The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-03-05

ouCu OVofWu0ImlQ8 SUCCESS Gnd6 - -
only a matter Of getting the political
machine started, when all the cantons
Of Switzerland will adopt it.
Today only one party can win in any
one district. Result, bribery and corrup-
ton, in order to be that one party.
Under proportional representation all
parties can gain representation. Any
party can print the names of tlAair can
didates on the regular ballot, provided
that party can show they can command
per cent Of the total voting power.
Today it is practically impossible for
Prohibitionists or Single Itxers to gain
the balance Of power with any one dis
trict. But under this system the Single
Takers could unite all over the state to
send one or more Representatives to con-.
gress or to the state legislature. Then q
man will vote with know ledge that it
will count for the party and principles
in which he is interested.
For any economic or political reform
movement, desiring to work along the
lineof least resistance, proportional rep
resentation is the quickest method to
secure real and practical progress. All,
Of whatever political shade Of opinion,
can unite on this platform. The farmers
should take warning from the great loss
Of voting power and energy Of the Pop
ulists, who in 1894 secured only seven
representatives after polling votes
which under proportional representation
would have entitled them to 40 MEM
bers in congress, a loss'of 33 members.
First secure proportional representa-
ton; then reformers can step into the
political arena. with the knowledge that
every vote tells. Once in the field of
action people will consider it worth their
while to study your principles. As it is
now the reformers are practically dis
franchised, having no voice in the law.
making of the land.
KATHERINE j. MUSSON.
Philadelphia, Jan. 1, 1896.
NUMBER XL-THE PossEssoRY RIGHT
OF SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS.
Wherever the children of men be-
lieve or can be induced Or taught to be-
lieve in the fatherhood Of one God and
the brotherhood of all men the princi-
Piles inculcated by Thomas Jefferson bid
fair to dominate the political and social
relations of the near future. One of the
reasons urged by him against the crea-
tion Of national debt is of special in
terest at the present time. In a letter
written by him in August, 1918, from
which the subjoined quotation is made,
he demonstrates the ''possessory right
of successive generations thus:
''The generations Of men may be
considered as bodies or corporations.
Each generate on has the usufruct of the
earth during the period of its continu-
ance. When it ceases to exist that usu
fruct passes on to the succeeding gener.
alton free and unincumbered, and SO on
successfully from one generation to an
other forever. We may consider each
generation as distinct nation, with
right by the will of it's majority to bind
themselves, but hone to bind the sue
ceeding generation more than the in
habitants of another country. Or the
case may be likened to the ordinary one
of tenant for life, who may hypothe
cate the land for his debts during the
continuance OF his usufruct, but at his
death the reversioner, who is also ten
ant for life only, receives it exonerated
from all burthen. The period of gen.
GRAFTON or the term of its life is deter
mined by the laws of mortality. find
that Of the numbers Of all ages living
at any one moment half will be dead
in "a years and months. But leaving
out minors, who have not the power of
self government, of the adults living at
one moment, majority of whom act
for the society, one-haf will be dead in
Is years and months.
EAT 10 years, then, from the date of
contract the majority of the contract
ors are dead and their contract with
them. Let this general theory be applied
to a particular case: Suppose the annual
births in the state of New York to be
1904; the whole number of its inhab-
itants will be GIT, 703, of all ages OF
these, there would constantly be $685.
2S6 minors and 1884 adults, of
which last 174,209 will be majority.
Suppose that majority, on the first day
Of the year 1884, had borrowed sum
of money equal to the fee simple value