The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-12-15
Election by the Minority.
From the New Orleans Times.l

From the New Orleans Times
Almost any citizen of the United
States, being questioned as to the funda-
mental principle Of our form Of govern.
ment will say that it is ma ority rule.
But this is not necessarily true, even
supposing all elections to be wholly free
from fraud, intimidation or improper in
huence. On the contrary the funda-
mental principle is, to very great ex-
tent, minority rule. On several ,occa-
sions President and majority in Con
gress have been elected by minority Of
the people, Even in the late election,
when Garfield secured an overwhelming
majority Of the electoral vote, he fell
short of majority of all the votes cast
more than 100000 votes short His
party will have a majority in Congress
likewise elected by minority Of the
{ votes cast at the time Of their election.
Minority elections, in cases where large
numbers Of voters fail or refuse to vote,
were no doubt contemplated at the
framing Of the constitution-no remedy
{ for such events is needcd-it is simpl " a
dcreliction, "lachcs" complaint against
. which, ON the part Of the derelict, would
, be ridiculous.
Q But when every citizen has cast his
/ vote and when every vote has been law
/ fully and fairly counted, it now turns
+ out that the will Of the majority may
d be defeated by the will Of the minority.
/ 'Tis very striking illustration Of man
Y hood or suffrage rule. Yet it does not
# prove that manhood or suffrage rule Il
II failure: does not prove that such rule
is not the most successful of all govern
mental experiments up to date. 1t doe
70 not, in fact, prove anything agans
&c government by suffrage or government
Sc by the majority. 1t only proves tina
to the plan adopted was and is not pertec
he in that it does not in every ease tnsur
Mt an election by the majority. Undenia
C. bly,, the plan has worked well in tn
is main, Notwithstanding this glaring de
it feet. The fathers conceived that /
in would cramp the water too much t
" keep it in II bucket tight at one end
They therefore left one little hole in tn
bottom-thc electoral plan througI
which all the water might escape if sui
fccnt time were given. 1t has escape
G on several occasions, but the hulkIn;
- rustic fills it again and cXtols its water
tight perfection. twas great though
j., Of the fathers to have a plan whicI
" should give full play to the popular vii
= and ut the same time curb and dctea
the popular will That is the contri
70 vance which is periodically designated
i. the palladium Of our liberties.
-. Suffrage is genuine palladium. Tim
No has proved that--nearly the whole civil
lie lied world, more or less definitely, con
49, ours therein. But this involved sui
-. rage, which defeats its own prime OF
; iect, is II tried and convicted farce
IN which, neglected, will lead ultimately t
Pa tragedy. The fathers were intinltel
p more manly and courageous than thcl
40 sons, in this, that they boldly entcrc
od upon the great experiment rcgulatIn
n. the system by the best lights then a
a. fordcd not thinking it unpatriotic
in discover defects or sacreligious to rcm'
.h dy asccrtaincd defects. Undoubtedly
~ is disastrous to rush violently from on
NJ extreme to another-the health Of til
NJ State no more brooks such violence tina
cd does the health Of the body. But it
ot equally ccrtan-givcn Il masmat
o.. conditon-that thd miasm must be II
IF moved or the people must be removed
h. or sickness, possibly amounting to Il
50 epidemic, must result The electors
m. condition is miasmatic; the people cal
,ss not be removed the alternative
,JI sickness or removal of the miasm. 1t
q q sound conclusion, now strlklngiy i
ri. lustratcd, that our pleasant electors
plan is very unhealthy affair. Tn
lv next conclusion is that it cannot 90 o
tn indefinitely defeating the will Of the ma
us ority without producing revolution
nf some sort. 1t is better to make tn
OPP revolution Il peaccable one. That ma
o be done by rectifying the present al
-, surb and dangerous plainly conccdn
Ia the complete sovereignty Of suffrage
vi The Obvious remedy is to elect tn
, y. President by the direct vote Of the pee
yc pie. That plan being fairly tried an
nt found wanting, it will then be tim
d. enough to consider whether any rcpu'
,s- lie, pure and simple, can or canuc
Il. achieve a permanent success. But tn
:" plan is not likely to be found wanting
il and it will certainly remove the DANCE
-. which, at present, appears most INN
,d ncnt.
IS