Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-05-19

-1s-.-.sszzE sSs11sii
Your committee arc gralifed to state that
this system Of cumulative voting, which is
dsstiued to play so important q part in the
development OF popular rule, has already been
put in operation. Proposed, explained and
advocated in the rstinstance by James Garth
Marshall, subject of tho crown of Great
Britain" this plan has been championod by
ex-senator Buckalew, Of this country,h has been
Incorporated in the revised Constitution of
Illinois, and has been put upon its trial in u
Pennsylvania town. Recently tho subject
has attracted universal interest in ,he South.
In our own State it has been received with
great favor, aud lifted above the place Of po.
litical partyism.
Your committee are Of the opinion that,
nbstractly considered, proportional reprcsen.
tation is great governmental principle-a
wise, just measure of reform, and one abso-
lutely necessary to make Unlimited suffrage
consistent with peace, order and security. 1t
enters the political body as a saving. conscr-
wing element. 1t comes to lcaven the lump
Of Democracy, and to give the essence of
genuine Rcpublicanism which is, briefly sta
ted, thorough aud general representation
But if proportional representation be on nd
mirable system in any government founded
upon the popular will, your committee hold
that the plan is peculiarly applicable to such
condition Of society as this State now pre-
Bents.
8 Your committee do not affirm that this
would cure all the diseases Of the body poit.
10; but they may, without extravaganza,
suggest that the system of proportional rep
resentatiun, if adopted by those who WELD
the numerical power, would alleviate many Of
the evils incident to our present abnormal con.
dition, would to large extent, tranquiize
public apprehensions, would moderate the
spirit of political convulsion. and tend to
bring about in this State all the peace that
we eau reasonably hope to attain.
Your committee are aware Of the fact that
this measure Of electoral reform, if it shall be
promptly realized by US, must come from the
dominant party Of the State. Whether it
will come or not, we cannot decide. In eli
ter event, the minority of South Carolina put
forth their claims in this behalf 1t is their
right. Should it be denied the responsible.
ity must rest upon those who use thus the
power that the present gives. Should it be
rendered, it will doubtless produce tho fruits
of justice and widen the circle of peace
This much we may add Since it is the ma
turc Of majoritics to change, it may be we'll
for tho dominant party to consider whether
the adoption of proportional representation
may not for theul be the best policy for the
future. as we'll as the highest wisdom for the
present. Respectfully submitted,
j. p. THOMAS, for Committee.
The report Of the Executive Committee on
the bject Of taxation without representation
was submitted, and is as follows:
Tho Executive Committee, to whom were
referred the grievances of taxation without
representation in tho taxing body, and to sug-
gest remedy for the existing evils, beg
leave to report that the present political and
financial condition of South Carolina is a
forcibe and melancholy illustration of the
evils resulting from taxation without repre-.
sentation. The judicial Investigation lately
had in the United States Court for this Dis
trict prove, beyond controversy, that astound-
-:.-r-... J. - H. 4 ,,-..a:,
The theory of the Constitution is that the
people shall be fully and fairly represented
and provision is made in that instrument to
protect minoritics. That, in the House of
Representatives, the whole body Of the people
is represented and the majority rules. In
the Senate, tho States are represented and
the smallest has an equal vote with the largest
State. The one is intended to be check on
the other. While the war lasted passion
took the place of reason; the States rcpresen-
ted in the Senate set aside the Constitution,
forgot their sovereignty and blindly followed
the lead Of the conquest. Since the war, the
States that struggled for what they supposed
was constitutional right have not been rep.
resented, their Senators are not natives, or,
it natives, arc not representative men So
that the check of the States, a, represented
i'll the Senate, has been entirely lost and. OF
course, all legislation has been partisan, sec.
tional and vndictye.
The same feature which characterized the
Congressional Legislation was interpreted in
our State government. The Parish system,
which existed in our State Constitution be.
fore the war, operated as check upon all
legislation of the mere majority. The new
Constitution Of '65 and '6S abolished that
confcrvative element. Under the Corstitu.
tion of '65, it is possible no evil would have
resulted; because Intelligence and property
wcrc equally represented and all the voters
belonged to the same caste. Under the
Constitution Of 'GS, howercvcr, new element
was brought into the voting power. Men of
different race aud caste, uncducatcd slaves
just emaucipatcd, an imprcssible people,
whose passions and prcjudices could be cas.
ly excited, were suddenly clothed with tho
elective franchise and made not onlya power,
but the controlling power in the State.
Considering our condition, then, the result
was inevitable. The newly cufranchised we're
not only jealous Of their acquired liberty, but
n