Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-09
The Cumulative System of Voting
Letter from Hon. Joseph MedIH.

The Cumulative System of Voting
Letter from Hon. Joseph Mediu.
CHICAGO. Ill.
General Comfy. Editor Ohio State Journal:
DEAR SIR: You ask me, first, 'Is it
too carly to judge as to the effect of cumu-
latiVe voting in Illinois 2" Second, eff
not, what do you think of it ~
1t is too early to tell whether the cumu-
latlve system Of voting has given US a
better body of legislators than the old
method would have done-that is, more
talented, capable and honest members.
1t will take several elections and trials
before we can judge with certainty as to
the working of the new system in this
respect. The most / am prepared to say
now is, that the new House elected by
minority representation will compare ia
voraIly with the last or any preceding
one, SO far as | can judge by appearances.
In this county, which embraces one
seventh of the State, our best men of
neither party could be induced to be
candidates. They could not consent to
spare the time to attend the sessions OF
the House, and we were obliged to run
the best men who would accept. If we
have not a strong delegation from this
big county, the fault is not with minority
representation, but must be attributed to
the pressure Of professional and business
engagements of the ADLER men. Still, we
have secured the services of several gen
tlemen Of very respectable abilities.
But IN another respect the new system
has realized the most sanguine anticipa,
tons Of its friends and others. For the
first time in the history of political Or
CARNATIONS, each party is represented
from every portion of the State; and the
aggregate representation is exactly in
proportion to the numerical strength of
each party. Thus the Republicans have
elected eightysix members of the House,
and the Democrats sixty-seven. The
Republican vote of the State was $40, S37;
the Democratic vote Including O'Conor's)
was 1877 $50. This would give an aver
age Of $500 Republican votes cast for
each Republican member, and 2 100 Dem
ocratic votes cast for each member of that
persuasion.
What could be more equal or mathes
matically exact? The majority party have
complete control, but the minority party
have just the representation they are ed
titled to on principles of equality. Han
the House been elected on the old grab
all method, it would stand, Republican
80, Democrat "a We elected our Senate
by single districts, and the Republicans
carried thirty-three districts and the
Democrats but eighteen. Divide the total
Republican vote by the number of Sen
ators elected, and the quotient is about
1900 votes to each. Divide the Dem
ocratic vote by their Senators elected and
the quotient is 10, 400. Thus you per-
celve the Democrats are not nearly repre-
sented in the Senate in proportion to
their strength, but in the House, which
was elected on the minority representa-
ton plan, they have secured precisely the
number Of members they should have on
principles of right and Justice
The practical workings Of the two sys-
TENS, viz: the grab ALL" and the pro-
pOrtioDal, was strikingly exemplified in
this county, which is divided into seven
Senatorial Districts. The Republicans
carried six Of them and the Democrats
only one; but for the other house, the
Democrats elected eight and the Republi-
cans thirteen members, and that is exact
y the number of members each party
was entitled to in proportion to its
strength at the polls, in this county.
For the first time for many years will
the Democrats of this city be represented
in the General Assembly by men of their
time since the Republican party was or
ganized in Illinois lin 1854 have the Demo
Gratis secured representation from North
ern or the Republicans from Southern Hi
nois, with rare exceptions. The strong
est and btterest Democratic Districts
down in EGYPT have now, for the
first time in the history of existing
parties, elected Republicans to the Gen
eral Assembly.
| send you a list Of all the members
elect from all the misunderstanding
with Chicago and ending with Cairo.
Mark the number Of Republicans who
have been chosen to the House from the
Thirty-third to the Fifty-frst District in
elusive. These, with two or three excep-
tons, have heretofore constituted the
Democrat strongholds of our State.
Also note the number of Democrats vino
have been returned in the districts from
the First to the Twenty-third This ter
ritory is called "Canaan" in contradis
tinction to Egypt" at the opposite end
Of the State.) From this Canaan's fair
and happy land, Democratic members
have therefore been as scarce as white
black birds.
Some of the politicians, before the cleo
ton, predicted that cumulative voting
would cause so much confusion and mis-
chief that it would have to be abolished
right away. The people, they said would
never comprehend it, or know how to
vote by that method and the judges Of
the election, they predicted, would be I'M
able to count up the votes and make cor
rect returns. But none Of their evil prog
nosticatiOns came to pass. The people
seemed to understand their new power Of
cumulative voting, and exercised it freely.
In quite number of instances they elect
ed two Republicans in a Democratic dis
trict or two Democrats in a Republican
district. This was done by 'plumping'
for favorite candidates, or transferring q
part Of vote to political opponent on
account of his personal merits or popu
larity. But the general result did not
change the proportional representation
of parties Since the election ! see no
assaults on the new system in the Illinois
papers, and my opinion is that the press
and people are well pleased with the ope-
ration of the experiment of cumulative
voting and proportional representation;
and unless it develops some hidden
weakness or evil, in the future, it will be
permanently retained in our Constitution,
and extended to other branches and de-
partments of our State Government. Re-
spectfully yours, JOSEPH MEDIIL.
A company has been formed for the
purpose Of operating one of the numerous
slate deposits in Houghton County, Mich,
and will prepare quantity of slate du-
rim Or the present winter