The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-10-31
Minority Representation.


What is it? It s'deiined in Article
- of the new Dakota constitution.
Minority representation applies only to
the election Of members of the State
House Of Representatives. Three
members are elected in each district and
each voter may cast three votes for one
man, or one yOto for each of the three
nIou, on give one and a half votes to
ca,h Of two men. When the Demo
cgutS have ouc-th.rd Of the votes of
district they can thus, by each casting
tlTpc votes for one man, elect one
Representative, and the Repubil.
CANS ly casting one and a half votes
Tor each OF two men elect those two.
If lhp Democrats have less { an one
third OF the votes Of the district they
cana 4 elect any one, and the R1Iub.!-
cans elect three.
This plan WAS adopted in Illinois in
1870. being submitted by separate ar
tlcle 10 the people rs III case Of Dakota,
and adopted as a part OF the constitu-
ton by about 10000 majority. The
legislature of Michigan adopted it last
winter over the veto OF the Governor.
1t seems but an act Of simple Justice To
tie minority. 1t is also eXpedient. Our
Dakota legislature has been each ses-
sion almost exclusively Republican, and
it has been guilty Of many corrupt or
.uuWsa acts. 1t has squandered money
and unwisely appropriated it. If there
is not better day to dawn for rs the
people may make bad matters worse
by turning Dakota into Democratic
state
Minority representation will give the
. Democrats voice in the legislature so
/ that Republicans will have a watchful,
argus-eyed enemy in their midst, who
will check the formation of rings for the
purpose Of iobbing. The Republicans
need watching.
The writer is full blcoded Repub-
lean and has supported every Republi-
can ticket from the days of Fremont
( tn October y, 1855. and seems likely
10 keep at il, but faithful are the
wounds given by II friend.
4 The way to keep power is not to abuse
it, Irresponsible power inevitably
tends to abuse. twill not do to get up
a mutual admiration society aud say
that all the virtue in the country is in
our party. We shah he strengthened
! hy the infusion Of new blood into the
. legislature.
( Take King5bury county rs an illus
tratlon; we shall be entitled 10 three
members Of the House very soon, ANA
I this county will doubtless remain a sin
/ gle district. as il is now. Suppose we
Should send two good Republicans to
the House and the Democrats send one.
I Willrot the people be as fairly repre-
scented? Can we net find among men
. like Keller, Ellis. Schenian. X.mner-
mana. Fuller. Watson, Nortlrop and
S ore Of others OF equal intelligence and
integrity one man whose counsels III
one House OF the legislature would be
'of scr,ice to lhe people?
Every county Las its good Democrats,
aud under our system, rs we are stu
a!ei in Dakota. We leave them all at
home. and in natural, though unjusti-
able. revenge they become disaffected
ana act as disorganiZers instead Of all
taking hold as fellow citizens to build
up our magnificent State of Dakota.
statesmanship demands that parties
do not spend their energies merely TO
palpetuate themselves. Parties are
necessity and their proper function is
o serve the State - the whole State
and the whole people. In this way
party will retain power.
Some Illinois people complain of mi
nority representation and when we in
Quire why, the ultimate objection is
frequently found to be that this system
recently nearly defeated Logan for the
United states Senate. Is that valid
obitctionI As well might one say that
because he slipped OH plank sidewalk
and sprainel his ankle we should have
no more plank sidewalks. The contest
over Logan was mere incident. The
writer has had ten years experience in
Illinois politics with minority repreSen-
tation. and likes it. The question is.
first, one of right, ana secondly, one of
eXpedicncy.
We recognize the fact everywhere,
except in PARTISAN politics, that all the
people should have represention. Every
presiding officer of every meeting ap-
points upon every committee a minority
of those opposed to the friends of the
proposed measure it lac can find them.
In government blythe people where
all meet in mass, as we still do at town
meetings, Democrats and Republicans
have each voice. A representative
government should follow the same
: principle and give every one repreSen-
r tation as far as may be.
. Minority representation does not 10
complete justice. but II is an effort in
, that direction. 1t is IN honest effort
TO do right by all.
+ Dakota with ber strong men ought 20
/ he leader in the Nation by ti,e ycrr
1900. She Is on trial and must report
, on November 3. "Righteousncsse exalt
eth nation" j. a. Owen
: De Smet, Oct. q, 1885.