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

people and they would select those in
whom they have the greatest confidence,
the best and ablest men of each party
This would discredit the mere machine
man and put premium on political hon
esty and efficiency. Such an innovation
would, of course, be strenuously opposed
by the machine men of all parties alike
and for that reason alone there is very
little prospect Of it's introduction in the
United States.
The greatest advantage of this system,
however, probably lies in the allaying
of that bitter partisan feeling which. is
at present SO painfully evident during a
political campaign. In most of our states
the two great parties are so nearly equal
In strength that a change in per cent
of the total vote will turn an absolute
majority into an overwhelming defeat
and leave a party that has been in COM
plete control of everything, without a
single office to its name Consequently
every election renews that wild, hysteri-
cal scramble for those per cent of the
votes, that hold the balance of power;
and as this is a comparatively small
number, every vote counts for a great
deal. Hence there is a great temptation
to secure those votes at any cost and by
any means whatever. The basest in
stincts and prejudices of human nature
are played upon, the grossest misrepre-
sentation of facts, and the viIest corrup-
ton and fraudt are INDUCED in, and the
slush fund money is squandered by the
wholesale, all to secure those few
thousand votes that hold the balance of
power in each state
Under the proportional system there is
no such balance Of power. Here in Min
nesota it would require gain of some
$4,000 votes to entitle any party to an
additional Representatives such a num-
Der could not well be obtained by cor
rupt practices. and, moreover, the gain
of one representative would not be suffi-
Gent to warrant any great outlay, while
at present the securing of all seven rep
resentatives is merely matter of few
thousand votes, more or less, in each dis
trict
This system would also be likely to re-
suit in the formation of a number of
minor parties. There would be a special
party for each paramount issue. The
free silver man would have his party,
likewise the anti-imperialist, the
antitrust man, as well as the
expansionist, ETC., and nobody would
have to go to the polls holding his nose.
as so many evidently did at the last
election, and each party would stand an
equal chance Of being heard At present
any new reform movement has to labor
against overwhelming odds; under the
proportional system it stands an equal
show with the old parties almost from
the start.
There are several other improvements
which Belgium claims along this line.
Every man there is obliged to vote and
if he fails to do so is fined and eventu-
ally even disfranchised. At election time
free transportation home is provided for
all voters that have ceased to live where
they are registered.
But there is another feature of the
Belgian system which would not re-
ceive such ready approval as the forego-
ing, and that is the giving of several
votes to the same person If man
has family he gets an extra vote; if he
has a certain amount of education he
also gets an extra vote for that, and he
gets certain number of votes in proper
ton to the taxes he pays. The result
of this provision is that it takes the gov
eminent out of the hands of the inferior
elements of society; those who are least
qualified for it and have least at stake.
and puts it into the hands of the most ed
ucated and reliable elements, but it also
has a tendency to reduce the influence
of the common people and increase that
of the wealthy classes