The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-01
Tho Cumulative Vote.

Tho Cumulative Vote.
We think that We have right to ask that
the two or three interior papers which do
not support the proposed law authorizing
cumulative voting shall either advance
well-considered objections to the principle
upon which the law is based, or shall re-
MAIN Silent and allow the advocates Of the
measure to use their best endeayors, with; :;
out, discouragement to insure Its speedy
adoption. a.. .;. Mia -
Although it may not long remain 3d.; the
dividing political line in South Carollnai at
this. time, Is the line ofrace. There are
30 600 more colored voters in the State than
white voters. A few OF the upper counties
have white majorities, but in the middle and
lower part OF the State the whites are in the
minority Take Charleston County, as an
example. The colored majority in the coun-
ty is so great that the 25, 600 whites in the
City OF Charleston are not able to secure
even ,, one member OF the Legislature, out Of
the twenty Senators and Representatives
whom shE5 d. the county elects. Now, there Is only
one; way In which this gross injustice can, at
present, be remedled, viz: By adopting the
the plan of cumulative voting, which emu
bles the minority, in any county, to COM
imaud their. just share OF representation, by
iimIiasslng their vote upon number Of candi-
dates bearing the PROPORTION to the whole
number to be elected which the minority
bear to the whole voting population. And
we say here, once more, that we do not ad-
vqcate minority representation merely be-
cause, in South Carolina, the Conservatives
arein the minority. We believe the princi-
pie to be Just, and We urge its universal ap-
plication as the only practical check which
has been devised to prevent the whole eoun-
try from being destroyed by the uncontrolled
tyranny OF majorities, under the operation
OF universal suffrage. -.
There areas we know too well, peculiar
reasons why the rule OF the majority In this
State is harder to bear than In Virginia or
New York. The ignorant voters are more
largely in the majority in South Carolina
than 10 any other State OF the Union.
Through the lncapacity and vice OF the
leaders OF the majority, the public peace is
destroyed and the public, credit is gone So
fearful, indeed, are the evils OF the present
condition OF things that all theimost intelli-
gent Republicans in the State, and all the
Radical presses, have joined the Conserva-
tive press, at one time or otherr In advising
the Legislature to frame cumulative voting
law. And, with proper effort, such a law
can be passed. ..-r - i,s
A member OF the Senate has proposed q
constitutional amendment engraftiug the
cumulative voting principle upon. the or
ganic law We cordially support this
amendment, because we desire to have pro-
portional representation 30 secured to the
minority, whoever they may be, that no sin
Gle Legislature shall be able to strip them
OF 1t; But, as we have before explained,
this constitutional amendment cannot, II
adopted, 60 into operation until the General
Elections OF 1874, while the grlevous necessl-
ties OF the public require that the law shall
go into operation at once, and that the
elections OF October next be held under it's
wise provisions. We, y. therefore, urge the
Legislature to pass simple act OF Assem-
bly similar to the constitutional amendment
proposed in the Senate. The amendment,
which should, also, be passed, will-be voted
on this fall, and will show the sober decision
| Of the people upon the subject; and the
Legislature OF ls72-74 can, II the constitu-
tional amendment be rejected, repeal the
act OF Assembly, and return to the old plan.
Our whole argument upon this point is con-
tined to the plain statement that the greater
the need Of system which gives the minori-
ty their share OF representation, the greater
the folly Of waiting until 1874 for what can
be had in 1872.
There is surely in the House or the Senate
a member patriotic enough to introduce o
bill for the adoption Of cumulative voting.
The first step is the hardest! Time presses.
But il the bill be introduced without delay,
lit can be fairly considered and become
| law before the session shall close.