The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-03

Some or the Evils Of Our Present
Sx.tem Of Elections and Sugges
lions OF Remedy-A New Plan o
Electoral Reform.
Editors Of the Register:
TO get the most favorable lntroduc
ton for the plan OF proportional repre-
sentation limited at in former commu
nication would necessitate a thorough
change in our present system OF govern
ment, or rather system OF eIectIohs
Are we prepared for this woulc
be the first objection raised against II
nv q certain class who hold up then
hands in holy horror at any proposed
change in the established order o
things? This objection would seem
pertinent if our present system were
attended with the most favorable result;
and moving along without a jar and an
swering all the ends Of government,
Excuse further. While some reluc
lance is expressed in presenting any ne"
plan, for reasons above stated and othe'
reasons obvious to every true observer
of the times and manners, VIZ; Ina
apy plan, however correct in principle
cannot be made perfect in its working
at once, and any imperfections or fail
ures are attributed rather to the prlncl
pie or to the person introducing than t
other causes, such as lack Of co-opera
ton or perverseness Of our human
nature.
In our colonial history we find tina
in some OF the settlements all came
together for legislative and other pur
poses. As the settlements increased II
population and territory, this became II
a word impracticable, for obvious reas
ons, and few would be chosen to rep
resent the many. One citizen being del
egated with the power ofseveral.
Without tracing the history farther
or how out Of this has grown our pres
ent system Of representation, we turf
to the principle involved. The ont
citizen goes up-we call it going up
delegated with or representing a certain
number OF votes; and by every common
principle of business and fair dealing
should have the same v0ice, both liter
ally and typically, as the votes h'
rryr, SCENTS; the same proportion. l
ne receives one thousand votes, he vote
them. That is, in counting up the aye
and NAYS, he counts one thousand ayes
while his colleague, who receives bu
one hundred votes, coul lis one hundred
ayes. And the cynic who gets but ont
vote, and that himself, Can 20 in AM
cast his voics or privilege in the body
being, Of course, in proportion to hi
power. He should not be compelled t
delegate his power to another, unless b
choose. This would seem a pai
principle of Democratic government
But OF this again.
Your objection is that this would il
practice give US representative bod.
too unwieldy. | apprehend just thu
opposite. All men OF certain part!
in district would be apt to delegate
their power to one man instead OF. al
in Ohio county, to three in the HOus'
of Delegates, as they now compelled tt
do. This objection is referred to a,
being pertinent when the plan propose'
is applied to our present system, anC
will be mentioned further on.
But if persons are tenacious OF forms
legislative bodies could be limited a.
now. In this, as among other ways
let the unit of representation be ont
hundred, or one thousand, or as tO)
Congress, cay forty thousand, excep
when only one is to be elected, ther
this system elects as fairly as any other
But it is proposed to avoid all elections
OF that kind, as hereinafter shown
Adopting a unit Of representation ap
proaches very nearly in practice to th'
cumulative vote as advocated by Senator
Buckalew and partly adopted in Illinois
which at least has the merit Of sim
plicity, and can be readily understood
by the dullest voter, but stops on tn
eve Of the election, giving the delegate
with one hundred votes the same pOwe
as he with one hundred and fifty, ant
the political party with twenty-one hun
bred votes twice the power OF thel
opponents who poll twenE hundre'
votes.
Let us look for illustration at the re
turns of an election-say for delegate
in Ohio county-as it was fifteen year
ago when party lines were not s,
strictly drawn, or when the nominating
conventions had not such a secure holC
upon our political system, and to breal
which, l think, should be one OF tn
aims OF our legislation: