, 1874-11-24

pcrs III tits State which find fault with tic sys-
tem Of minority representation bacauao IN
aoycral dis.rlcls tho Republicans havo lost NOM
Tho Sycamore Republican complains bitterly that
Of tho throo mombcrs elected in that district
(DoKalb, Kendall, mud Grundy Couutios). two
havo been selected from arundy and ono from
Kondall while DoKalb. tho much 1argcr county,
Inns nouo. Tho samo result happoued At tho
election in 1879. III 1874 tho Opposition oloct
two Of tho three members. though tho district
gayo over 1000 Republican minority. III the
Kano and DuPago Diatrict. tle smaller county
elects two Representatives, and tho district
elects two Democrats. though tho district giyes
1,5oo Republican major,ty.
In beth theao caaca, tho loaa Ia duo not to any
unfairness or Injustice Of tho Byston1, but to a
dishonest attempt on tue part Of tho majority
to disfraoclEse tito minority In spite Of tho sys-
tom. Tlus in the Thsrtesuth {DoKa.b, Kendall,
and Gruady) Diatrict. tho Republicans, not con-
tont with tho two members they we're entitled to
under tho minority sYatom, grabbed at all three.
They nominated cue candidate in eaoh county.
Tho Opposition, taking advantage Of thH blundor
Of tho Republicans, nominated ono cnndidato
from Kendall aua Que from ar,audY. They con-
centratel their volos equally botweon theso two
md elected thom. 1t 80 happened that tho third
member was elected from Grundy. Had tho Re-
pub.scans OF that district aetud ID good faith,
shcy would have elected two Ropublicaue. aud
Dokalb would have had member. THO loss Of
tho member in tlat dlstrict was due, therefore.
to tho attempt to prevent tho minority having
my Representative ut al1; aud. like all similar nj
tompts at denial Of righta to others, results in
giving tho intended victim more than ho claimed.
In tho titty-ono Representative Distr,ota Of the
stato there were but sovcn departures from tho
result contemplated by the syssom Of minority
representation. In the Third District tho 0puo-
sltion elect three Representatives,. bccanso tho
Republicans failed to cumuiate oil their votos on
thoir Candidate. We have explained alroady tho
faota in tue poKalb District. III tue Fourteenth
(liuno aud Dn paso) tho Republicans wasted some
1000 votes on Independent candidates. giving
the Opposition aud Dupage County Two mem-
borg. In tho Twanty-Heyeuth Distric! (Logan
and Tazowsl) the Opposition Ind g slight ma
crity, but they Vs,ro not aware Of their strength,
aud Lad but ono candidate, aud tue Republicans
got tho other two. Precisely the sar,o result
was had III tho snsy-eighth District {alcLeau).
where tho Oppositi ion. though unexpectedly III Il
majority, had but ono candidate. In tho Thrift
eth District {Cham palgn and Piatt) the opposi-
ton had @ majority Of 400 on the popular vote.
They however, had two Democrats and
two independents runnlag for Represents
tiycB. and the result was tho election Of
two Republicans aud ono Independent, In tho
Thirty-thrd District Cumberland, Eflngham.
aud shelby) the Republicans had less than ono-
| fourth of tho whole vote. and tue Opposition
,aigAt have elected three members, hut they had
four candidates. aud loat q mombor in oonso-
quenco.
Tho caaea where tho minority systom failed to
return Representatives exactly III it was iutoudod
to do aro few in number, and the failures are
not duo to tho syaton, but to the mistakes Of tic
! minority in Borne caaeb and Of tho minority III
others. Now let these Republicans who cou-
! plnin Of the minority system compare tho total
| OF tho members elected with tho results whlc,
| would havo followed tho election under tho old
p|an. We have compiled table showing the
general vote Ia each district with tho politics oil
| those elected, Including oil the 1ndspendents
among tho Opposition. That tablo Ia aa fol
| lows: