The morning call., 1894-02-11

to draw from the library one book at a time for
nome use, aud is unable 10 visit The library per-
Sooaily. he sends n messenger to the library
with list of books marked IN the order OF
his preference. He wants first THE Life OF
Grant" and marks Il" opposite that book on
The list. But 10 providr against the contin-
gency OF that book not being in the library at
that time, he marks as his next preference op-
posite The Life of sherman the figure ''2''
that being his second choice. But as that book
may also be out, he marks similarly "The Life
OF Sheridan" as his third choice, or prefer nee
aud so on, to any convenient extent. Now, II
1.-The Life of Grant" is in, the member gets his
first choice, and no more; IL not he gets his
second choice. If that Is in; otherwise his third
and so
His preferences on the ballot should be des
ignated on precisely the same principle and by
the same method.
1t is proposed If possible to engraft the
system thus explained into the clubs OF
the eighteen Democratic Assembly dis
tricts of San Francisco. In practice iD-
dividual choice will not be exercised as il
is in Mechanics Institute elections. By
the very nature of ward politics, self
interest. friendship and enmity divide the
body of voters into factions. Under the
present system a ring which can command
a bare majority may ''set up ticket con-
tanning twenty five o ames for delegates and
elect every man. The minority is power
less.
Under the new system this is impossible.
gates in the proportion as their vote is to the
total vote and no more. Suppose 500 men
vote, 251 for the ring ticket and 249 for the
opposition. The result will be that the
ring will get thirteen delegates and the
opposition twelve. In this case il requires
only twenty votes as first choice TO elect,
viz: The quOtient obtained by dividing
500 by %. Therefore, if there happened to
be only twenty independent voters who
agreed upon one man they could elect him,
because the twenty votes as first choice OF
this small minority takes precedence over
the 251 votes which the majority cast fol
their second choice. As stated before, @
voter has only one first choice.
1t may be expected in everv district that
the several factions will caucus and each
agree on a list of names TO vote for. If il
should turn out that the party split up into
four or five factions, each would get dele
gates In proportion to numerical strength
In this way the successful candid tes can.
not help but be representative men, and
that is what the intelligent leaders want
They desire TO kill ward bossism.
This system has been in use in Switzer
land number of years to the entire salts
faction Of the people. At the next meeting
OF the general committee of the Democratic
party of San Francisco, composed of 45t
mem bers. there will be practical demon
stration of the method of preparing tickets
of voting and of canvassing the result
Members OF the committee who have tn,
matter in charge will show that il is no
possible to "be the combination"
1t would seem at first glance that tn,
proportional method tends to upset tn,
American theory of rule by the majority
This is far from true. The majority con
trolls, |. e. elects'a majority of candidates
but still gives the minority its proper rep
resentaton in government. However, tn,
present movement is designed to appl,
only to primary elections and party organ
iZation.