Ladysmith news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1906-1907, 1906-09-01
TRYING ELECTION LAW.
Indirect System in Use Since 1914,
Abandoned-Power Of Party organi-
cations Curhed

cations Curbed.
After an electioneering campaign
which has created comparatively little
interest, the first elections for the
storthing session Of 1906-09 took place
Sunday in Christians Amt. This
country, which includes the well
known districts Of Totem and Hade-
land between Lake Misen and Lake
Randsfjord and the great valleys Of
Valdres and Gudbrandsdalen, is from
political point Of view a very inter
esting piece Of Norway, owing to the
fact that farmers and industrial labor
ers there are more mixed than per-
| haps in any other district. The new
election system practiced for the first
| time ON this occasion also makes the
election somewhat Of an event, and
shall sketch the system in a few
words as the background OF the whole
situation.
| The new election law, by which the
direct election system was introduced
in our public life, is dated May Is,
! 1905. From 1914 up to the present
elections all Norwegian storthings
have been elected according to the in
direct system by which all the voters
of each constituency met at the polls
| and elected a number of delegates Tin
proportion Of one to every fifty voters
| IN town and one to every hundred in
the country to the district conven-
| ton, in which the electoral repreaen-
| tatives chosen at polls met and elect
| ed representatives to the StOrthlRg.
From various reasons this system had
| gradually become more and more OBJ
solete, especially in the greater towns
and at Christiania, where we finally
| had 10000 voters, electing q district
convention Of 800 members who on
their side elected four representatives
to the storthing. 1t goes without say
ing that this system was extremely
cumbrous, and the need of reform
therefore became obvious, the mort
SO as the representatives to the storth-
ing in many cases were directly des-
ignated by papers and party organiza-
tons. and only had to undergo the
indirect election as sort of formality
which was by no means in conformity
either with the spirit or the letter
of the election law.
How the New Law Works.
BY the new law Norway is divided
in 1913 constituencies, the system be-
ing one representative to the storth-
ing from each constituency Each OF
the eighteen counties of the country
is divided into constituencies, the
number of which corresponds to the
number of representatives to the
storthing granted to the country in
question by the constitution. Towns
which formerly had one representative
are still lconsidered as one const1tu-
ency, the same being the case when
two or more towns have one repre-
sentative. An example so far~~is the
three towns on the Lake Mjosen, Ha-
mar. Lillehammer and Gjovik, which,
in connection with Kongsvinger, miles
and miles away, form only one consti-
tuency.
Notwithstanding this and other an
omalies the direct election system is
everywhere in this country consid-
/
curious to see how it will work. To
certain extent we got a little test
Of it by the Sunday elections.
It had generally been assumed that
the extraordinary events of 1905 had
brought about a lull ia the political
interest, and the comparative calm
ness of the election campaign to which
| afo~ TN In1 10
roborate this view. The Sunday cleo
tions may, to a certain extent, be de-
scribed as a contradiction to it.
We have put up with the Karlstad
| agreement and accepted the new mon
archy, and no honorable Norwegian
with feeling Of responsibility toward
established facts is thinking Of upset
ting either. Unhappily several jour-
nails do not seem to understand this
fact, and by ultra-ioyal articles on the
new monarchy and incorrect state
ments on the position taken up by the
left wing of the liberal party, they
are actually undermining the position
of the conservatives instead of prop
ping it up.
n GdSG III TOItilO
One Of the Sunday elections is an
example SO far In South Gudbrands-
dalen they had lately representative
by the name of Mr.. Enge. This gen
tleman was a true supporter of the
government in 19O5, and went in for
the monarchy in the short foltnightly
campaign. which resulted in the cleo
ton of our present king. He sub
sequently became a member of the
deputation appointed by the storthing
to go to Copenhagen to inform Prince
Charles of his being elected king OF
Norway. Last Sunday Mr.. Enge, who
in November was supported by his
electors. was beaten by his radical adj
versary by majority of nearly o0O.
This fact points to change IN pub