The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-20
LIVE QUESTIONS.
A Ferries OF Articles Contributed TO These
Columns by Advanced Thinkers.
NUMBnR Iu.-PEofoaroNAL RErRE-

stitutions members If legislative bodies
are elected from districts. because
people do net yet realize that there IS a
better way t. secure representation.
That this system was a clumsy con
trivance was evident from the begin
ming; it gave no security that the pQru-
lar wishes would be represented at ali;
a popular majority might be 50 dis
tributed that it would not control a ma
lority Of tie districts. The case is often
bad enough, even when no effort IS
made to prevent fair representation,
but it is infinitely worse whenever the
party in power seeks II intrench itself
by purposely dividing districts in such
a manner that the opposition cannot Sc
cure control of the legislative body,
even if majority Of electors demand
a change Again. the different sections
Of the state or city continually change
in population; hence frequent readjust
ments Of the districts become necessary.
But we want q system b. which con
stituencies shall readily adapt them
"a few large districts, tho need Of reap
portionmc4t would be greatly reduced,
while if there were 10 districts at all
apportionment would be unnecessary and
impossible. The palpaDlc defects Of the
district system might 30 illustrated IN
various ways.
Popular government as we know it
today is merely government by politi-
cal parties. Men who think alike would
naturally act together, ;iild their union
would form a party, but the district
system, while il forces men INTO parties
with whose principles they do not agree,
tends to prevent the natural, healthy
union Of persons who think alike and
who desire to vote alike. 4 large ma
jority Of al popular elections tuln upon
questions which apply to tho whole
country rather than to any particular
locality. 4 man votes with this party
or with TIE ether merely because he be-
lieves or does not believe III free trade,
free silver, prohibition, etc, and this
is equally truo even when the real is
sue is purely local. The district system
separates those whose interests are iden-
teal while uniting those who have moth
jrg IN common.
Another evil Ct the district system
arises from the facilities afforded for
vote buying. The system of dividing the
state and also the city into districts,
fIofa each CT which a reprcse2 tative IS
10 he chosen, usually results III doubtful,
closely contested districts, where the
change of a few votes must change the
representative and may consequently
change the legislature and ultimately
the national senate.
Naturally the vote buyer confines his
operations to such pivotal localities, but
if districts were abolished he could
never secure any larger number OF law
makers than were fairly represented by
the votes thus bought. Again, even if
electors were perfectly free when casting
their votes, if the votes thus cast ex-
pressed tho real sentiments Of the voter,
it is Obvious that, under present Condi-
tiGns, large numbers Of votes are really
thrown away AID q large proportion Of
voters are systematically disfranchised.
Equally obvious IS the fact that small
districts tend almost inevitably to the
production Of small men IN the halls of
legislation, men of narrow mental cali
Der, who almost invariably lack the
courage Cf their convictions, and who
remain perched upon the fence, touch
inS al questions where the constituency
is divided. This district system really
fasIens seIyillty upon the representa-
tive, while proportional represent alton,
on the other hand, encourages tie selec-
ton Of men OF character and principle ;
1t stimulates independence and leader
ship, Tor tho representative who can re-
tain the support of even 4 single Quota
can afford to remain true to his conyic-
lions. The proposed reform is sometimes
objected to for the alleged reason that it
would be dangerous 10 allow the idvo-
Gates CT wild, iinpracticabIe schemes
even { single representative in the halls
OF legislation, but q moment reflection
will convince the reader t',at anarchists,
for example, are no more dangerous
to society when they are represented
than when they are not represented in
the iawmaling body
1t is the confined explosive that is
most deadly; give truth and error a fair
Glance TO fight their battles i'll the open
field, ard the former viii take care of
1tsef. The objection most strongly
urged against the proposed reform is
that If each phase OF popular sentiment
was allowed its proportional representa-
ton, the chances are that legislative
bodies would divide into groups; that
10 one group couid control or would be
responsible for the legislative policy.
We are told, il. other words, that ma
Jorlty must be secured, even though
Misrepresentation is IesOrted TO in OBJ
taininS such majority. But is it true
that 81 absolute majority is essential
or even desirable: Il may be true in
the exercise Of administrative functions
but as TO purely legislative matters the
correct principle demands "DluraIity -
For myself | deny that an absolute
majority is desirable III a deliberatiye
body, uniess there is such a majority
among the people at large It Is Ct The
very highest importance to the state
that all special Interests should have
the fullest, freest means Of expression
IL the halls CT legislation; each phase
OF thought should be represented By its