, 1873-02-14

"
ii. 1879.
-;,, Ia ,x,,o, =. .x: .,ss,z, h.x
~ W. as mno:e " 1ngse sed ps
~ eoaaa.ueGaes ~ sIssfiiss "Egle
'1'' 'taons,.n. IN ,.,x.,,,.n,.
1h.3o ,1ars taS nn' ..stss @ sotLhs.
~ ~ cs "eaa .oo'u9 .u.:s ~ 1ot eanMaAtes M
re.t ho h ~ a. ~ ~ t n va. 1na8
t 'aot tvus .. I1ee iauea ~ eIect single repre-
senla'Mos anu 1oE "nat reason SIMPLY ps-
s.ata ~ Ivy 49, H 'nlonfnous ne
n.ase, aaa happened TO De N the LEGAL ~ minority
ha5 I;uaS ~" NV ,arts a4sss toe'uo sose.e yen
hT themsa,rsa they cpn1d have eoctsd 9'as9 20
Senators md 6 msmbers @ 'f''a Of tho
nvuse: nnS ets Enou1u s st nHnis o.
rGg1esensauoh he aessroyea ana annuuea. SIM
pty tty. n'o 81 ~ S,e:a ~
daacrat;c ~ roht =, fnnnoa n,,nr1
ssog%,aPnlcat % ioca - lsns tnns -. nla1 ~
el snoaio ne represented II ne ives IN one Patt OF
oiSa. any n2l nt tsst he aond hsxo ~ oo1
plne u =, Igns toae ne snoulu naso uiolo aa
by A,ylng IN another? II those lo5cuo v9teTs ct.
% uau %A'eo N t"ent5-el1 q1stf1cte o1 tne osa,e
.ney "onlu nave constituted majority N eacn'
ana eleetea twenty.slx senators and seventy
sina tGa t. OF ne hoase o. On 1ne ola Pian
uene1n Assembly, nna ensbl4ng them TO MAKE "a,
laws and dictate to the whole State: This
ID one Q! ING posslbliisles Of the OLD
system, "hGn, py 1ae appncas1on OF the new;
| - removed: FOR, under the new, men ara equal
y and fa1riy represented wherever they may
I'VE, ana 1t ls not necessary that they shall be
| huddied together IN SOLID masses to have repre-
sentatlon, but wherever they exceed one-quar-
| ter, and are less than one-ha1 OF tho people Of
any vicinity they can obtain one-third OF the
representatives, to which thcy are rightfully and
| equally entitled under any system Of Democrat
| 1c tree Government. -.
| POSSIBILITIES OF Tue OLD GOVERNMENT.
10 test the Old system little further, sup
pose that the people should divide into three
great parties With strength Is follows: Re-
publican, low U0Ou democratic, 145 000 Llber-
q party, 155,oo0; fnd that this
throughout tho stata The result would be,
that the Liberals " would elect 81 Senators,
and 153 members OF tho House, sweeping every
district, carrying every member, and utterly dis
by, the old parties, representing noarly SOC, 900
votea. This is one Of the chances Of the system
Of monopoly plurality, 80 ardently upheld by its
admirers. Whereas under tho proportional
t1a %oua 1te
parties would ha7e the remaining two-thirds
divided between them in proportion to their
strength. Is this not the most oqui-
table aud democratic method of electiDg under
the supposed case? Again, suppose that this
new party only lived in but had q majority in
twenty-six Senatorial Districts. They would
elect twenty-eix Senators and seventy-eight
members of the House, Notwithstanding they
number less than one-qua1ter Of the whole vote
cast in the State. Eighty thousand voters would
thus elect twenty-six Senators and serenty-eight
members, while $4,000 Republican and Demo-
cratic voters would elect but twenty-five sena-
tors and eoyenty-tive members OF the House.
Thus, BY only 3 plurality in one-half of the
State, they would absolutely control the legis1a-
tion Of the whole State This is another Of the
beauties Of the grab-au system OF represents
ton.
But Mr. Garfield asks for county rcpresenta-
tion, and says that it brings the people more
nearly home to tho source Of responsibility. The
county System is not practicable in single dis
nous disparity in the population of counties.
Many Of the counties OF the State contain far
smaller population than q single ward OF the
Clty OF Chicago. Some OF them do not contain
enough to constitute one.th1rd Of a constituency
OF member OF the present House OF Repre-
sentatives- Others Of them, ~ Cook. contain
tWenty-one full constituencies. If, then,
We we're to give every, county 4 repre-
sentative, and eyery other county repre-
soutanon IN proportion to lt8 numbers,
it would require House OF over 500 manabets,
hnd, N the supposed case, thcre would SILL be
great ineauanties between counues, on account
Q, nn1eplesentea fractions, necess1tatlng the
aaoptlon OF a noa!er system winch, at best, is
A., n.-,4, ,+.-. -.,...15 -..1- -.
the county system would "oIk IN the county OF
Cook. Inc prevalhng plurality, electlng on a
general tlcket, wo9la SEND solld delegation OF
9asen senators .I ana tMentyrone memoets OF me
House, though that plurality might not repre-
sent much more than IS per cent OF the votes Of
tue people, ana, u tue people break into four
parties, 1t might not represent much more than
;ta qnatteE o. sne Mnole. lnls monia Do ma
Is 1t safe 1or the remainder Of the
state. Would It promote healthy.,leg1slatlon, to
mare one enormous county coming down every
year, IN soua phaian1, representing specla! m
terest, elected and pledged to carry out that
interest, constituting balance Of power be-
tTeen the other parties and factions OF tho
House. and II enect dietating the legislation Of
the whoie otates Cook Connty does not ask
tor 50 ex1aordlnary an advantage over the rural
districts, and it s certainty not their interest to
lnslst that she ANAL nave anu e1erc1se It.