The morning call., 1890-05-23

Z SulclSf uuiUpellik over lulTu. nave uO lCpiS-
sentative at all, aud he voters, over two-1Iths,
get one less representative than the voters win
less than fourth. That is. in our current pollll-
cal treatment as taught III The schools colleges,
newspapers, etc, IL is Il majority OF body OF
40, II is y aud 20 is less than u. Is II not time
for alleged reform" organizations, parties and
papers TO cease their Endorsements OF SUCH pal
pable idiocies? VIII not s. S. think so?
Alfred Crldge OF San Francisco, who has made
a 81 eclal study OF political statistics and Indus
trial questions generally, states That Tor twenty
years lie has carefully investigated The subject OF
The practical Acknowledgement through misiep-
TeSeDtatiOu of the masses Of voters, and has Tor
The last twelve years had close and accurate
knowledge OF The details OF party management
and manipulation. From these data he claims 10
have reduced TO mathematical and practical
demonstration the proposition that not per cent
OF lie voting population Of Tie United States are
actually represented Ill its State aud national
legislatures.
John NJ. Berry of Worcester Mass. III the
Wolkingmans Advocate OF 1881 has some
valuable political statistics OF that state, com
pletely exploding the current Ialacy OF majority
rule, from which paper the following data are
obtained:
Massachusetts had then 442, 6l2 voters; its State
Senate has 40 members that little over II 900
voters should elect one Senator 10 carry out that
provision OF the State Constitution which requires
" a representation OF the people founded
upon the principle OF equality But in fact at the
(then) preceding election, 23il voters elected l
Senator, 4774 voters elected 2 Senator'S l2,4o2
voters elected Senators, 1883 voters-less imam
a third of the whole number of voters-elected the
whole 40 Senators, while the remaining 3lO,9l2
voters-nearly three-fourths of the whOle-had no
representation IN the Senate whatever. In the
Seventh Congressional District William Coggswell
was elected BY 1858 voters out of total of 5S $50
entitled to vote; while ll177 persons voted who
elected nothing Well may President OF Haryord
University say: "I feel when put my hand into
the baot-boX that am being used by somebody, /
know not whom, for some purpose L know not
what"
Ii is similar throughout the world wherever
the power OF merely deposlting a ballot Is freely
eXeI ciSed.
In this view of the case aud seeing that voting
Is an integral ana necessary part OF representa-
ton, we advocate not only The abolition OF all
the old voting methods and an adoption OF the
Australian system. secret ballot but au Obit-
Grafton OF all districts and ward lines; and that
where there are thr c or more REPRESENTATIVES,
Supei vIsors, Aldermen, etc, TO be elected, each
voter shall be entitled TO vote but for one candl-
dale OF Kind and no more.
Again, We VIII turn tU cold figures: Surprising
State. say California, Oregon or Wisconsin, IN
fact any State, has an adult population Of 10000
souls; AN Assembly consists OI eighty memoers,
and Senate forty members; then 1000 voters
should have power To select an AsSemblymdn,
and 1000 a Stale Senator, lTIes ective OF local
residence, II within the State. IL no district
lines existed each 2OUo or 1000 voters In any
part OF the State could combine ana elect their
Assembly ana Senate representative. This rep
reseutallOn would not merely represent territory,
as now, but all opinions all classes and all adult
human beings, just as statuette represents
man or woman, or as map may represent
county,
TO BE MIsREPREsENTED
Is worse than to be not represented al all. For
instance: The city of san Francisco sent 10 our
Assembly Democrats in the year 1877, the
cans sent members, polling 5S, 53l votes. All
the Labor party votes amounted 10 nothing. Ac
more than bail OF 5S,53l, and therefore The peo-
pie were misrepreseuted by 10 10 Z, and inde
pendent voters were not represented at all.
Senator Stanford was elected by vote OF 80
out of 100 members IN The Legislature. Now, II
thTee-fourtbs OF a Legislature represents but
per cent OF its voters, how much Will the whole
represent? Answer, l1s. Those who own an
arithmetic whose tables explain 10 Them that
l13 Is greater Than 1885 may believe that the
laws are made by persons VINO represent the ma
jority of voters.
When tie term OF United States Senator Van
Nyck OF Nebraska was about 10 expire lie, ct
the ensuing election of-State Legislators, printed
at his own expense tickets, that lie people could
choose him or not al the election for United
States Senator. lie won by large ma lOrity OF
votes. but when the Legislature met his name
was dropped and rich caltleman was elected
by Tue misrepIeseniatlyes OF Inc people TO take
The seat he had so ably filled. What a farce on
our popular government by tile people and for
the people?
Illinois claims 500, 900 well-to-do farmers; but
not Il farmer represents her III Congress. Law
yers constitute very large majOrky OF Con-
gress; aud their woIk shows II, in that most OF
our laws, especially those affecting exclusion OF
Chinese, are ambiguous III expression that
they can be so interpreted as TO mean anything
but that which they are at first supposed 10
mean, aud can be made to cover any subject eX
ceptlng mat which they were supposed 10 cover.
The Legislature Of the State OF Ohio has just
elected Wall-StIeeL hnancleT, a resident OF the
Stale of New York, TO misrepresent that West
EN- State in Congress. Such spectacle is
enough to make the honest men OF our nation
cry nalt
Aud right here / want TO say that Russia is the
only country that affects any sort OF a modeTn
civilization but has pufer aud better ballot
system than We have IN the United States. To
be sure pauperS and pardontd Criminals cannot
vote in any country but ours, but those who do
have the ballot, and III Great Britain and Sweden
women who are householders have the muni-
cIpal franchise, as well as men, and IL Is sur
rounded by such safeguards as the Australian
system gives u. IN switzerland the referendum
aud preferential vote are allowed, and this fall
Two cantOns will submit 10 a vote OF her people
The proportional representation system of elect
Ing her governing bodies. The Idea that for
elgneTs soon find out The potent weapon" The
ballot Is In our country is an error. Quite the
contrary; they soon lind out that " iarly bosses
make party hacks" of them. and while some
are led ike sheep 10 the shanbles. In tile name
Of party not patriotism, others become party
Leaders, and drive aud cajole those who imagine
there is anything III suffrage only in maine III our
county
NEEDS MORE THAN SECRET BALLOT.
If we wish for better laws we must have a
secret ballot that cannot be contaminated by
political managers, and districts must have an
ext silence only Ill the past Then majorites Will
be honest nIajOrries and be represented by ma
1ofltes, and mluorit les Will have their minority
representation. Then the Influence OF tile best
and not OF the worst Of the wisest and not OF The
yilest, as now, VIII be- heard in the halls Of
Legislatures, The cOuuclToOms OF Supervisors
aud Boards OF Education. The honest citizens
Will no longer be the slaves of politicians, and
superior men Will become willing representa-
tives.
No Legislature elected by the present ballot
VIII ever make one law TO redeem people
iiom tie chains that time and custom have
woven about them, and especially eau this be
said IN regard 10 women. And not until we have
proportional representation and free ballot viii
mh1oriles represent the Will OF Ihe people, and
mol until then Will all men vote, for they wll
tnen Know that they aie really helping to bring
right Justice and truth into our form OF govern
ment and duty now so tiresome aud useless,
That only enslaves and degI AIDES will at last be-
come pleasure and The lever that will redeem
The race rom the dangers that overthrow the
civilizations OF Greece aud Rome
ABBA L. HoLToN.
alameda, Cal, My II, 1890.
FUTURE OF WoMEN'S CLUBS.
what Ella Dietz CIymer Has to Say on
That Subirct.