Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-01-20
MINORITY REPRESENTATION.

oFs shall be chosen by districts instead OF
a general ticket has some arguments in
its favor that are apparent at the first
plance. 1t is in the first place, plan
which is sort Of compromise between
the present system and direct popular
vote. 1t is not too long a step in the di-
rcction Of popular suffrage, ard cannot
therefore, bc considered too great Il
change from the forms established by the
trainers OF the Constitution. 1t is open,
however to the objection that the Pres
idcutial succession will be retained rs
a political question, and there are plenty
o! thinking men who believe that the
Presidential Office, like the National Ju-
d;ciary, should be removed from the
arena Of politics. Perhaps, however, we
would be expecting too much to expect
that.
There is however, principle involved
in the proposed amendment Of Mr. Nor
ton which will commend it TO the iavora-
bic consideration Of those who believe in
minority representation. BY minority
representation we mean the power which
ii minority has, under certain conditions,
to secure portion Of the candidates rep
resentIng their principles. The plan has
been adopted to some extent in eecting 9
members Of State Legislatures. In Hi
I La. .te l... - I |
chosen by districts district choosing
two Assem- blymen. Ench voter in the
district has three votes for Assem- ymen,
10 distribute as he pleasos. lie may give
Dis three votes for one man, he may give
two votes for one and one for the other,
or he he may give one and e-ha!f votes
for each. Now we will suppose that one
district has 1000 Rtpublican and 200
Democratic voters. Under ordinary po-
to see II Democrat elected. But unde.
minority representation the Democrats
could poll all their votes for one man and
elect him in spite Of the Republican ma
jority Of the district, and this course is
frequently pursued by both parties where
they do not feel strong enough to contend
for the whole ticket. We do not propose
TO discuss the advantages and disadvant-
ages Of this system farther than TO say,
that under it, minorities have powers
which, il they choose to exercise them
can secure to them voice in the councils
Of a State which cannot be silenced as
under the minority system. 1t is not in
this manner, however, that minority
representation in the Electoral College
would be gained under Mr.. Moltoq's plan.
Electors would be chosen in each single
dist.ct TO the number to which the State
had representatives. in the lower branch Of
Congress, while State ticket of Electors
would be voted for throughout the State.
Thus the voters Of each Congressional
District would vote for the two Senatorial
and ono district eicctor, and while the
general ticket would be elected on one
side the district ticket could be chosen
on the oihor.
Indiana, which gave Tilden her whole
vote Of fifteen by mcager majority OF IL
few thousand would, under the distIic.
system, have given Il majority Of its Elec,
tom votes for Hayes. New York the
same for the fraud, Of the city could not
have overslaughed the honest vote OF the
rural districts. California would have
given two OF her six votes for Ti!dcn,
Ohio eight of her :Wenty-lhree in the
same manner. In eHch Of these States
the party majority was small compared
with the vote and representation of the
State. The votes OF tho ~. 600 Demo
Gratis in California ard the votes OF the
$50, Geo Republicans of New York were
completely thrown away, and if the ma
Jorlty had been only Il dozen or less, it
would have operated quite as eifectuallv.
II Mr.. Morton's plan should be adopted
there would also be need Of amendment,
to the Judiciary laws to insure II speedy
decision OF all disputes in reference to the
choice of Electors. That indeed, is need
ed now, and were there some court having
jurisdiction Of the status Of Electors, peo-
pie would rest more assured that the true
choice for President would be inaugurated.
The truth is the Federal, like our State
Constitution WA, made for a different peo
pie to whnt we have grown to be. From
three millions at the time Of its adoption
we have grown to be nation Of forty. five
millions; instead of having all our inter
ests in common we have many dverging
and conflicting interests. We are not
sanguine enough to suppose it possible to
reconcile all those, but is certainly more
possible than it was twenty years ago.