The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-07-12
A NEW IDEA.

a NEW IDEA.
the Worlds Fair Congress Auxiliary on
Congress Of the Advocates and Friends Of
Proportional Representation.
The Worlds Congress Auxiliary OF
the Worlds Columbian exposition, hav-
ing called series Of international con-
crosses on political social and eco
nomic reform, to meet in Chicago dur.
ing the summer of 1893, has in this
connection provided for the holding Of
q conference Of the advocates Of pro-
portional representation. assigning
therefor the use of ample rooms and
meeting halls, and proposing to ar
range for the printing of the proceed
ingA The local committee of arrange
ments for the holding of this interna-
tional proportional representation con-
gress, desires to urge upon the
advocates of this reform throughout
the world, the importance of the OPP
portunity thus presented, and the ad-
visibility of taking advantage of it by
gathering which will indicate the
progress and strength of the cause.
The conference on proportional repre-
sentation will constitute section of
the congress on suffrage, in republic,
kingdom and empire.
In all countries in which representa-
tive government obtains, there is a
growing conviction in the minds of the
more intelligent citizens that the
present method of electing representa-
tives must be changed. They are COM
ing to see that system by which a
political unit, whether it be city,
state or nation, is divided into num-
Der of arbitrary districts, from each Of
which one representative is chosen by
majority or plurality of votes, though
seemingly fair upon it's face is really
destructive of the very end sought
government by the people. The sue
cessful candidates necessarily repre-
sent only the citizens who voted for
them, and, as majority of the mem
bers Of legislative bodies control their
action, laws may be passed by the repre-
sentatives of a small minority of the
people. A careful analysis Of city
councils, state legislatures and the
United States congress, shows that
majority of their members represent
but from one-fifth to one-fourth of the
voters who participated in the election.
For a government by the representa-
tives of majority of the people there
has been substituted a government by a
majority of the representatives of q
minority of the people.
Such a state of affairs necessarily be-
gets multitude of evils. The mem
bers of party which has a decided
majority in a district, conscious of their
power, become intolerant and tyran-
nical; while those of the minority par
ties in their hopelessness become
apathetic and take little interest in
political affairs The withdrawal of
the better classes of citizens from active
participation in practical politics leaves
public affairs in the hands of profess
sional politicians to the scandal of
popular government.
In place of this unnatural and unjust
system the proportional representa-
tionists are prepared to present /.
method based upon the principle of
perfect equality of the voters, a method
which secures the rule of the real ma
jority, and at the same time gives the
minority the full representation to
which it's numbers entitle it, a method
which is simple, just and exact.
By abolishing the districts and APP
portioning the representatives among
the various parties or bodies of
voters according to their voting
strength, representative government
will be in fact what it is now in theory
"a government of the people, for the
people and by the people. There will
be no hopeless minorities and .wasted
majorities penned up in arbitrary dis
tricts; every vote will bear directly upon
the final result; and every candidate
will be voted for or against by every
voter. Gerrymandering will be done
away with, the balance of power held
by bands of citizens voting as unit
destroyed and premium put upon the
nomination of fit men for office. Every
independent voter will be free to join
hands with his fellows and secure the
representation to which their numbers
entitle them. The election of the rep
resentatives of new ideas will be facil-
itated; and the very ease with which
these representatives can be elected
will be as a spur to the dominant par
ties in their endeavor to present the
best men and ideas for the approval of
the voters. Men will be represented
instead of territory.
1t is manifest that some form of pro-
portional representation should take
the place of the present system, and it
is of the greatest Importance that the
advocates of the various forms should
meet and discuss their relative merits.
The time and circumstances of the pro-
posed meeting are peculiarly propitious.
In addition to the great exposition
which will gather people from all parts
of the earth, there will come the repre-
sentatives of all schools and phases of
political, economic and social reform,
and the conferences here held will ar
rest the attention of thinking men and
women throughout the world. Here
the practical working of proportional
representation in Denmark and Switzer-
land may be laid before the world, in
demonstration of the fact that it is not
an idle theory still in the realm Of
speculative philosophy. Representa-
tives of the societies in England,
France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and