The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-04-21
No Convention Needed for Securing
Minority Representation.

The Constitution of the State cannot be
amended or revised earlier than January or
February, 1873. By the existing Coustitu-
ton three steps are required to be taken for
the call Of a Convention: Nrst,'a vote OF
tuo-.hirds of the Legislature recommending
to the electors, at the next General Election,
to vote for, or against, the call of a Cohven-
ton. Second, a majority OF the electors
must vote for the call. Third, the General
Assembly shall then call the Convention.
The next General Election takes place in
October, 1872, and the Legislature then to
be elected meets in November following.
Supposing, then, that the present General
Assembly favored a call OF a Convention, the
vote of the people could be taken in Octo-
Der, 1872. The Gull for the Convention
could be made in November, and the Con-
vention could meet in January, 1873. This
is the earliest moment, according to the
careful calculation OF Mr.. Memminger, when
the Convention could assemble. And it
must be borne in mind that, while it Is Ger
tain that no change 10 the organic law can
be effected for ri least one year and nine
months, it is very uncertain whether the
people would vote for the Convention, and
whether the Convention would, il called,
make the constitutional amendments which
are desired.
We believe that by bending our efforts to
secure the adoption of the principle Of cumu-
lativsvpti6s Or misrepresentation q minor
tiles, we'can avoid the greater part OF the
uncertainty and delay which attach to Mr..
Nemminger's plan. In the first place, it
appears that a simple act Of the General As
sembly is all that is required to give to every
voter, at all popular elections, as many
votes as there are persons to be elected,
which plan allows the minority, by concen-
trating their vote, to secure a representation
in the ratio OF their numerical strength. The
State Constitution requires that all qualified
persons shall have ''an eqssIright to elect
s'oticers" also that, in all elections by the
people, 's'the electors shall vote by ballot"
also that every male citizen, possessing the
prescribed qualifications, ''shall be entitled
ssto vote for all officers that are now, or
thereafter may be-. elected by the people,
''and upon all questions submitted to the
collectors at any elections" The whole aim
Of the Constitution is evidently to prevent
discrimination, and tosecure a perfect equal
ity in the exercise of the suffrage. And this
equality is not in any way impaired by the
granting to eue7y uoser, at all elections, as
many votes as there are persons to be elect
ed. The sam- number Of votes is cast by
each voter. In this county, for instance, in
electing members OF the House OF Represen-
tatives, euery electoa' would have eighteen
votes. White mar and black, rich and poor,
merchant and mechanic, would stand on the
same footing. No one person would have
more power in voting than was enjoyed by
any other person. We do not see, then,
that any constitutional change is indispensa-
BILE to the adoption of the principle of cumu-
lative voting. A simple act of the General
Assembly would change the existing system
and put the new plan in operation. There
need b. no voting on the Convention, and
no Convention-that is, for this particular
purpose.
Here is the means of avoiding the danger
which there is in appealing to the people, at
large, for q decision upon a question which
may not be easy to understand. But there
is a greater gain. The General Assembly
could pass the minority representation law
at che session OF 1S71-1s72, and the Gene
raj Assembly to be elected in the Fall OF
1872 could be chosen under the cumulative
voting law. Where a constitutional change
is required it cannot, on the other hand,
have any effect upon a General Election
earlier than that of October, 1874. Special
elections might be ordered, but this would
not be likely.
Already We hear, on all sides, expressions
of warm approval Of the effort to secure the
adoption of that plan which gives to mi
norities their just share of representation.
The Columbia Union is in favor of it. The
Radical organ in this city is in favor Of it.
Governor Scott likes the idea. And all the
Conservative papers which have spoken