The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-07-29
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me Californian for August contains
carefully studied essay by john A.
Wright upon probable Changes in
American Government" in which IL il
proved that the minority are not repre-
senied at all In the practical workings
OF the so-ealled republican form Of gov
eminent under which such minority is
ruled. To prove his position, he quotes
Mr.. Butcher on Minority OF Proper
tional Representation" as follows:
Is the Democratic candidate, and b the
Republican, before a constituency OF say 23uo0
voters For A l2Oo0 votes are cast. for 3 u, ,000
Is said 20 represent the district. when. In
truth, he represents only l2.00. and the 100
are not represented at ALL They are said 20 be
so; but let Interests clash and opinions differ,
and he becomes their foe-their active oppo-
nent. Purely as a minority, the minority re-
eeives no representation al all. Where there
are many districts, and consequently many
minoHties, the aggregate Of unrepresented
votes becomes an astounding anomaly In
representative government.
Mr.. Wright labors thoughtfully
through many pages Of interesting mat
ter to prove that some sort OF cumula-
tive representation must be reached by
which, without disturbing the rule Of
the majority, the different shades Of all
important grades OF political opinion
may be recognized in direct ani true
proportion to the numbers entertaining
them.
After an able aud exhaustive showing
that mere primary education in the
common schools will effect no greater
good in perfeeting government in the
United States than il has done i'm China
"A showing that upsets all the fine
writing Of the Pixleys, Holmeses, SCOTS
and Parkmans to prove that the higher
education Of the masses is not ueces-
sary-Mr. Wright quotes Mr.. Ezra Sea
man as follows in proof that an absurd
confidence is felt in the permanency Of
the government in the present mode Of
conducting it:
We must reform our system OF elections and
representation, and thereby make our govern
eminent a government OF the whole people,
instead Of "a government OF the leaders of
dominant party. That we shall con-
tinue 10 Increase in numbers and industry,
commerce and wealth, for half q century OF
more 10 come, is certain; but, unless these re-
forms are effected in our government, our Ma
uonal interests will become so numerous, our
population 50 heterogeneous, the National
character and sentiments OF the people Of dIf-
ferent sections so discOrdant, the bonds OF
union so weak, corruption and pronigaey so
rank and bold, and sectional and class ambi-
ton so rampant, that the American Congress
will become a Jauing and dlscordant mob, and
IL will be impossible TO reconcile its elements
and prevent the flames Of civil war from burst
ing forth, perhaps in several sections al the
same time, with the eventual result OF the di-
vision OF the National territory into several
different nations.
There is no doubt that Mr.. Wright is
correct in his belief that many changes
in the government are imminent; but
Il is very strange that he does not see,
or does not say, that one-half Of tile
whole people, being denied any voice in
making the laws they are taxed 10
maintain, have rights 10 consider inf
, nitely greater than the rights Of minori-
ties who have hope, by diut of hard en-
deavor, to be among the represented, or
majority, at some turn or turns OF the
political wheel. Strange, too, that he
does not perceive, ordoes not tdeclare, that
there eau be no such thing as universal
suffrage" while one-half Of the human
family have no more recognition, except
as taxpayers or criminals, than though
they had no rights to consider or no ex-
istence to represent.
Women, too, are looking for changes
in the American government; but the
first, greatest and most necessary change
will be that of their recognition as a
factor in the great sum Of governmental
existence.