The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-12-06
A BILL FOR THE COMING
LEGISLATURE.
Strong Effort to be Made to Put the
Doctrine of Proportional Representa-
ton Into Effect.

Introduction of proportional repre-
sentation in Hawaii will have a very
prominent place in the discussions of
the coming Legislature. Proportional
representation is a system of voting
and counting votes, regarded in the
United States as somewhat Populistic,
but it is not at all unlikely that Ha-
waits first territorial Legislature will
enact law making il the rule at least
in the municipality of Honolulu, which
is practically certain to be incorporat-
ed.
Proportional representation is parti-
ally in vogue in New Zealand, Aus
tralia and Switzerland, though not in
the pure form in which it's local sup
porters want to introduce it. John
Emmeluth, one of the most influential
men in the Independent party, is a
strong advocate of proportional repre-
sentation, and he is preparing a law,
! which he Will introduce in the legisla-
! ture, putting the reform system of
voting in effect in the city of Honolulu.
Mr.. Emmeluth regards those who are
! still opposing the creation of such a
city as people who are wasting time.
He is certain that the city will be
created, and is working on laws for
! its benefit.
| The plan as outlined in the proposed
bill provides for the counting of votes
according to the following scheme:
There would be about $500 votes in the
city and, say, 10 councilmen to be cleo
ted. Every voter would have a chance
to vote for all the fifteen, signifying
his first, second, third choice, etc.
Three hundred ballots as first choice
would elect any candidate that being
one candidates full quota of the total
vote cast candidate for whom that
many voters have cast their votes as
a first choice is up to the limit, and
can only get more first choice ballots by
drawing from other candidates.
In the counting, when candidate
has 300 votes as first choice to his
credit no more are given him. He is
elected. If after he has has that many,
another ballot should appear on which
he is named as number one, the ballot
is counted for the man who appears
thereon as second choice. If the latter
also is already elected number three
has the vote, and so on.
This makes very complicated sys-
tenn of counting but a system of vot-
ing under which it is claimed that
there can be no fraud, no undue in
fuence and no election of men not
fairly representative of the whole pub
lie.
Under the present SYSTEM said
Emmeluth, " large part of the popu-
lation is always dsfranchised. The
fourth and fifth precincts of this dis
trict are examples. In one the Inde-
pendent votes counted Ior dpsoluIeIH
nothing,-the voters are unreprese-
nted disfranchised. In the other this
happened to the Republicans. Under
proportional representation every citi-
zens vote counts for what it is worth. y
Emmeluth has been an advocate of
: the system for many years, and 1t is
one of the principal things he will
work for in the legislature. He has
been a student of such matters fol
many years and of late has giver
much time to them.
The chances of passing the Emme-
; luth voting bill are not at all slim
in spite of the fact that it is such d
! radical departure from past systems
The author of the bill has many sup.
porters among the Independents ano
the bill starts with lot of friends.