The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-05-26
[HE SCRUIIN DE LISrF.
w FRENCH ELECTORAL SYSTEM.
Complete Change in Choosing National
Legislators-The Rivalry Between
the Royalists, the Radicals
and the Republicans.

/ Lsst week the French senate ioined
! be assembly in passing the scrutin de
Is.e making an almost revolutionary
Eange in the electoral system of the
stepublic. The scrutin de liste was one
Ithe pet measures Of Gambetta, and
" used TO hear a great deal about it in
aats day, but ne never succeeded in get
.lmg this measure adopted, although he
s-.Iade 1t several times the chief feature
Ehis political campaigns
| Sorutin de lists ia Simply the election
lbi all the representatives 10 the as
ltemblY by departments, Instead of by
lIrr0ndissement or districts, and is
' Equivalent TO change from our sys-
hem OF eleeting congressman to that of
: choosing electors. We elect our con-
4 Eressmen by districts, as the French
Have been doing their members of their
assembly, but in choosing the presiden-
lial electors we vote for the entire ticket
throughout the state, and the party hay.
ding majority, if only few hundred, as
lin New York IN the late campaign, Sc
icunng a solid delegation Of thirty.six
ELECTORS.
II In most OF the states there ia no posi-
Hive law against measure similar TO the
}scrutin de liste, and in ante-bellum DAYS
-tseveral OF them, notably Alabama,
adopted it and chose all Their congress.
linen upon a general ticket. But in the
Ipast 70 years the popular opposition to
Ithis system, which refused the minority
tany representation whatever, has grown
tstronger and ID has not been resortcd to
for years.
i In France they propose to adopt the
Jscrutin de liste for the very reason that
we have dropped it in this Countrywide
lCause 1t brushes out the minoritieS. The
regular Republicans who are in power
| ind themselves confronted by host of
petty enemies. The Royalists succeed
In electing member in one arropdisse-
ment, the Radicals in another, the
| Napoleonists in third whereas by vot-
ing by Departments the Republicans
\ find the Royalis II, NapoeonisC or Radi-
| cal majoriJies In these stray arrondlsse-
ments will be drowned in Republican
/ maloritles IN other portions OF the de-
partment and q solid Republican ticket
elected. The Republicans calculated
that the scrutin de liste Twill materially
Increase their majority Ia the assembly,
and they, therefore, propose to try 10 at
the next election.
There Is more or less risk about u. If
the opposition unite and the Radicals
and Royalists axe making remarkable
combinations--and divide the members
OF the ASSEMBLY they can capture not a
few departments. Th5 Republican mn.
jOriti6s are large over any one Of the Cd 20
posing factions, but small over
these factions combined, IL has been
hitherto deemed impossible for two
parties hating each other as tho Radi-
Gals and ROyaiis,s do 10 unite, but il
looks very much as If, throatened with
loss Of representation I'm the assembly
by this now measure, they will adopt
the only means Of avoiding this, and the
fact is recalled that IN the heat OF the
revolution the Jacobius united with the
ROyausts to oy srthrow the GirOndists.
A department With 1876 600 voters has,
say 10 members of assembly; $4,000 OF
the voters are Royalists, 10000 Radicals,
10000 Napoleoni.es, and $4,000 Republi.
cans. Under the scrutin de liste the
Republicans would secure all the 10
members, but il the minority factions
unite against the majority what Is
castor than 70 divide the ticket, ii wing
i've places on IL TO the ROyalists, three
TO the Radicals, two TO the Napoleon
lists; or in her words 70 play the same
political g,.-de as the Greenbackers and
Democrats in the last election in lows
and Michigan, and the Greenbackors
and Republicans IN West Virginia.
In trying 70 swell their alrosdy lurge
mJOriJy b. the scrutin dc liste the
Frelch Republicans are giving their
enemies q chance TO Oyerwhem Them
lTimes-Democrat.