The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-08-14
County Unit Plan the
Small County's Safeguard
From the Valdosta Times.

According to reports published in the
Times the Neill primary bill requiring all
political parties in Georgia to hold their pri-
mary elections in accordance with the coun-
ty unit system, was passed by the house by
an overwhelming majority. 1t is believed
that the senate will also pass the bill and
that it will become a law.
The county unit system has been a source
of much concern in the state of Georgia dur
ing recent years, due to the fact that it was
one of the issues upon which two warning
factions have been divided.
The county unit system is patterned after
the system which was adopted in the early
days of the republic, and which establishes
government by representation rather than
upon individual votes.
Under the system by which we elect
president the small states have a much
larger degree of power than some of the
large ones. If it were merely a question of
majority there would be a lineup of both
the North and the South which would mean
that the South would receive no considera-
ton whatever in the affairs of the nation.
The system recognizes the voice of the ma
jority. 1t safeguards the small county, with
its scattered population, against the vote of
the large cities, where one political Organi-
cation, like Tammany Hall, might have more
votes than several states, though all of its
votes are directed by one leader In the
cities are large organizations which vote as
one man, giving the city counties a leverage
which is offset by the county unit system,
which lodges the power in the territory,
scattered all over the state rather than in
the congested centers located in some par
ticular section.
The county unit recognizes the wide ter
ritory, the varied interests, as well as the
numerical strength While it is possible to
abuse the system it is easy to adopt safe
guards that will prevent political Juggling
and yet give to the small counties the
strength which ought to be theirs, and which
strengthens our system of government by
giving it to them.
If it were not for the county unit sys-
TEN the city of Atlanta could control the
state of Georgia absolutely, while the three
largest cities of the state could form a COM
binatiOn that would make them invincible
The county unit system is the club which
smaller numbers may use to compel the
rights which a minority should always have.
1t is the method by which all sections has
a voice. 1t is the democratic method, adopt
ed by Washington and Jefferson in the early
days of the republic, to prevent centraliza-
ton of influence and power. 1t is the voice
of the people speaking through their repre-
sentatives from all sections, rather than the
voice of strong organization in some large
! city, dominated by some lnhuence-an IN
! fuence that may be good or it may be bad.
| The electoral college, by which we elect
president of the United States and through
which the Southern voters have an influence
! which they could not have otherwise, is bas-
ed upon the principle of the unit rule I'm
| der the constitution, in case there is tie
/ in the electoral college, the members of con-
gress would have to elect the president, each
state having one vote.
Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied for
the presidency in the electoral college and
Jefferson won in congress, where each state
cast it's one vote Several years later Adams
became president through the vote of con-
gress the vote of the electoral college being
divided between four candidates, neither of
whom had a majority, though Jackson had
a considerable lead over Adams and the 9TH
er candidates.
The principle of the unit rule is sound
and in accord with our system of govern
ment by representation. That the practice
may be abused at times does not keep il
from being sound in principle. All it needs
are safeguards to shut out the iugglers