St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-28
THE PLURALITY SYSTEM.
A Gentleman Who Thinks 1t Su.
perior to the Australian.


perior to the Australian.
TO the Editor of the Globe.
The cry goes forth throughout the
land from the press, the forum aud the
pulpit for "ballot REFORM" The Aus
tralian or secret system of voting has
been tried in this and other cities with
good results. but has failed lamentably
to accomplish the purpose intended. be-
cause the incentive to use money as
means Of corruption remains as strong
now as before the system was adopted;
and no threatened pain or penalty will
prevent candidate, or his supporters
who expect appointments to lucrative
positions, from dropping into the voters
pocket sufficient Weighty considerations
to influence his choice, Notwithstanding
the fact that his vote is cast in secret.
Now, propose for the consideration
OF our Ramsey county delegation an
election system that will eliminate
money as controlling factor in de-
termining political contests. My system
is the plurality candidate system, which
| shall explain as briefly as possible.
Each political party shall nominate one
candidate III each ward in the city for
mayor, treasurer, attorney, comptroller,
etc. This would give us ten candidates
for each Office instead of one, as at
present. The party polling the largest
vote in the city would elect its ten can
didateS for each particular office; the
mayor to be selected from the ten cam
didateS for that office; the treasurer,
from the ten candidates for treasurer,
etc, by placing the names, or numbers,
in box, from which one shall be drawn
by disinterested person. The method
of drawing, however, is a detail that can
be easily and satisfactorily arranged.
For members of collective bodies, like
the city council, each party should
nominate three candidates in each ward,
and the party polling the greatest num-
Der of votes in the ward would elect
their candidates. the selection to be
made from the elected ward candidates,
as above described. Now, l would ask,
what incentive is there for candidate
to spend money, knowing that his
chance of being elected is but one in
ten. or. in three, as the case may be.
Corporations, rings and mOnOpOlieS will
assuredly not furnish money to elect
any candidate against such odds, as it is
impossible to foretell who the lucky
man may be.
Is it not well-known fact that the
majority of our best citizens take no
active part in primary politics? My
system would bring out these men men
of princiDle-Who would consent to run
for office, knowing that there would be
a possibility of being elected upon a
platform of principles, without having
10 stoOr to the dishonest and dishonor-
able methods resorted to by professional
and INSCRIPTIONS politicians; that they
could enter upon the discharge OF their
duties untrammeled and unpledged to a
hungry horde of hangers on; and could
carry out the principles of civil service
reform so prominently set forth. i'll all
the political platforms of the day.
This system is, think. flexible enough
to be applied to our county. state and
federal elections. District the county,
and proceed as in the city. The stale is
districte and each party should nom
mate three candidates in each congress
SiOnal district for members of congress,
the choice to be made in the same man
ner as tor collective bodies in the city.
Counties can be districted by townships,
in order to give a plurality of candidates
for state legislators. For state officers.
not members of Il collective body. ami
for United States Senator, also. each
district should nominate one candidate,
and the party polling the greatest num-
Der OF votes in the United States would
elect its candidates, from whom the
selection should be made, the first name
drawn to be president, and the next vice
president; and in the state. tie first
name drawn to be governor, and the
second lieutenant governor. The draw
ing for president might be manipu ated
by the judges of the United States SUI
preme court. and for governor AMI other
state officers by the district judges.
In case of vacancy, from any cause,
in the presidency, the vice president
would succeed, as now: but the vice
president to fill the vacancy caused 10y
promotion should be selected from the
remaining candidates as in the first in
stance. All vacancies, from the highest
to the lowest elective office, to be filled
in like manner.
Should not one of our many able
statesmen in the North Star state have
the same chance to be elected president
as an individual i'll Indiana with a name,
or q man in New York with 4 barrel?
do not claim that my system is per-
feet in its details, but, think, it can be
SO perfected, that, by its practical APP
plication. we can return to first princi-
pies: A government of the people, for
the people, and by the people, instead
of a government of monopolies, for
monOpolies, and by monopoIes-the
| curse of the age. j. W. CRAMSIE.
st. Paul, March "a.