The Advocate and news., 1898-09-07

NOteS, OF are easily luuuenCeQ TO vote
for men whom they know to be incompe-
tent or unreliable. An instance OF this
was seen in the entire failure Of the at
tempt to hold a Prohibition convention
for Linn county this year The Conven-
ton had been thoroughly advertised, but
the one voter present was anything but
PrOhibitiOnlst There are plenty OF
ProhibitiOnists In the county, and one,
when asked why he had not gone to the
convention, said; What was the use?
We can't elect anybody"
Uncertainty Of being able to elect their
candidates is the cause of much careless
ness and indifference in making nomina-
tions, and also causes many good men
to decline nomination, worse one
being substituted Under the best and
most modern system of proportional rep
resentation there would be few defeated
candidates, for each party or group
would be sure Of electing their quota and
would not jeOpardize this certainty by
nominating larger number than they
were entitled to- Not only would this
save the one-half OF campaign expenses
now borne by the defeated party, but
more, for nomination would be prac-
tically equivalent to an election, which
would lead to more carefully made nomi-
nations and to less expensive, less excit-
Ing and less demoralizlng campaigns.
Another, and the greatest, gain would be
the loss Of power by the great national
and State political machines, and OF the
monOpolies behind them, which now
elections. The publication Of politics
mill IN ha ton lrgAagnavnk -
when political power is taken from the
bosses OF the political machine and re-
turned to the people to whom 1t right
fully belongs by making all, instead Of
some, ballots effective.
Proportional representation cOntem-
plates the representation Of voters, and
not of district lines or territory, which
Is now the principal thing represented
and which prevents men OF like views
but living on different sides of district
lines uniting to voice their sentiments at
the polls. Single districts for Congress.
men, State Senator's, and Representa-
tives, are the most potent means Of sup
pressing the voice Of all but the domi-
nant plurality of the district but in q
district electing FIVE or more representa-
tives each party can elect one or more,
in proportion to It's quota OF the total
vote. The single district system often
results in a minority OF the total vote OF
the State electing majority, or even all,
of the Congressman, and a majority Of,
the Legislature. One party may elect
six Congressman by pluralities Of 500
each, and another party elect only three
with average majorities of 5000 each,
giving 5000 voters double the power Of
$4,000 voters. Such travesties on justice
can never happen under proportional
representation but actually have hap
pened under the present system.
MonOpolies or persons seeking special
legislation for corrupt purposes now
have only to control the few men at the
head of the political machine OF the dom
inant plurality, but under proportional
representation they will find no boss
controlled party and no minority power
to do their bidding.
Fusion is a clumsy and often lnefRect-
ual method Of applying the principles OF
proportional representation to prevent
control Of the State by minority plu-
rallty, and opposition to fusion Is an
effort to dissipate the voting strength Of
a majority OF the voters by causing It to
be cast for two or three defeated candi-
dates instead of for one elected candi-
date. Divide and conquer" Is the motto
Of those wishing to circumvent and rob
the people, and is too often successful.
It is not to be expected that monopOlies
and their political satraps and parasites
will favor this reform, but to the honest
producer 1t is the means Of great saliva
tiOn.