The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-05-13
INDEPENDENCE.


How many men are free from the control
Of party How many dare bolt . nomina-
ton and, if they do, what is the effect
They usually lose their votes. This country
Is not Democratic republic. 1t is gov
erned by an oligarchy class Of pro
fvssional office holders OF professional pol
iticiAns.
Politicians are like members of base
ball club they are divided into mines
Sometimes one of the mines has the
innings lin oflice). Sometimes the other,
but they all belong to the same club, and,
whichever nine WINS the score, they
all divide the gate money. Our
ofiice-holding and ofhce-seeking rulers
know little of the interests and
wants Of the people, and they care
less. Their chief study is how to keep
the voters in subsection to party disci
phne, SO that they can hold their voting
power for their own purposes. Congress
to-day is wholly absorbed in the subject
Of President making, looking to the cleo
ton Of President as the representation
Of their own respective rings, who will, if
elected, divide the offices ard patronage
which the office commands among his par
tisan friends and supporters.
In the meantime the country is suffer
ing distress of the most serious kind from
their want of understanding of and care
for the interests of the people. We have
Democratic House of Representatives
and Republican Senate-both are acting
in the interests of those who they look to
to pay the expenses Of their Presidential
canvas. Those who are interested in
making the many poor that the few may
be rich-that the few may own the
country, and all that is in it, Why do
they not repeal the resumption act stop
contraction and stagnation remove the
incubus that rests upon the country and
gies Of the people, and enforces fdleness
on millions of industrious and skiIlful
people. They do not repeal the resump-
ton act because they have not received
orders to repeal it from Wall street. The
petitions for repeal that have gone up
from the people from all parts of the
country, the thousands of private letters to
the same effect, from voters, receive no
attention are not treated with the least
respect. They think that the voters will
vote the party ticket These professional
rulers Of the people think that the people
are their slaves, and will not vote against
party nominees. The votes they feel sure
Of. but the money to defray the expenses
Of the election must come from Wall
street, hence both parties are for hard
money and hard times
Let the Independent Party about to as
semble at indianapolis in National Con-
vention, declare for independent money
corporations subsidized for the purpose ;
but by the national government, redeemable
not in promises Of gold (for there is no
such thing as redemption Of bank notes in
gold for when demand is made, suspen-
sion rnvarlaly ensues,) but let US have a
greenback currency inter convertible with
government bonds, which will be Of GER
tain value, and Of Volume adjusted to the
varying wants Of commerce and let that
Convention declare for independence from
the tyranny OF party, and Of professional
politicians, and professional office holders
and Office seekers and form a party who
shall not seek to establish a new tyranny
over the people, but shall demand from
this time forth, proportional representa-
tion Of all the people-in all the legislative
bodies Of the country, State and national.
To illustrate the practicability of this
say State has eighteen Members Of Con-
gress-why should they be elected in
eighteen separate districts. so that in each
district 1t may require at least one more
than half the voters to elect member,
leaving nearly half the voters no Repre-
sentative Why not provide that one
eighteenth part Of the voters may elect one
Of the eighteen members. II it is object
ed that it would not be desirable to elect
so many members in one district, snch a
State may be divided into three districts,
and elect SIX members in each Of the three
districts. This Is quite practicable, and
needs only an act Of Congress to estab-
lish the system-a system called proper
tional representation-by the preferential
vote. It has been in practical and sue
cessful operation in Denmark for many
years.
There is bill before the British Parlia-
ment for the election Of all Members of
Parliament in England by this mode.
The same principle Of proportional rep
resentation has been in successful opera
ton in England by what is called the
cumulative or free vote in a number of
Dorougns ID England and In the State OF
Illinois in the election Of members Of the
Illinois House Of Representatives and
will enable the Independents in Illinois
to determine who shall be elected United
States Senator next year. The preferen-
tial vote is preferable to that used in
Illinois, because it prevents any waste OF
votes its operation il perfectly simple,
and its adoption is only opposed by pro-
fessional politicians for if adopted gen
orally, they could no longer govern the
country.
To illustrate further suppose six men,
bers are to be elected to Congress from A
district in which there are sixty thousand
voters, one-slxth of the voters being ten
kha,,.oul -