The Bottineau pioneer., 1889-05-30
RIGHTS OF THE MINORITY.

lhe republicans VINO nave Deen
minority party all the time, except il
1872, when thousands of democrat
voted for Gen. Grant, in sheer dis
gust at the Greeley fiasco, have nt
use for the rights Of any minority
according to the utterances Of their
leaders. But it is not the first time
they were wrong. Rev. F. B. Nash,
of Fargo, says: "To an old Illinoisian
as | am, it seems natural and most
just to see minority representation
put into practical working here in
North Dakota. 1t is certainly the
fairest way. Minorities have some
rights in the premises, and one Of the
first of their rights is just system OF
elections, by which they may be prop.
erly represented in all councils and
governing bodies. The system gave
universal satisfaction in Illinois SC far
as l know. lnever knew Of any fair
man objecting to it. For one l know
North Dakota will make minority
representation one Of the permanent
institutions of the new state. With
out it large proportion of the people
must be practically disfranchised. l
remember how admirably it worked
in Illinois, where the various sections
of the state had been giving radical
majorltics to one Of the two parties,
and this arrayed the one section al
most, or altogether, solidly against
the other. Minority representation
corrected that at once and permanent
ly, and for the first time gave a fair
representation to the people" There
upon the Fargo Argus, which dares to
be fair when the dominant element is
reeking with piggishness, says: "Mi-
nority representation is a measure
that should be carefully considered.
The great question is-has majority
the honest right to ignore a minority?
Today the republicans may be on top:
Next year new parties may be formed
and you may be in the minority.
Whether one or the other, the minor
ity should be accorded proper rights.
Minority representation compels party
lines and ignores mugwumps, bolters
and tricksters. Every voter must be
in one party or the other, and there is
no chance for sneaks and liars" His
liberality is commended to the narrow
guage preacher politicians of Dakota.
Northwest News.
The principle Of minority represen-
tation is right, but its practice, at
lesst so far as it was shown in the re.
cent election, is unsatisfactory and
more or less the subject of proper crit.
icism because in a half dozen districts
the minority go unrepresented. The
system is faulty and if we are to have
a representation of political minor
ity in legislative assemblies it must be
by SOME other method than that
which prevailed at the election for
delegates to the constitutional conven-
ton. The plan followed in Illinois
may fill the measure of the bill and
meet the desired object, but more
satisfactory and republican method
would he to wipe out the present ap-
portionment system which makes the
same constituency for the lower house
as elects to the upper. If it be de-
sired to eliminate entirely the So
called council or upper legislative
body from the constitution-and it
hrs been proposed-the fact that by
our present law large and populous
counties are enabled to deprive of
representation in the legislature
smaller communities and counties,
would be ample reason Tor justifying
such an act. Pembina with Cavalier
counties, for example, have ruled out
the counties of Towner, Rolette and
Bottineau and can continue to do so
if the unjust system of electing three
members from one distrsct, only separ-
ating them at Bismarck into two
bodies. but with like authority and
having precisely the same constitu-
ency.
Popularize the lower house, bring
it nearer to the people, divide up the
conncil districts geographically into
four or more assembly districts, each
with its own representative amenable
to the people for his conduct; thus
may we have the principle Of minor.
ity representation which obtains in |
most of the states, and in the absence
of anything better that could be de.
vised, would probably satisfy the
people.
let the convention that meets at
Bismarck July 4 consider this theory |
and consider it seriously.
One thing is gratifying--that gen.
erally where the democrats won in