The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-25
SOME ELECTION LAWS.

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1t woUld-be difficult to make an Ameri-
can believe that arlthe science of govern
ment the United States is an old fogy, a
hundred years behind the times, yet that
I is exactly what a native of little Belgium
would tell US. On first sight such an. as
sertion seems absurd to US, because we
are accustomed to think Of our country as
Heading all the world in just about every
thing there is; yet the fact remains that
our forefathers established this govern
ment at a time when the representative
system was still rather a novelty, and
while they undoubtedly did their best,
and, perhaps, even .'buAaed< better than
they knew" YET Wien much later
date representa- tive System was in
troduced into most, of European
countries, there had accumulated a fund
of experience and Observation for those
innovators to draw from and profit by,
and attempt various improvements over
the American system.
In the meantime we have acquired a
sort of blind veneration for the
letter rather than for the spirit,
for the outward form, rather than for
the inward essence Of the institutions
transmitted to us by our forefathers,
and consequently there is very little pros
pect of our profiting in this matter by
our own experience or by the example
of other nations.
Of all the countries having a repre-
sentative form of-sgovernment little Bel
GUM would prohably la5-claim to pos
sessing 1t in its most perfect form, and
it certainly wopldqsssstand an excellent
show of proving its claim.
The main point on which the. Belgian
would claim SUI eriority over our system
would be- in the 1F4portional represent
alton established tA=his country Under
this system Representatives, are not elect
ed by majorities, but each party elects
a certain number laFsthern, in direct pro-
portion to the actual number of votes it
receives at the polls.
Thus, in state entitled to seven rep
resentatives in congress, and casting $780,
0OO votes, each party would be entitled
to one representative for every $4,000
votes received. If the Republican ticket
received 100000 votes it would be enti-
tied to four representatives; the Demo
Gratis, receiving 100000 votes, would get
two representative and the Populists,
casting $4,000 votes, weuldz be entitled to
one
Each party would, nominate a. full num-
Der of candidates and man could either
vote the ticket straight, designating the
candidates in. the order of his choice,
or he could vote "a split ticket. OF each
party, those candidates Receiving the
greatest number of votes and standing
highest in the choice of the voters would
be elected and each party would receive
such number of representatives as the
total of votes it polled would entitle it
to receive.
Such are the rough outlines of the sys-
tenn of proportional representation. This
system has a great many advantages. It
gives to every party. just that amount of
representation which it deserves 1t
would: seelres just representation III
congress for the. .Repubheans IN Texas
as well as for rehesfDemoerats in Mime
sofa. It wodfd Enable the smaller
parties, like the Prohibition party and
the Labor party, which are now hope
lessly submerged, to make themselves
heard in the council Of the nation. It
would secure for OF congress the best
and ablest men of 1an parties. AT pres
ent many very mediocre man, through
corrupt practices OF. machine politics, Sc
cures the congressional nomination and
wins out merely because of, the over
whelming strength OF his party in that
particular district. Under the proport, on
al system some poorly qualified candi-
dates might succeed in getting on the
ticket, but the final choice reses with. the