Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-01-06
MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN CON.
GRESS.
A Method 10 Divide Solid States--.
Plan of Voting Proposed Under
the New ApportIonment.

move, as an addition TO the AppOrtlOn-
ment bill, measure intended to secure
fair representation in congress to
minOrities at all future elections. He
is induced to do this by the very salts
factory result of the system of cumu-
lative voting which has been the rule in
Illinois for some years under the new
constitution. Under that system the
state is divided into iifty-four senatorial
districts, each of which sends three
members to the assembly. Each voter
casts three votes for assemblymen, but
he may cast all three for the same man
or two for one and one for the other, or
one and half votes for each of two, as
he prefers, or he may cast one vote for
each of the three candidates on the
ticket.
RESULT OF THE SYSTEM.
The result of this system has been to
give fair representation to the minori-
ty of Republicans in the southern part
of the state, where the Democrats were
so overwhelmingly strong before that
10 the legislature at all, and in like man.
ner it has given representation to the
Democratic minority in the northern
and strongly Republican counties. Mr..
Springer says that under his PROPOSE
ton, if it is adopted large and power
full minOrities in different states, which
aye now left without representation in
congress, would be made more con-
tented, because they would have a fair
representation. The sOlidity of the
South, he says, would be broken to
pieces because the Republicans would
always be able to send some members
fairly representative of their wishes
and numbers In like manner the
powerful Democratic minOrities in some
northern states would secure equitable
representation, and while the general
political complexion of congress would
not be changed, he thinks an important
result would be gained by securing to
each party representation in congress
from every state in the union and thus
enable the two parties to get a better
view of the policies required by the
whole country.
COLORED REPRESENTATION.
Your correspondent said to Mr.
Springer: Il suppose you see that
under your system the southern states
would probably send some colored rep
rcSentatives ?"
Mr. Springer replied: "0f course
they would, and they ought to. The
col0rcd people in the South are very
numerous; they ought to be represented
in congress by men of their own color,
that is their undoubted right. Under
our Illinois system the colored people
have had Il fair chance in this respect,
and the only cOlored man sent by any
northern legislature so far as | know,
has sat under our system in the Illinois
Legislature. Ills people voted for him
and elected him."
MIR. SPRINGER's PROPOSITION
The following is the proposition OF
Mr.. Springer;
That representatives in congress
be elected after the next census of the
United States as follows The legisla-
ture of each state, as soon as practical
ble after the apportionment under the
census Of 1880 is made, and at every
subsequent apportionment after Il new
census, shall divide the states as herein
provided. States entitled to one repre-
sentative in congress shall constitute
one congressional district. States en-
titled to two representatives shall be
divided into two congressional dis
tricts, as nearly equal in population as
possible. States entitled to three rep
resentatives shall constitute one con-
gressiona district, in which there shall
be elected three representatives in the
manner hereinafter provided. States
entitled to four representatives shall be
divided INTO two districts, in one of
which districts there shall be elected
three representatives, and in the Other
district there shall be elected one rep.
resentatve. States entitled to five rep.
resentatives shall constitute one dis.
trict, in which five representatives shall
be'elected. States entitled to six rep.
resentatlves shall be divided into two
districts, in each of which there shall
be elected three representatives. States
entitled to seven representatives shall
be divided into three districts, in two
Of which districts there shall be elect
ed three representatives each, and in
the other district one representative
and all other states shall be so divided
by the legislature thereof as to consti
tute districts in which one, three and
five representatives shall be elected, ac.
cOrding to the number of representa-
tives to which each state is entitled
each state being divided into as many
dist Its as three will be contained il
Z whole number of representative
to which such state is entitled, excep
where there is a fraction of two, il
which case one of the districts shall bt
entitled to five members, and wher,
there is fraction of one there shall b,
one other district in which one repre-
sentative shall be elected.
Sec. 2.-Congressional districts il
which one representative in congress
shall be elected shall contain Il popula
tion equal to the ratio of the popula
tion of one member in congress; dis
tricts entitled to three members shal
contain population equal to three IA
tios and districts entitled to five mem
bers shall contain q population equal t.
five ratios, or in all cases as nearly S,
as practicable. The districts shall b.
formed of contiguous and compact ter
rtory, bounded by county or parisl
lines except in counties or parishes hav
ing greater population than the rati
Of one representative in congress, il
which cases portions of such county o
parish may be attached to contiguou
territory in other districts.
Sec. 3.-In districts entitled to on
representative in congress, each quail
fled elector may vote for one person fo
representative and no more; in district
entitled to three representatives, eac
electOr may vote for two persons fo
representatives and no more, and il
districts entitled to five representative
each elector may vote for three person
for representatives, and for no mort
In all cases the persons having th