:
n equal number of representatives. Then |
neither would yield, there would be a
cad lock. end the public interests would 9
lffer Under our present system, on the
,ntrary, preponderance Of only one vote !
ou!d somewhere give one party major
y, and thus the machinery of government c
ould move along 1t is granted that
siyheg supposition is worth great deal.
III one is, certainly as good as the other '
Another illustration is the supposition :
.at g community has five thousand Dem =
rats, and nine thousand Republicans: j
aggregate of fourteen thousand yo- u
rs. The Democrats could calculate their !, 4
rength, an1 elect one Of three represen =
tiyes.. BY. cumulating their votes they );
uld gre q nominee $4,000 votes. In -
re manner, The Republicans could give l. l.
20 nominees l3,50O votes each. Now =
e7point sought to be established is, tha. !, J.
IS is the best way to collect the sense of ~ =,
e community. Then must we say that u u
community where the Democrats were u
)Jc ia the minority, under the majority
stem, and L, 900 in the minority under