The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-11
TO ABOLISH GERRYMANDERS
Swiss Plan of PropOrtionate Representa-
ton Urged for Adoption in America.
Under II the Great Parties Would Secure Pow.
er in Proportion to Their Voting Strength,
and Justice Would Be the Rule.

plan, with the exception OF notifications
making IL applicable in American towns
and cities. is one which has been adopted by
tho canton of Ticino. in Switzerland. The
minority party there having been almost
entirely deprived of representation IN the
cantonal assembly, rebellion resulted. and,
as q consequence, q commission was ap-
pointed to devise o method Of reform in
electoral representation. The system rec
commended was accepted by popular vote in
1891, and isnowi in successful operation. The
outIineof the Ticino law islgiven By Profess
Bor Commons. but the distinctive features
IRE contained in the following paragraphs:
Each group party establishes a list of
Its own candidates. Every elector has as
many votes as there are members TO be
chosen from the district. He can vote for
candidates on different tickets. If an
eIector votes for a less number of candi-
dates than there are representatives TO be
elected, unused votes arc to be counted In
fayor OF the group IN general. The voter
cannot cumnlate votes upon one name. IL
tlckets'contain more than one vote to the
Same Dame, but one 10 TO be counted. and
the other IL to be considered as not voted.
but is Is to be counted In favor OF the
group.
ti2ules for the connt are here given. not
peculiar to proportional representation.l
Judges are 10 establish the following
points,.
i. Number of votes for each candidate.
2. Number Of votes not used on each
ticket.
5. Number of votes for each group, in
ending those not used as above.
The sum of all the votes received by all
groups Including those which count Tor
the group hen the voter does not put on
as many names as there are delegates TO be
elected, as abovel is divided by the numbe
of deputies TO be elected. And this gives
The electoral uotient.n Fractions are not
counted. Each group has o right to as
many deputies as the electoral Quotient is
contained times in the number OF votes re-
eeivsd by the group. The Deputies who
fenain to be chosen after this division
lowing to fractions and insufficiency of
votes for any group are 20 be attributed
votes. Groups having q less number of
votes than the electoral qu0tlent do not
participate in the division.
This gives proportional representation,
pnd Professor Commons applies the princi-
pie to American use thus:
For the election of State Represent
strives and Senators the State could be di-
vlded into districts, each district ~electing
BONE odd number of representatives, prefer
ebly five. seven or nine. Let us suppose we
have q district TO which are allotted nine
Representatives Each political party in
the district would then nominate for Repre-
.eentatives, say. six or seven candidates
J. O.. as many as the party could possibly
hope TO elect. The party ticket would be
printed according to tho Australian plan of
secret ballot Let us suppose frst' that
feld. ALI that the canvassers would
do in this case would be TO lind the
total number of votes cast in the district
and divide this number by nine-then um-
Der of the Representatives to be elected.
The electoral quotient" thus obtained
would be used to end the number of Rep
resentatives to which each party was en-
4ffIoA hu dr16n0 tho fnfn1 .AeA rf ~
party by this quotient. In case there are
only enough full quotients in the vote of
both parties TO provide for the election OF
but eight out of nine Representatives. the
additional Representative Will go TO the
party having the highest remainder short
Of q full quotient. In this way could be
easily ascertained the number of Repre-
sentatives TO which each party in the dis
frict Is entitled. To ascertain which lndi-
viduals in its list of candidates are to
be ascrlbed TO each party as its successful
candidates is also very simple IL there has
been no scratching at the polls. In that
lected In the order in which they are
printed on the party ticket. But if voters
have substituted new names or changed
the order OF the names on the ticket. it
would be necessary. as provided for in the
ficinese law. TO obtain the number of votes
received by each candidate. and then to
determine the successful candidates on the
ticket of each party by the order in which
they stand on their individual vote. In no
case, however. would q candidate be
elected who did not receive q full quotient
Of the popular vote.
by this method. although q State would
be divided into districts. vet each district
would include. usually, niue of the present
districts. and the parties within the dis
trlcts would be represented almost exactly
In proportion to their popular vote. Thus
ell opportunity and temptation for gerry
Wandering would be done avail with. and,
taking the State as q whole. the repre-
sentation wouId be substantially proper
fionate TO the popular strength or all par
Tres
In the e~iectionsfor Congressman each
State would be considered as a single dis
trics, electing Its entire quota of Repre-
sentatives on a general ticket. Every
voter then. instead of voting for one Con-
gresham, would vote for the entire Inst of
his party for his State. The canvassing of
the vote would be done exactly as In the
State district elections for the State Legis-
lature.n
The writer thinks the application of the
plan to city governments would strike at
one of the main difficulties in this i'm
portant American problem. Councilmen
and alderman being chosen by o majority
of all the votes and not by that of n ward,
q better class OF representatives would be
secured and the result would be division of
responsibilities in accordance with the
original principles of our government.
The one man power of the Mayor. he ar
CUES. marks almost as surely a failure of
popular government IN its sphere as did
that of the first and third Napoleons.
The reason for success of government by
mayors Is this: The Mayor is elected by
the votes of the entire city. The failure of
government By common councils 10 due TO
the ward or district system. The Mayor
stands before the city az a whole. He must
be q man well known for ability and
probity. He must command the conidenco
OF all classes of electors. Where this sys-
TEN prevails. heavier votes are called out
at the elections for Mayor than at those for
President of the United States. On the
other hand. councilmen are simply ward
politicians. They are almost unknown out
side their districts. They have no reputa-
tion TO lose. nothing Is at stake and ever y
thing is gain for them. Very likely they
are tools of a more central party boss.
IL councilmen and aldermen could be
elected on a general ticket it could be
shown that this evil would be done away.
To do this ii is only necessary TO adopt
some simpief form of proportional repre-
sentatlon. The Swiss plan could be modl.
lied somewhat. as follows: The entire
municipal assembly could be elected on n
single ticket. Each political party could
nominate q general ticket. containing
names. not for all the places to be filled. but
only the names of as manv candidates as Ii
seemed probable could be elected. adding
three or four names for favorable con-
tiDgencies. Independent parties could also
make nominations in accordance with the