The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-02-06
PRoPoRTIoNATE REPREsEN-
NNLAA


Adopting his ideas in part, l propose
the following plan for one branch Of tho
Legislature.
Let every county elect two members
to the House. But, though two arc to
he elected, letit be provided that every
voter shall vote for but one, and that no
vote cast for moro than one shall be count
cd in determining the result Of the cleo.
ton.
Tho effect Of this mode Of election
would necessarily be that each party will
elect ono of the two representatives Of
the county. Theminority, as well rs the
majority, will be represented. Under the
present system, tho vote Of the minority
is In effect cXtinguisllcd.
But different voters Of the same party
may vote FOR different candidates, and
there may, therefore, be more than two
persons voted for. Let 1t be further pro.
vided, then, that when, in any county,
lawful votes shall have been given TO
more than two persons for the Office OF
Representative, the two highest on the
poll shall be deemed elected, but any per.
son voted for who is not elected may au-
thOrizc the votes given 10 himself TO be
represented by either Of the candidates
elected; such authority being aCknowl.
edged Ivy the Recorder or notary of the
county, and certified by him. A provis.
ion of this sort would, at least in ordinary
cases, render 1t unnecessary to hold party
conventions to determine who should be
run rs the party candidate for county
Representative; and 1t is universally ad.
mittcd that these nominating conventions
are the great evil OF our system of gov.
eminent
In voting in the House, let each mem.
Der represent the number Of votes cast
for himself at the election, rs well us
those which he is authorized to represent
by persons voted for but not elected; and
let tho votes of the several members be
S'NuNAN
At the last election Tor Governor, Ohio
county gave 1868 Democratic votes and
2,l0l Republican; Brooke 517 Democratic
and 43S Republican,; Hancock 800 Demo.
cratic and 43O Republican; and Kanawha
| sos Democratic and 1,542 Republican.
These numbers will serve for illustration
as well as any others, and VIC will suppose
the Democratic member from Ohio coun.
ty to represent 1868 votes, and the Re.
publican member 2,10l votes; and so Of
the other counties.
In the House, then, the vote oil the
Democratic mcmberI from Ohio county
would count2 1868, and the vote of the Re
publican member 2,1Ol. And so through.
out the State, each party would have ex.
actly its proper weight in every vote OIL
the House in which q special count was
demanded.
But upon questions of local interest, anu
matters Of general legislation outside Of
party questions, the Ohio county members
would probably vote together, and the
united vote would count 4,GGO. And SC
oil Kanawha or any other county. II The
Kanawlla members voted on the. same
side Of n question, their vote would count
$3.50. II they divided, the vote Of tho
Democratic member would count sos
and of the Republican 1919.
Whenever it was anticipated that q
measure would come before the ensuing
Legislature in which the people of any
county felt deep interest, fullzxOtt
would be brought out; and the weight o.
the county vote in the House would vary
to some extent rs the people Of the county
felt their interests or their rights to be n,
stake. So it should be. People who arc
indifferent about voting have no cause tc
complain that they are not counted in dc
termining questions Of legislation. Every
man who votes would be counted.
Bya plan of this sort, we get rid of thu
difficulties Of apportioning representation
among the counties. Each party would
have its proper weight in the House, and
so would'evcry county.
Hancock county, for instance, would
have as many representatives as Ohio; hui
the united'vOte OF the members from Han
cock would count but 700, while the vote
OF the memhO,O from ONO county would
count 4 500. In q recent communication
in your paper, Webster, Tucker and Nc.
Dowell counties were referred to, and II
appears that member Of the Convention
from therconnty oil Wood has proposed in
that body, to give these counties the same
weight IN the House as Ohio county. The
entire vote Of tics three counties at The
last election for Governor was but 500
and il we suppose them to give the same
number Of votes In the election for Repre-,
sentatives, the vote of oil the members
from the three counties would count but
$50, while the vote of the Ohio county
members would be 1860.
There would be no practical difficulty
in taking the vote Of the House OH this
plan. A good clerk would figure up tho
result accurately in few minutes Every
member would know what his own vote
ought to count; and on close vote, or a
question OF interest, there would always
be several members and outsiders, who
would speedily test, with the aid of q
proper list, the correctness OF the count.
but il deemed necessary to expedite the
calculation, let every member give one
vote for every hundred which he is enti.