The independent., 1903-06-11
THE EFFECTIVE BALLOT
As an Introd uctIon to the Subject MIR.
Wakefield Points Out Some Defects
of the Present system

many reformers in urging measures
which can be occurred only through
the political voice of the people, yet
utterly ignoring the necessity OF maxi
ing the peopies wishes effective at
the ballot box. To obtain and TO re-
tain any truly democratic measure re-
d5,,iires g truly democratic form OF
government form through which
the people as a whole can speak ef-
fectively-can voice their wishes III
Iegislation-can have equal voice n
congress and legislature and in Sc
lection of executive officials. TO saJ
we now have this form OF govern
ment, this system OF registering th2
peoples will, is to display gross lS-
norance of the science OF govern
ment.
We rely too much upon the wisdom
of our revolutionary forefathers, Tor"
getting that they had been reared
and educated under the British mon
archy and had no democratic models
from which to copy. We also forget
that there was in the constitutional
convention q strong and able tory,
or aristocratic element, led by Hamll-
ton, Dickinson and others, who be-
lieyed that government is the busi"'
ness of the rich and well born" and
not of the masses It is no accident
that Alexander Hamilton is today the
patron saint of the republican party,
or that that party hates Jefferson, th'
father Of American freedom, the MAJ
who said he was not afraid to trust
the common people with the power or
self-government, the man who SO
cured the first ten amendments and
bill of rights, all there is of liberty iii
our national government, and did =
against the active opposition OF HAM
ilton and his monarchist followers.
WHAT is AN EFFECTIVE BAL
LOT?
An effective ballot Is ballot that
affects something-one that is effec'
tive in the legislative and executive
functions of government, one that
gives the voter representation in the
government under which he lives and
upon the character of which his well
fare depends.
To say that ballot cast for a de-
feated candidate, CT that is wasted IN
piling up useless majority-any ma
jority of more than fifty-one per cent
lis an effective one, is to trifie with
words. to distort language. How the
average voter would rage to be told
when trying to vote that he had been
disfranchised, yet he will cheerfully
deposit ballot for candidates he
knows cannot be elected, or which do
not represent his views If they ara
elected, or waste his vote in piling up
an unnecessary majority.
A ballot is effective only when cast
for an elected candidate, and not then
il the candidate was elected or the
measure carried without it's help-it
ii was unnecessary, one more than d
majority.
Even the monarchies of Europe d,
not elect by minority plurality, Is
we do, but require second ballot be-
tween the two highest candidates
when there is no majority on first
ballot
AS matter of fact, we rarely elect
congressman, legislators, or state Of
ficers, by a majority vote, but by a
plurality only, this plurality being
usually minority of the whole vote,
leaving the majority of voters total
ly unrepresented in the government
When we remember that this mi
nority plurality is cast for candidates
and measures dictated by few lead
ors in control of political machine
we see how much we lack of having
"a government Of, by, and for tbs
people, and how Boss Hanna, Bos:
Platt, Boss Aldrich. Boss Quay, etc.
retain their power TO piunder tllt
people.
"Of course the majority shoulf
rule, is the popular maxim, but ma
jority rule is practically impossible
SO long as V, continue to elect by
plurality. Not since 1888 has the state
of Kansas elected state government
nor majority of congressman by ;
majority vote, though fusion has beef
resorted to to prevent republican,
electing by a minority plurality.
Though it be true that the majorit!
should govern, yet II does not follow
that minorities should be unrepre
sented, nor that their right to b
heard in legislative councils is les
sacred than that Of the majority. Al
progress originates in minority
usually with single person at first
and it is mistake to deprive thes
;,,r nf unino Ii