New-York tribune., 1906-08-14
HIGHER MATHEMATICS IN POLITICS.


The Democrats of Texas will proceed to-day
TO nominate a candidate for Governor in a state
convention. All the other places on the state
ticket were filled directly at a primary wherein
none of the candidates for Governor received a
majority OF the popular vote. Such a contin-
gency is the weak spot of the direct primary
system of nominations. If there is no major
ty for candidate-and il is anteCedently prob
able that this will frequently happen-how pro-
ceed to the choice of the nominee? Another pr-
mary. after the elimination of all candidates
save the two having the highest number Of
votes is troublesome and expensive. A con-
vention after similar eliminations is a round
about method of procedure. For, after an elab-
crate process TO get rid of it, the convention re
mains the inevitable recourse. The Texas law
makers faced this dilemma and tried to solve,
il with a convention having minority as well
as majority representation The asSemblage
10 be the Democrats of Texas in little
The old. crude way Of giving each candidate
the delegates of the counties he carried was
abandoned and the representation of each
county is appOrtiOned among the candidates
according to the number of votes each received
at the primary. Then all except the candidates
possessing the highest three numbers of dele
gates in the convention are eliminated and dele
gates of those thus dropped are free to vote
they choose" "emancipated" is the Texas
word
This IS logical and pretty system. but in
its practical application seems rather recrndite
for everyday politicians. 1t is getting at a
candidate by higher mathematics, and as there
Is no answer IN the book, ordinary Texan
feels sure, when il is done of the breathless
steps by which the result was achieved When
the votes for Governor at the recent primaries
We're counted it Was patent that no one had
a majority. but how many delegates had each
I'm fna af,TN f{o,.
uneliminated candidates? Texas was in dis
may at the problem Most Of The editors frankly
threw up their hands and admitted that they
fiu1ked on the sum The Galveston News"
which seems 10 he the higher mathematical
authority of the state, laid down rule for the
guidance of lis brethren which we quote as
the first great formula of The higher mathe-
matics of politics:
Multiply the vote Of the candidate bv the num-
Der Of convention votes TO which the County is
entitled. and divide the sum by the total number
Of votes cast in the county for all candidates for
the Office The News shortens the calcuIat ion
considerably, as follows: Add the votes of the
several candidates for the office in the county;
divide the total by the number of convention
votes TO which the county is entitled; use this
quotient the diVisor of the vote (dividend)
of each candidate in the county. This second
batch of quotients Will represent the number
Of convention votes due from the county 10 the
respective candidates: Cross foot for proof.
Sometimes q little Judging" is necessary on
the terminals to strike balance
We can imagine the editors of the country
doing sums ike that election nights in the
enlightened future. OF all the processes involved
in this exact calculation we would rather do
the last. the Judging"
But this is not ALL The higher mathematics
continue in the convention That assembly will
have board Of auditors, and The News" says
it will be necessary for the board 10 open "a
ledger account with each candidate for each
| county In the state, n total of 00S ac-
/ counts, as concerns the office Of Governor
"alOne, crediting each OF the candidates, in the
| first place. with the votes instructed for him
lin the primary election and crediting them
also with the votes transferred to them from
/ dropped withdrawn candidates. On the
| "other side OF the ledger there would be debts
"fOr all votes, in case candidate withdraws
'Or is dropped. and debts also in case he is
retained on the roll but there is a new deal
lin the distribution OF emancipated votes" Ah-
sOlute accuracy is essential, otherwise nomina-
/ tions will be invalid
The prOratlng, according 10 The News's'
notable formula works ont with delightful pre-
cisOn. Mr.. COlquitt for instance. is entitled
10 a fiftieth Of delegate from Floyd County.
In another county Bell gets 2.l3 delegates,
Brooks 22s COlquitt 20l and Campbell 1853.
| In case of the withdrawal dropping Of one
of the candidates, there is nothing to prevent
those onehundreiths Of delegates in the confu-
sion OF convention from dividing themselves
up among the three other candidates Of their