The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-08-11
WHY WAGE Farmer HAS
NO SEAT IN CONGRESS
Proportional Representation is
Greatly Needed in Congress
and Legislatures.
Only Real Directors are the
Ruling Few Who Are Ever
Slow to Surrender Power.

Slow to Surrender Power.
Why is it that neither the wage
earners or farmers are represented In
the national house Of representatives?
nor in the legislatures?
1t Is because machine rule exists. The
few are in power through the conven-
ton system and the use Of money.
Neither the wage earners or farmers
are contributing any considerable
amount Of funds for political purposes.
If they did theh monopolists and other
special privilegists would out do them.
The machine rule system Is as fol-
lows:
1. A machine Is elected ruler. In
other words, the voters do not reserve
the power to instruct; and, what is the
euiqvalent, they fail to reserve a veto
power as to legislation and cannot d.
rectly propose legislation. The estab-
lishment Of a direct vote for public
questions will remedy this portion Of
the system. Oregon has made the
change. The initiative and referendum
exist.
2. Nominations for public office are
made at delegate conventions instead
Of by direct vote. Oregon has estab-
lished the direct nomination system, as
also has Wisconsin and practically all
the southern states.
3. The members Of the national
house Of represen tatives are elected
from 1856 districts in order that the few
may rule. There Is not a labor repre-
sentative in conrraSS nor ia there q
real representative of the farming in
terests, such as are the officers OF the
Oranges and Farmers unions. The
remedy Is a statute that shall change
the size Of the election districts. Such
a law can readily be secured when
initiative petitions can be filed. The
bill should provide that in place of as
many congressional districts in tho
state as there are members of the
house TO be elected, only two or three
congressional districts should exist.
For example, in Illinois the twenty
five congressional districts should be
reduced to two or three and the num-
Der of members for each district in
creased proportionately, with one vote
for each voter. Under such a system
each voter would be represented in
congress. The details Of the system
are as follows:
The Mechanism Of Proportional Rep
resentaton.
The congressional candidates of each
party would be nominated by direct
vote, the number Of nominees bein g
one or two greater than are likely to
be elected. These names would be
printed on the ticket In the order in
which they were nominated the one
receiving the highest vote being placed
at the top. On election day each voter
would place his mark at the head OF
his partys' column, and in counting the
votes each candidate is declared elect
cd as soon as he receives the required
quota, namely, If 100000 votes are cast
In district where ten congressman
are to be elected, each candidate Is
declared elected whenever he receives
10000 votes. If a labor party should
cast $4,000 votes in such a district It
would elect the four candidates first
mentioned on its ticket The farmers
If they should cast 10000 votes would
elect three congressman; and the 9TH
er industrial classes would elect the
remaining three. In short, each 20, 900
voters In the district would elect their
representative, except as fractions of
10000 votes are cast by a group, in
which case the fractional group casting
the largest vote would elect a candi-
date.
Observations.
What each voter actually does with
his vote Is to indicate a first choice
second choice, third choice and fourth
choice. This is indicated by the mum,
Der of candidates in the congressional
column. In counting the ballots the
candidate at the head Of the list is
declared elected as soon as he receives
the reuirqed 10000 votes; and the Sec
ond on the list is elected whan y. Va