Year: 1871

? sity OF the political situation Oul
} representative bodies have no sucl
power, and the questions for them tC
: determine arc solely those Of admins
l. tration, 10 which the ruling power is
held TO rigid accountability by the
watchful vigilance of the minority.-
We have classes, sects and special ir.
forests in multitudes; their rights arc
equal and all are subject 10 tho terms
of written organic law, and both In
theory and in fact thcy prove a source
of strength and power, but if we give
TO each a seperato representation they
may prove a source Of weakness and
! of danger.


! worry much fear that IL will not do
to condemn y0nng Republic TO the
monotony consequent upon the adop-
ton OF the minority rule, but believe
that we must preserve the corrective
power Of tho people, acting in their
Immediate and direct capacity. What
will serve US and our institutions diff.
iers vastly from that which English
theorists may approve Yet even
there, differences of opinion exist upon
the value of the new system, for John
Bright has said with great force
"Ic asked his countrymen TO reject
this device Of their opponents, because
IL was a principle disastronsly fatal
to everything which we comprehend
cd, and which our forcfathers had
comprchended Of the true principle of
popular representation. He infinitely
preferred the practice of the robust
common sense OF those who had gone
before us, 10 this new scheme which
was offered to us with 50 many pro
fcssions for our good He regarded It
as the offspring and spawn Of feeble
minds. 1t might have been, for aught
he knew, born of eccentric genius it
might, and probably had been, dis
covered In some of those abysses in
which the speculative mind oft de.
lights to plunge; but he preferred, he
said honestly, that which our forefa-
theirs understood Of freedom, of popu-
lar representation, Of tho mode of
manufacturing great Parliament,
to any of those new tangled and mis-
cradle schemes which have come 10
light in our day."


do not quote this language TO en-.
dorse it, but simply TO demonstrate
the differences ofopinion among states
men and theorists as 20 the value of
the new theory.


Let us glance now at the practical
workings of the system, so far as we
may be able TO forcsee them, or can
Judge the future by the past.


The tyranny of the majority rule is
one of the arguments in favor of the
new process, and il is earnestly as.
sumed that tits most arbitrary ia its
character and in practice. ! DO not
think il possible 10 sustain this charge
either by examples from history or by
our own experience. We haze suffer.
ed from the tyranny of minoritieS,
who, Wrestling tho power of the State
from the majority, have governed us
through the forms of law. The very
provisions Of our form of government,
designed to protect the minority, have,
through the divisions Of the majority.
been made most potent agencies ia
the hands Of a tyrannical minority.-
A minority possessed of great energy
aud yig0r Of intellect, devoted to q
singc idea, by tho concentration Of
their power aud the divisions of their
antagonists, have compelled obedience
to their dogma, and by skilllul man
ipuation of the machinery Of govern
ment, which they have used with un.
scrupulous hand, even to the dislran-
chisement Of the majority, have main
tanned and perpctuatcd their power.
The fear of Mr. Hare seems to be that
through the rcformatory tendencies
of the English people, representation
must be given TO the mass of the peo-
Pile and that when they do obtain il
they will tyranuize over tho intell.
gent, educated and wealthy classes,
and bis anxiety is to protect these
latter, whom he always places among
tho minorltios. In urging his doe.
trnes be refers TO our institutions,
and quotes Mr. Calhoun as his au.
lhority for the charge that what he
fears is true Of our government but
Mr.. Calhoun's theory was that Of the
minority representation of States, not
Of people, and that doctrine, we all
know, was carried TO the verge of ab.
surdity by giving TO each one tho
power Of nentralizing or nullifying
the action of the remainder. In this
Republic there is no room for apprc.
hension of the result that Mr.. Hare
fears. The minority Of to-day is the
majority of tomorrow. Obedience 10
law and recognition Of binding obi.
cations must ever be the duty Of those
in power, or the verdict OF their mas.
ters will speedily oust them


But the charge is made that the
majority rule is tyrannical, in that it
compels the man who had six votes TO
bestow for six places in the gift of the
people to cast but one vote for each of
the six, and does not allow him to
vote six votes for ono man or three
for two, or two Tor three, or other
wise dispose Of these votes as he
ploascs aud il is assumed that this
right TO vote his six at pleasure is a
PLATA and manifest right of the voter
Does such a right cxistY Where does
il originatel To what authority can
1t be tracedl 1t cannot exist as a
natural or abstract right, for the cleo
tor only obtains his power by virtue
OF the governmental compact with
him. 1t cannot be his right by reason
of his qualification as an eleotor, for
that implies his aid and assistance in
the maintenance of the government
Of which he is a part; aud il six Of.
ficors DO necessary TO its prolonged
! existence, it is compulsory upon him
TO vote for all of them. II cannot be
based upon any analogy or fancied
resemblance to his right as a member
OF a pure Democracy; for in such a
form Of government no single individ.
ual was allowed to cast six votes for
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