The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-03-01
'G0)'Eii7U';Mg1:Bl]4IAa,s } I 1 ! " B S. s. G; c.
Saturday noT,aT, MaYch Il 1879.
= New DIsde 6r Reptssshtationss., ~

Wee have, received !rom Mr.. Peter
Cooper, Of New York, citizen whose
active beaevolence, unselfish patriotism
and honest intsrePt in, public. affairs
have long entitled. bin to tho respect OF
thew whole country; 9 pamphlet by Dr.O.
O. P. Clarke, of Oswego, N. Y, upon
the. interesting question OF the "True
Method OF Representation In Large Con.
stituencfes." The scheme which, it pre-
sents has occupied the authors thoughts
for considerable time, but it's publioa-
tion just now is In order that it may be
considered BY the conventions for the
amendment cf the Constitutions OF New
York and Pennsylvania. We have read
it with interest Every man who has
given attention to affairs mnat have be.
come conscious. Of the enormous evils
which have crept into party politics, and
regretted the ascendanoy which corrupt
and incompetent, men hive acquired in
she control Of Government. Integrity,
honor. capacity and qualifications have
been compelled to yield to venality.
ignorance, dishonesty aud low cunning.
Oe1ce has become the reward of blind
partisanship, and private emolumentt the
nain>spring, the chief motive power. in
the conducs OF public men.
Our legislation. State and national, as
this writer says, is a heap of confusion,
most unlike the work Of intelligent art.
No means of security to public interests
anywhere appears. Accounting has be-
come q trick. responsibility q sham and
investigation farce. The unnlmbered
multitude OF Investigations into official
conduct, in every part of the country, is
measure Of the prevalence of official
crime, while the immunity of the crimi-
nails is an index Of the weakness Of public
justice. All the anchors by which popu-
lar faith in the republic have heretofore
held are .looHening from their ground.
The fraud and venality which are ex-
posed are but small fraction of what
exist, for art has enabled those who put
on the garb OF power to ooves over the
robbsty Of the people and their Treasury,
which. they commit under the forms of
law. They have effeotually despoiled
Abe people Of the Management OF their
own affairs, and left them only the .privi-
lege Of signing their mandates, for every
thing, even against themselves; ,;sis done
in their name.
DR.. Clarke fnds tho root or the diff
Guilty in the elementary structure of our
political system. It is beyond ordinary
remedies, suchsas Jhe one tern nprinoiple,
civil service reform, competitive exami-
nation, or minority representation. and
hitherto has defied all restraints upon
public officers that have been proposed.
An examination into othe'mo Of Johoos-
ing public men for pubic positions will
result, our author thinks in. the DISCO
very that the suffrage works we'll in
small and i'll in Fiarge. constituencies.
In the former, voters VINO know all can
didates personally, or by neishborhood
repute, can act unnderstandingly in
choosing delegates. or elsoting officers;
without the intervention Of party MA:
ch3nery and politicians. IT does not
work equally we'll in the choice of mem
bers OF Congress, Governors, Presidents,
and other, representatiyeazt zt large con.
stituenoied.'. Tn this statement we have
the key to the authors idea, the hinge
upon which his novel propositions turn.
It'.the1e be always danger Of. nnintelli-
gent or corrupt exercise of the franchise
OF the voter in all large constituencies,
the obvious remedy will be to so narrow
them as will bring candidates and voters
into acquaintance and accord. NJ
In order to do this, our author main
tains that the people must transfer the
privilege of electing their servants, now
nominally exercised at the ballot.box, to
representative electors. The function Of
the voter must be confined to this field,
and the electors thus chosen must not
nominate simply, but elect or appoint all
public officers. To the success of the
scheme it is all important that this pri-
mary cnnvankion he rouanod fso~. a.