Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-04-19
GOoDLANDER & HAGERTY, Publisher,

]
b tlon itself is unsettled, and the minori
: ty go to Congress TO act as protest
against the views of the majority
: Onder the present system it is def
:, nltely settled so far as the constituen
:. cy of these'six Oongressmon can set
Tie 1t, yet so far as these mon are
: concerned, the same practical result il
reached, for four always out.votc two
9 II the people arc allowed to settle
+ Il primarily, perfect acquiesceno fol-
3 lows Can wo be assured of the same
: result under the new system ANY
: RESULT is better than no result, and the
! decisive action OF the people at the
| polls is infinitely better than the in
etfectual movement that RENTS theul.
! timato decision to another and inferior
tribunal, in which corruption can use
its power with destructive effect.
What do we gain by IL? Nothing
but prolonged debate and continued
struggle in the Representative body,
unless u is proposed to compromise
upon the basis of four to two We
} lose that moral influence and indepen-
dent action that flow from the recog.
milton ofthc authority of the MAORI
ty, and VIC gain indecision in action
and division in council We negative
the principle that the interests of the
many are to be preferred to those of
the few. We paralize the energies of
that ever restless, watchful and per.
sistcnt minority, whose earnest hope
1t is to become the mai ority, and con
vert it into an inert, stolid body,
whose very position units il for ac.
tive leadership and energetic move.
ment, and by dividing il into classes,
cliques and sccts, destroy the unity of
its opposition. This will inevitably
follow, for when the system shall have
been fully Initiated, we will naturally
gravitate toward largo districts in
which the principle has fuller play.
Mr. Hare, who may be called the
father Of the idea, now advocates the
preferential system, and proposes TO
elect the entire representation in par.
Lament upon general ticket, in
single district. His proposition is in
effect this If there be six hundred
and ffty.eight thousand persons en-
titled to vote for members of parlia
ment, and there be six hundred and
fifty eight TO elect, one thousand
votes choose n member. The voter
may pat upon his ticket as many
names as he pleases the first named
is deemed his first choice; the second
his second choice, etc Ifnumber one
have one thousand votes, without the
vote Of A, his vote is counted for
number two, and thus down the list
in the order of preference of the voter,
until the whole six hundred and fifty
eight have each received the quota Of
one thousand votes from tho whole
body of the votes cast. This compli-
Gated and widely diffused system is
the legitimate deduction Of Mr.. Hares
theories, which are presented with
force and logic.
One of the dangers TO be feared is
that if we shall apply it to the cleo
tion of Congressman, Senators and
legislators in large districts, that ear.
nest watchfulncss, resulting from an
organized opposition, without which
we cannot expect fidelity in the ad.
ministration Of tho government, will
no longer exist Look ut it practical
ly. Upon ratio of 10000 popula-
ton, Pennsylvania will be entitled to
twenty five members of Congress
This is equal TO about $4,000 taxablcs
for each member, and any party clique
or sect that can command that num-
Der of votes can obtain member In
such q condition Of things how many
members of Congress would we have
elected from this State upon spe.
ciic issues entirely distinct from
questions growing out Of tho general
theory Of governmental administra.
tion Must not the most prejudiced
mind admit that many would be
elected upon purely sectarian groundsY z
Would not the votaries Of the rival
sects be most earnest 10 their efforts TO
obtain representation, for purposes
that are probably commcndabc in
themselves, yet necessarily antagonis.
tic TO the well-being and harmonious
working of our former government 7
can conceive of nothing better
calculated to arouse sectarihn bitter.
ness and cngender religious strife
than an opportunity such as would be
afforded by this system to subordinate
all other ideas TO the single one of
power, for the purpose Of an idolized
Christian organization. The repro
sentative elected under such circum
stances would be the possessor of
single idea, and everything would be
compelled TO yield to the advancement
thereof Like bcgets like, and year
/ by year more and more Of the people
would be drawn into tho vortex
created by the most intense passion
that humanity is possessed of. and
party issues and governmental doc
trines would speedily be lost sight of
in the absorbing struggle between
religious theories. The same results
TO smaller extent would follow from
any other special interest obtaining
representation upon subjects, aud with
ideas entirely distinct from the legili
mate purposes Of government and
these, neglectful of all else, would
combine with others only for the
advancement of their own Jnlect. In
such combinations as would inevitably
follow, the interests of tho public
would 5e the last objects protected.
In this condition of affairs an orga-
nized opposition, or minority party
based upon leading doctrines Of gov
erment and administration, cannot ex-
list, and one of our most valuable safo-
guards will bc gone. ltis necessity
in the State aud government that po-
litical parties based upon broad, com
prehensive political theories should ex-
! ist, and not only Inconvenience but
danger will follow from the non ex-
, isienoe ofa well organized and eohered
, opposition, or from the existence OF
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