The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-20

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upon The fact that II would give to mt.
norpy in any State the absolute power 10
elect 10 Congress representatives holding
the same opinions as that minority. Under
Che present system, the minority In any dis
trict must grow to be majority before II
csn choose a representative. There Is,
{ therefore. constantly presented to the per-
sons constituting the minority temptation
70 80 over to the majority. They are apt to
DESPAIR Of convincing enough OF their neigh
bor~ that they are Ia the right TO bring their
side up TO majority. Sometimes they seek
new issues. as has been very well illustrated
in the course Of the national Democratic
party during the last sixteen years. Pro-
porllonal rcprest ntation would change all
these things, and empower minorities TO I'M
press their theories and schemes upon the
2eeis.a,iou Of the country. Certainly II
would enable them 10 air those theories IN
the balls Of Congress, and secure for them
. national hearing.
II The House Of Representatives OF 1851
bad been chosen under system OF pro-
been. we suppose, no measures passed
through that body intended to coerce the
southern States into remaining in the Union.
The negroes had no votes then; and as the
pconle OF the southern States were prac-
tically q unit as against the use OF force TO
preserve, the Union, whilst the northern
people were divided upon the question,
feycn HORACE GREELEY deprecating a re-
sort 10 III Il would have been almost impos-
sible 10 have induced the Democrats OF the
North 10 surrender their States-rIghts doc
trines, since they would have known that
though minority they would always be
able 10 elect their share Of the representa-
tives ia Congress.
We might 90 back q step further, and say
that the question OF the use OF force to pre-
serve the Union would never have been
presented 10 Congress il proportional re-
presentation in tina. body had been allowed.
The Union men Of the South, though after
ward joining with the Secessionists in re-
sis.ing the use OF force, were numerous
enough up TO the beginning of the year
1861 TO have elected under a system Of pro-
portional representation, not merely one
here and there as they did. but more
than a third OF all the southern repre-.
senfatiyes in Congress and Of all the men,
bers Of southern State Legislatures, |
and southern State Conventions. A war
would hardly have been possible under |
such circumstances. The Union might have !
remained as it was, with all Of its States. |
Or. IL South Carolina and one or two other |
States had seeded, and Congress had re-
fused TO employ force to compel them to |
cone back, the people Of those States would |
soon bave spoken through the ballot.box in
favor OF returning 10 the Union. The bene.
fits Of the post-office, and Of being free |
from tariff exactions, and OF constituting a
portion Of nation which no other nation |
would dare to attack, and other considera-
tins. would probably have made short work
OF secession.
These, however, are but speculatioDs. 1t
Is possible that the system OF representation
of which we are writing would in practice
prove 10 be a very different thing from what
It IL supposed 1t would be. We saw last
week, however, that in the case Of the cleo
ton OF the directors Of certain bank in
Philadelphia the minority Of the stock
holders were able under the cumulative
system OF voting to Dust director obiec-
tionable to them, although majority OF the
would have kept him in place.
There are various ways for securing pro.
portional repres entation. One system al
lows the voters 10 cast either one vote for
each OF as many directors, or congress
men, or legislators, as are to be
chosen, or to cast as many votes
for one director, congressman, or legislator.
as there are directors, &c, TO be elected, or
TO divide his votes between several candi-
dates. In the Philadelphia case mentioned
above, each stakeholder had the right to
vote for twenty directors, OF to cast twenty
votes for one director, or two for five, DC.
md each stakeholder OF the minority did
last twenty votes for one man, and elected {
that one man. The majority could Of (,
course In such cases elect any one man II !
hey chose thus TO cumulate their votes; Z
tut they are always so bent upon elect
Ing more than half OF the officers to be {
chosen that they leave 1t TO the minority to !
simulate their votes, it being impossible
or the minority to cleo. as many as half OF \
he said officers. and also impossible for the
majority 10 elect all OF them. Another G
method Of securing proportional repre- !
,eptation is that proposed in Mr.. SPRING \
ER's bill for reapportioning representa- q
ion In the House OF Representatives. "
I districts the States, and elects say three
,r five representatives in a district, allow. y
pg no voter to vote for more than two out II
)f the three, or three out of the five. The "
result Is necessarily that the minority has 4,
he absolute power 10 elect one or two rep #
esentatiyes in each district. Under this 81
ystem the Democrats would elect congress Il
men in even Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Jew Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachu-
et;s, whilst Ia Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
aud New York, they would II
,robably elect almost half OF them. The m
Democrats Of Pennsylvania have hardly v
'a'i the representation In Congress that | y
hey are entitled TO. Under a system Of ~
'roportionai representation, the Democrats CO
1 the North would have instead Of only one W
bird or one fourth OF the representatives I
. the lower house Of Congress from that al