The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-16
.LEAGuERs FAVOR
WOODROW WILSON
New Jersey Governor Gets
Majority in Preferential
Balloting
SYSTEM EXPLAINED
BY CAMBRIDGE MAN
Operates Against Political
Boss, He Shows, and Gives
Independents Better
Chance at Polls

That the preferential method Of
ballotinE il vast improvement over
the Nngle-candidate method, was
practically the consensus of opinion
Of those who discussed the subject
yesterday at the session OF the Ma
u4onal Municipal League. which il
in seventeenth annual convention
here. And 1t was especially agreed
that in most instances. where II has
been tried. 1t has proved stag
gering blow to the political boss and
all that term implies In other
words, under the preferential sys-
tenn. II Ii far easier for the best man
to win than under the commonly &C
cepted system.
Mr.. Reginald Mott Hull, OF Cam
bridge. Masa-. discussed the matter
In paper entitled Preferential
Voting"
He explained the system thus: The
modern preferential ballot u arrang-
ed like the ordinary Australian ballot
except that instead Of one column
for crosses. there are three provided
under the head OF '.firxt choice ''sec-
ond choice and ~cther choice" re-
spectively. The voter places cross
In the first column after the name
OF hts first choice for that Office. III
there ~ another candidate who. he
thinkA would be q suitable incumbent
he places = cross after his name in
the second column. II there are
others acceptable, the voter places a
cross In the third column opposite the
name Of his third choice
Majority Necessary.
| IF some candidate polls a majority
Of all the votes In the first column. no
| Is elected. Failing that. the first and
second choice votes are added to-
wins IL he has majority. II no
man can command Z majority OF nrsts
and seconds. the choices In the third
column are now added in. The high
eSt man then wins whether he has a
majority or not.
| This will always result in a ma
! jority selection unless the list OF cam
didates happens to contain no one on
whom the majority can freely ana
| automatically unite-~a condiuon
clearly not due 10 the system OF
voting" :.
i BY way Of illustration, Mr.. HUH
conducted a test vote on the black
board in which fourteen candidates
were pitted against each other for an
imaginary ONCE This ballot result
ed In the election OF Woodrow Will
son.
| The vote WAS a. follows. Charles T.
Hughes, first choice. IL. second CHOICE
LA. third choice. II.
| Champ Clark, first choice. o: SEC
ond choice, I: third choice. TO-
| John A. O'Gorman. first choice. "
second choice. i: third choice. 3.
| Nelson w. Aidrich, FIRST choice U.
second choice, 0. third choice !.
! Richard Croker. first choice y,
| .econd choice !. third choice i.
| Robert L. Owen. first choice o,
second choice !, third choice 3.
Joseph w. Folk, first choice 0. sec
ond choice 2. third 10.
Robert N. La Toilette. first choice
s. second choice Is, third choice u
woodrow Wilson. flrst choice &c.
| second choice 10. third choice s.
william J. Bryan. FIRST choice =
second choice 4. third choice 8.
Chauncey NJ. Depew, first choice
O. second choice .. third choice :,
Boise Penrose, first choice 0. sec
oud choice .. third choice 2.
Theodore Roosevelt. first choice ,
eecoud choice 3. third choice IL.
Eugene Deba. hrst choice :. sec
ond choice .. third choice 0.
Having q majority of the nfty-nlne
votes cast. Mr.. Wilson was declared
elected.
Hooks Machine Man.
Discussing the prevailing system Of
balloting. Mr.. Hull said: Under ou'
present system the voter can vote fol
but one man. Whatever tho numoea
Of rood or bad candidates. and thu
Ahances Arc that the undeAira bio
i man will win. because the machan'
can prevent tho scattering OF Its vot'
! among a lot of nominees. whereal
| II the citizens had q real opportunity
| for free expression 4 large mA1orit!
. | might have been gotten together De
hind some Independent candidate
For instance. one man was eiectes
mayor Of a Massachusetts, city Anou
a year ago by 1900 votes out OF 1.1oe
the $500 other votes being divided
: nearly equally among four otner can
Choke on Candidates.
!. '.In order not to risk a party Dc
feat through q split ticket. the par
. tisan primary system II to choke ol
desirable candidates In the interest o
harmony"
Mr.. HUH cited Grand Junction. Col
an \ place where the preferential sys
, tenn had worked admirably.
The initiative and referendum !
| by no means bad idea, AccoroIn
. | to Mr.. william e. Rappard. ma
tive Swiss. now n member OF the rae
, ulty OF Harvard University. who rea
q piper on the Swiss electoral sys
tenn.
; In the paper he said:
; Viewed in the light Of Swiss 81
perience. the apprehension Of thos
who predict that tho initiative an
referendum lead 70 social rsvolutio
arc a. unfounded ~ the feArs &
those who expect these institution
to work against all cultural progress
In Switzerland their result ha
simply been legislation eminent
] Characteristic OF the national TEN
. 1p0rament
mo community In 6wttsAFlAnd. has
kceaAaneA - taaaa AeGaA
n " q