The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-06-18
COLUMBIA. U61e]BIA rs o.
- - 1slss:-ers
,.asH ".saas.aHn1ndaX Morning. Jane l8tf. tf.is7i.S : I,

>'osnpi.tAv,Xatirgi ana Rrop.rsf a4ri'
= Ns,'n in5atEon:Sor the ssnntS.". otii az
We obsefvvee' the Remarks made 9p6h
oSs.s' tnls s5s ss'spg!sy g9ps 9i ns, iss
it Endorses. as jusb The ptinoipleIoi mi
nority: representation by means Of the
Cdinulative syhtena Of voting. can see 10
practical baneft that is TO- result from
its adoption. III the first place. we de:
aire 10 say, that 40, far as this journal is
ooncerned, We have never held this new
snd'improyed system Of voting to be q
'':panacea'' FOR all the ills OF our political
condition. We have never claimed. for
it any, magic powers have never in
dulged in any extravaganza antioipations
as to the results to be derived from it's
introduction into our State. We are
aware of the many diseases that nf1lict
the body politio in South Carolina under
the abnormal condition in which vicious
legislation anu party feeling have placed
us. No system Of voting no method
of fair representasion-np property quail
ification for the Senate-could OF itseIf,
and itself alone, furnish the remedy for
our disorders. These disorders spring
from several sources, are complex in
their character, and. therefore. it is not
likely shat any one agency will be found
to meet the case. Cumulative. voting
.!would. if conceded. prove no ''ready.re
1ief'' +-.no 'ouEe- all'' either here OK else
where. 7 'r .e.'.:7} -. .s.i'n
We concur. therefore! with the Re.
porter -in ftHis, ,thaE no ,,..panacea,'tis to
be a found in ftaumu1attty1s tl a1tt voting" nag,'" Da.
I'VE dissent. fromithat,, Journal ID, its pro.
1posision thatlHo, practical 7hsneft would
'fssult ffOM'.thia :pftq9tpls, ,Esing engraft-
sed: upuns our system OF ,snffrage. I'VE
maintain neither Extreme! I'VE do not
say that .itswould cure a4uof our evils,
no. nor that it would rolieve raone Of them.
TIP our Judgment, it would be as .errone-
ous to consider Cumulative yoting "a
eure-ait as TO consider it a useless expe-
! dient. I'VE hold that the truth is con
thiqedS iHi,the mean between the two ex-
tremos. Applied in this State, it would
improve our condition by securing q
prompt improvementin the character of
our Representation in the, lower House.
We think that upon deliberate review
of the results of this new method, the
Reporter will scarcely insist upon it that
naSdyant9ge is to accrue to the minority
from its adoption in this State. It is
true chat it would avail us nothing in
those Offices where only ,one is to be
elecled. But it would make our oondi.
tion no worse in those cases. and in all
other cases, such as the election for the
House, County Commissioners, etc., it
would secure to hinorities due repre-.
gentation. ,-l
- AS for the House, it would double the
: representation that the minority now
have under the present system. Is this
! no gainP Nor need the adoption OF the
new method of representation be looked
upon as fixing the absolute rule Of divi-
aion between the races in this State. 1t
secures to each party certain power to
rest upon. but. at the same time. leaves
eaoh to gain. any additional power that
may come from the ordinary influences
that men adopt the world over, to con
troll each others actions in political con-
ficts.
The Reporter looks upon cumulative
voting as Every small tub thrown to q
very large whale" On this Poia. nc
ere not sure, but that the Reporter. is
tight as respects. at least, many OF the
Radical leaders Of this State It is not
unlikely. that with these, the acceptance
of this new system hos been prompted
by disposition in this way to nppease
the wrath Of an outraged and indignant
public opinion. With these-expecting
the dominant party not to make the
;,doncession-tho cumulative system is
/ sdeaigned as ':sop to Cerberus"-a a
:. soothing syrup" to se,nre to plundcr-
ing officials and thieving rings longer