The Labor enquirer., 1886-03-20

10f1Iy OF bn6 WuOi0s W Aui0'
Mathematical example will make this
point plain: A majority Of majority
is q minority Of the whole. Toillustrate,
let us suppose two parties only Of nearly
equal numbers and one Of them to elsct
all the representatives to the Legislature.
That body will then represent only
one-half of the voters in the
state. A bill will be proposed which
is passkd by bare majority Of one-we
will suppose. This gives us q law rep
resentinq majority Of majority, or
only one-half OF one half Of all the voters
in the state, leaving three. .fourths Of the
whole number unrepresented.
It will make no difference whether
the legislature be made up Of one party
wholly or from both parties. As rule.
both parties are represented but this
only makes our illustration more
perfect. In either case the law will be
the result of majority vote in body
composed Of the representatives of only
one-half instead of all the people. "The
people" that ls, a majority ofthem, will
fail to prevent the enactment Of law
they do not want, inasmuch as the law
so enacted will represent only q quarter
part of their whole number.
In place of legislature-or other de-
Lucrative bodY-representing only one
half of all the voters, suppose we have
one where two-thirds Of them are repre-
sented. It is true, this is much more
than the average. Suppose, also, that q
bill passes by two-thirds vote. It is
true. measure of Importance is seldom
carried by so large majority but never
mind, we are now irving to make the
ballot, as it is, serve the people We are
trying to make it possible for the major-
icv to rule The, result of our effort i
mathematically stated-is this: Two
thirds of two-thirds is four-ninths
Therefore, less>than half the voters will
be represented by that law Really, il
is impossible to make our election mill
grind even one grist for the people.
We are trying to sec Ire the rule of the
majority by permitting it to commence
it's rule at the ballot box. The result at
! best that is, supposing bossism and
wire pulling not to exist-is,' that the
majority of the voters can rule at the
ballot box only; whereas, the important
place for them to rule is in the law.
making BODY.
Laws are not made at the ballot box,
but IN deliberative assemblies, and there
only should the majority prevail. Any
system which compels the majority to
make the attempt to rule in both places
must necessarily prevent it from ruling
in the only plac where it is important
to rule, namely, where the laws are
made.
We may beat the bosses now and then
by grand rally, but we can't run polit-
ical revivals continually; and if we
could, the rule of the majority would
not be secured under the present svs-
tenn, unless we devise some plan or dis
cover some natural law that will beat
mathematics also. 1t is not at all prob.
able that any efforts we make to beat it
in the future will prove more successful
than have our past struggles in that di-
rection.
Mathematics, thrs far. proves that we,
the people," cannot rule with the bal
lot as it is. Let us inquire if it also
points the way to the ballot as it ought
to be. Our next article will answer this
question. SIMEON STETsoN.