The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-04-07

and then the judge, who happened to be
Republican, reached into the Kepub-
lican's hat and took out name and put
1t into the wheel; and at the end of this
proceeding thejudge did not know a sin.
gle name that he had put into the wheel,
but the duty charged upon him under
the law had been after a fashion, dis.
charged.
What ought TO have been done in 1867?
Why, insist that the bill which is lying
upon your table, and which was intro.
duced early in the session, ought to
have passed instead of the jury com.
missioner act. That provides that in
the election of county commissioners
all the voters of county shall be ena.
bled to represent themselves by their
own votes that in all ordinary cases,
the majority shall be enabled to elect
two commissioners and the minority
one, and then that the board, so made
up, sholl be charged with this duty of
selecting jurymen, as formerly. We
to dispense with two unnecessary OFF,
cers-the jury ommissioners-and we
would also be enabled to dispense with
this clumsy provision in relation to the
participation of president judges in the
selection of jurymen. We would have
the people fairly represented in courts
OF Justice whenever issues of fact were
to be tried, and every object designed
to be obtained by the act of 1867 would
be fully accomplished. That by the
way, Is only one of the advantages, as
l think, of this county commissioner
bill which Is upon your files. But /
proceed. At tho last session the two
houses of the Legislature passed ten or
twelve local bills, at my instance, ap.
plying reformed voting to certain muni-
cipal elections in the counties of Column
bia and Northumberland. A proposition
and arrangement which you have in
the third section of the pending bill in
relation to borOughs, was applied to
the eight boroughs in Northumberland
county, to the town of Bloomsbury and
the borough of Berwick in Columbia
county, and to two poor districts in
those counties. Substantially, the free
vote was applied to them and it has
had successful operation.
This constitutes the legislation which
has heretofore been had in this particu-
lar line of reform. At this session the
Senate has passed bill applying the
free vote to the choice of directors of
common schools, and now 1t is asked to
pass this bill in relation to the election
of councilmen of boroughs throughout
the Commonwealth. The provision Is,
that in all boroughs Incorporated under
or pursuant to general laws, and in all
boroughs heretofore established by
special acts which may come under the
general laws, there shall be six council.
men, and in selecting them each voter
may distribute or concentrate his six
votes according to his own Judgment
without legal restraint. Now, COM
paratively described, this provision
amounts to this: That, whereas the ex-
isting law, after assigning to the voter
his six votes compels him to distribute
them singly among six candidates, this
bill will withdraw that limitation and
allow him to distribute them according
to his own Judgment, without legal
compulsion. Now, sir, the fundamen-
tai principle of our government is that
men, or at least American men, are
competent to selfgovernment. Our
system is said to be system of self
government-that the citizen is able to
choose and determine for himself in all
matters of discretion where strong rea-
sons of public interest do not interpose
supporters of this bill ask, is not that
regulation shall be increased, not that
the law-making power shall interfere
and do more than 1t has heretofore done,
but that it shall withdraw itself from
the citizen, and allow MN larger
measure OF freedom ana OF cholce, IN
strict accordance win the fundamental
principles OF our government.
NOW, SIR, Wnat 0bJectlons are there TO
thls! why tne senator from ureene
MIR. PURMAN the other day went over
some OF those that may naturally occur
to candid ana reasonable mlnd upon
lrSt approaching this supIect. lie stated
them, ana he stated them IN fair ana
proper manner, suggesting lhe line OF
argument which IL Is necessary Tor me
TO pursue IN Vlnulcation OF tnls PHI.
lie suggests that II TINS plan OF voting
were applied to the choice OF members
or congress there would De no district
ing OF tnis or any other State; that the
members would pc elected by general
ticket throughout the whoie common,
Wealth ana ne seemed 10 apprehend
that there "ould pe some dlfncuity IN
executing such plan. 10 TINS 1 make
two replies: l say, IN the hrst place,
that the districtlng OF states Is not at
al Incompatible with TINS plan OF Vo-
tlng IL comports WIN IL perfectly.
You might nave plan OF plural thougn
not OF single districts. But there would
be no dlflicuity II members were elected
by general ticket IN the whoie STATE.
representation or diiierent localities
IN the State even, couid De easily secur-
ca. Lhe reasons ior thlS opinion nave
stated upon another occasion.
again, the senator seems 10 suppose
tnat ~ Wouiu De necessary, II thlS plan
OF Young were appllea 10 the cholce OF
neHperS OF the Leglsiature. that the
state should be divided INTO lour Sena-
lorial ulstrlcts i0r the cholee Oh senators,
anu ihto 1our Representative diStrlctS
lor the cnoice Oh representatives.; Well'
SIR, never nearu tnat suggestion DC
lore. IL never occurred TO me mat such
arrangement would DC seIected II tniS
pan were appiled; Inc senator VIII
hhd, ny referring 10 the present Consti,
tullon OF the STATE OF iiiinOiS, that IL
provinces that each senatorial distrlct III
that state snail select three representa-
aives upon me plan OF the lree vote.
me result Is mat IN that STARE the Leg,
iSiature VIII form fity-one senatorial
districts, ana then their DUTY OF appor,,
tlohing memDers or the Legislature VIII
be concluded. by me constitution,
Wnlle eacn senatorial district chooses