, 1874-07-14
a NEW SCHEME OF MIN0lITY-REpRE.
HENTATI0N

| bENTATl0H.
The Neso-Englander for July Inns an article b,
Alfrod B.. Mason, OF this city. on IA NON
Theory Of Misrepresentation, which goes
q good way farther,-we think, than anything
hitherto published, to solvo tho question: How
every vote caat at tho polls, whether for q suc.
ceasful or unsuccessful candidate, shall bo made
to count whonovor the ayes and noos aro taken
In tho law-naking assembly.
Thus far thoro have hayo been five systoms
proposed: the Proxy, tile Lmitod, tho Cumu.
lativo vote. tho FREQ List or Registered Ballot,
and Mr. Haro's schome. THE Proxy vote which
authorizes tho candidate, ii elected. to
cast rs many votes for or against
any measure as ho received at tho
pol1s is defoctyo. because, tho candidate Is not
elected, his supporters arc loft without any rep
roaontation at all in tile asaonlbly, whether Leg
1s'hture, County Board, or City Council. The
Limited vote is defective, because 1t leayos small
manoritiea without any representation, and ea-
tails very great waste of votes, besides insur-
Ing tho filling OF vacancies by direct majority
vote. It ia, bosidos, open to other objections
too humorous to mcnt1on hero. The Cuu1ulatiya
vote is defective, because 1t always loaycs some
minority without representation. This aystona
allowa tho voter as many votes as t11ero arc
places to bo filled, and permits him to oonccu-
trate them on ono or scatter them aB he chooses
Il there arc 1000 electors and three yacancIog,
1t would require 251 voters to oloct ono monaber.
minority, therefore, Of 250 or any lesser number
wonld 20 ounropresentod. Moreover, this system,
like tho Limited vote system. Is attended. or In
Liable to bc atteuded, by a great waste
Of .votos. Tho Free List or Registered.
ballot system also wastes votoB. Whore tho
number Of votora Is 1000 and tho number Of
vacancies 8, Mr. Mason shows that thero may be
waste OF aa many Us 24o yotes or nearly ono
1ourth' The Hare aystem Ia Objectionable, bo-
cause In tho tranafor Of votoa ffom ono naune to
another, which happens whom tue full quota
necessary to election has boen Gust for tho first,
tho Wishes Of great many voters may DO Gu
tiroly ignored; because thoro may DO no repre-
aentation whatover for any number of voters |
less than quota aud for tho roason TINT oil |
Sacanclos occurring between tho general eloc- |
tions would bo filled by diroct majority vote. I
hr. Maaon's plan is opon to somo Of those OBJ
'eotions, and ia, besides, remarkably simple,
We give 1t here in his own words:
Aftor every general election Of Isw-makug body.
ot tho aggregate nuLcr Of votez cast by each narty
70 ascerained. Divide this by tho number Of Repre-
ontayos olectoa by tho party In question: Thu quo
lent Will 10 Tho number Of yotcs which each Of thoso
Representatives Is entitled to cast.
Suppose at Of 0,5o0 900 voters, 800 600 belong to
ne party and to the other II quite post1-
no 'aat tho Congress- chosen by thcso Yotora would
ana 200 TO 100 TLia estimate gives cas proportional
veght to the majority than It hau In the For.ythtrl
1ongrcas. While the parties n tho nation wero Oh
oYsn to alx, they would bo In tho IIo,sc as two to one
Eho leKnl majority ia tho lattor would bo 100; Tic
quisablo ono 70. but apply tho plan here proposed
ZACH Of the minority has ts,ooo,ooo dlyttlud by
% equal to- $4,000 votes; each Of tho mn.
GRITTY to,too,ooo divided by 200 equal to)
1000 votea. The end sought for Ia nttatnesi.
no strength OF each rarty III the lIouse becomes
ocao index 10 ta strength tu thu natiou Every vote
aat at tho polls counla in ovory yoto takon tu tho
[ousc. There Ia not all unrcpresened man In tho
ountry.
An independent Congressman, according to
his plan, would. 1t he woro sui gcnerts, caat tho
lumber OF votos ho rocelyed himRe1f; tho yotoa
ast for hts defeatcd opponent would 60 to the
arty Of tho latter. Those cast for q tlefoatod
'depondcnt would bo added to tho quota Of q
liocosaful ono, or to tho sum total OF party,
might po desirol, Tho author Of tho now
Dhomo points out that there Ia weak point in
, tnaamuch as 1t does not, like most Of tho
thor syAtema, encourage independent candi-
aoles. But 1t ia not necessary that thu system
aould entirely supplaslt tho otl,ors, It may
Dry we'll supplement them, and ita originator
links that tho most perfect electoral eyBtom