The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-28
Proportional Representation.

A good many eminent and earnest
men, whose character and zeal COM
mand genuine respect-such men, for
example. as Charles Francis Adams,
Morfield Storey. William Lloyd Garri-
son, c. c. Bonney. Professor Richard
T. Ely, Felix Adler. william Dudley
Foulke and Robert Treat Paine-will
meet today at Saratoga to discuss a
line of reforms that. when contrasted
with present methods, seem revolution
airy, II not impossible. These men form
the Proportional Representation league.
which aims to introduce in this country
the Swiss free list system of voting, the
essential provisions of which are set
forth below:
Districts are extended so as to include
number of representatives to be elected at
large in each one Small states or cities
may consist of but one district. and men,
bers would then be elected on a general
ticket. Large ones may be subdivided SO
that each subdivision would have a con-
venient number of representatives. Any
group OF voters may be entitled to nOmi-
nate candidates under suitable restric-
tons. A voter has as many votes as there
are candidates to be elected and can give
one of them to each of as many candidates
as he chooses. These votes are counted
for the candidates voted for. All of the
votes to which a voter Is entitled are
counted for the party to which the candi-
dates he has voted for belong. After the
election the sum of all the party votes
which may have been given in the district
is divided by the number Of representa-
tives to be elected and the Quotient Is the
quota of representation. The total num-
har ~ CT ms divided
by this quota determines tho number of
members that II is entitled to. and that
number Of candidates in each party who
have received the highest number of indi-
vidual votes are declared elected. Should
there mot be enough full quotas to elect
all the members, the required number is
taken from the party or parties having the
largest untitled quotas. Should there be
vacancy during a term of office the re-
mainder Of the term Is served by the can
didate of the same party whose vote was
highest OF those not at first chosen.
As an example OF the way in which
this system would work. it Is explained
that California is entitled to seven
congressman. Instead of districts. as
now. the entire seven representatives
would under this plan he elected at
large BY dividing the total vote Of
the state by seven the quotient would
be the quota of representation, and
whenever any party ticket receives
one-seventh of all the votes cast 1t
elects one representative upon It's tick
ct. il twice the number, two represen-
tativcs, and so on. Thus any body OF
voters having quota would be enti-
tied to one of the vacancies. The only
question which then remains is. which Of
the candidates of each party shall have
the seats? The candidate who receives
the rost votes gets the first place and
the next gets the second place, and so
or. IL a seat becomes vacant during
the term, the remainder of the term Is
served by the candidate Of the same
party having the next highest number
of yotes.
So far as theory goes. this system ap-
pears to work admirably. But mas
mucl, as the method of casting the
votes and the safeguarding of the
count would under this proposition. re-
main in the hands of the professional
politicians, who would continue to
govern their actions as at present. by
their partisan necessities, the net gain
to the public interest. II any, would be
small. The old system, the system OF
the fathers. is abundantly good enough
/! properly protected; and the more we
think over Judge Stewards plan Of
getting people out to the party prima-
ries by threatening the stay-at-homes
with disfranchisement, the more we are
impressed with the belief that 1t is the
proper solution to apply.