The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-12-13
CUMULATIVE VOTING.
THE SYSTEM EXPLAINED.
ITS PRACTICAL WORKINGS.
IN. Y. World ]

IN. Y World
The letter of our Western correspondent,
shows that the experiment of cumulative
voting to secure the representation of
minorities has proved in Illinois perfect
success indeed, has 10 practice 80 wonder
fully borne out it's theory that less than
three voters of every thousand are without
due representation. Even the apparent
variations from the rule, when properly
considered, have but served to prove the [
rule true and until ignorance or greed can
be attributed exclusively to one party in q
political contest these variations will cor |
rect each other. How admirable is the
system appears from a'comparison with
Wisconsin, where the republicans, though
actually casting fewer votes than tue
reformers, have GA seats in the Assembly
or IA more than they are entitled to.
CHICAGO, December 3.-With the full
returns from Illinois we are enabled to pass
an opinion upon the working of the system
which came in under the constitutional
amendment of 1870. There has always
been a great deal of prejudice against the
system. The clause was only adopted 6y
% GAL majority, while the other clauses sub
mitted at the same election received MAJOR,
tiles ranging from $1,000 to l25 600, and
since the practice of cumulative voting began
it has been m uch more generally erowled at
than understood. AS readers of The World
may know, Illinois elects three members
of che House in each of fifty one Legisla-
tive districts, each voter casting three
votes. These he may plump Tor one can
didate, or divide between two or three as
he pleases. 1t will be seen that thus 80
long as the minority in the districts casts 20
: per cent of the total vote it can secure one
representative, as, if the members OF the 70
J per cent. majority run moro than two can
didates, by Pumping for their man the
minority give him as many votes as each
, of the three majority candidates has. Thus
, sol voters in a poll of 2,00l are not alone
) sure to elect one representative, ont II the
7 majority has three candidates in the held
3 the minority candidate will bead the lot
B Such system should render gerry nander-
3 ing almost impossible.
D Looking back to 1868, fud that in Illinois
that year tho democrats cast for Congress
: man at large 199, 7s9 OF 449 22i ballots, be
9 coming entitled on an equitable division tc
r SO of s5 Representatives. They secured
y but 81, 80 that 5s,135 members of the
g minority, or nearly 30 per cent, were
g practically disfranchised.
e In 1870 the Democrats cast for State
g Treasurer l44, 923. of 3l3, 500 ballots Thi
e entitled them To 81 seats of 177, 40 tina
e ,l6S Democrats or nearly lO per cent
u were without representation.
g In 1872 the minority were fr-t given n
opportunity to secure adequate represen
rs tatiop, but the plan being new one AM
l. considered impracticable there were not
l. few cases of negligence and more Tran
IN few of error. The Democrats cast TO
ID Governor 1877, Os3 of 434, s5S ballots, bein
n entitled te 60 of l53 Representatives. The
elected g. leaving an unrepresented min
ority of I7,052, equal to 81 per cent
:, the minority vote.
VI Vi perintendent of Public Instruction l64 "a
a, of 36l ,s57 votes, thus being entitled to 6
d of SO Representatives. They elect precisel
i Io 60, so that each party has as nearly as me
III be the representation to which its numbc
y; y. entitle it. Taking the votes of each par
ne for the State Treasurership, the Superi'
ne tendency, and the Congressional seats,
o. strike an average of 165, 653 votes for tt
s Republicans and 1913, GAG for the Opposition
au This gives a total poll of 364, 500, or pr
3D. House. Multiply 1888 by 60 and -
Nv have I64, 427 votes, that 1t is an g
r's c-edingly email fraction that Ia left.
rn fne it is ], 226, or just "a over q MAORI
~ 10 one district, 80 that the unrepresent
Ia minority is about one-third of per cent
~, 20 the, total vote, or three-quarters of 1 p
,as cent of the minority vote. In bnt one di
-se trict of fifty oue-the Third-has the NJ
u.s. jority elected all three candidates, al
~ there, if the Republican minority of 1.9
~ ~ had pumped, it would have carried In o
=. 20 man, as the majority had but 5,506 vote
VI There we're ak other instances where q
'Ss partures from the results contemplated
y: 10 the sy stem occurred, but they balance ca
n r.. other, and are attributable to direct a
; 10 natural causes. In the Thirteenth the 4
TO- publican {msjority) grabbed for three .
presentatives, ignoring some powerful
pin cal claims; the Opposition (minorityl co
ich ceptrated on two candidates, conciliati
Dry the aggrieved counties, and elected bo
lily In the Fourteenth the Republicans vast
the so many votes on Independent candida
rly that the minority, though less numelc
!ys by 1880, elected two men. In the TIL
her tieth and Thirty third the Opposition CO
are mitted the same error with, in each ca
ties the same result. in the Twenty sever
ibis and T wenty- eighth the Opposition thong
she themselves in the minority, and only
is tempted to elect one candidate, where
rec had they known their strength, they wot
have elected two. But these attempi
departures do nothing, If they do not pre-
ten the infexible practical working of the RI
:. g. 1t has been seen that the Republic
,ery, | minoritv acquires 60 of l53 Representativ