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Democratic Representation

Democratic Representation image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
May
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

No more important quostion i before the public tlüín thatwLich relatos to the proper mode of arrmug at & fair and adequate expressen of tho popular niiiïd. The theorj of this goTcrnnieut is thnt tl.e pcoplp, i. e. the nggrga'o of tho iohabiUQta of proper Bge and oompetent intellect, rule the atlairs of the state; but the practica is, ss it in shown eNowhere, that only d ipoODtiderable rtiinoritj have any real and effectire politioiil ezistPtice. Tbe nution is not gororned bj the nation, but by a partj, ui') that par'v bj diques, and those oliques bj a fovr lefiderH. This i not ik'iiiücr.icv, thon, any more tlian the flass-rale of Eni-ImiiiI fir the imporial dominatlón of Franee. It is tke rnanj OOtltTotled y the few, Éod, of cour?e, as il alnays t!e enne in si:eh eirouristncei, in tba interet3of the fuw and ooi of the many. But how aro wc to eorrecJ tho ítü ? That ia du qneilibn. Uur corresporident discuíscH the varioug chemeg that hare been propoaed, all more or less prncticablu, Lul r.ot tatiiely without objeeiion. An in'egral rqrcíeitatiqn of all tho Totora of a oommüuity ie hardly postïbie umler auy combination that can bo deviscd ; but a propo: tional reprcpeutfttioii thüt sliall ba more consplete and jijst than that of a üicre ïaüjoiity is boih possible and desirable. Mr. Hare' plan of "preferentiül Toting," which ou tbo wholu is the best, ia yet sligluly oom plicht fld ; bot it inight be siiiiplificd, if ii:st;ad ot' usiug "votiog papers," tho electora were required to inscribe tlieir ñames oo certain lista of candidntes, to bo k:-pt nt the town hoire of each cleotora! liiiriet. Let tho booki be kent open for a vree k, under the supervÍBÍon of jndgo of eleotion ; let each voter, when he cornea to inscribe Lis name on the list of the candidates, asoertain the precise state of the poll; if his favorite enndidute has already rcceived the roqnisite quot, he can then vote for soiiie oUicr ; or if bis favorito has no chance, he Deed noï throw oway his voto, but cast it for big next best, vtho may have a chance, lij this rueans no fraudulcnt votes could bo given, as they wonld nll be written out aud open to tho innpeotion of thn public ; and few votes would be lost, eiilier by totisg for o:ie who 1üi alrendy ouuiigh to olect bim, or for one flho by no possibility could get enough. Ucder the present Fystem, we know of an intelügiT.t and patriotic gentleman, who lias been a voter fnr nearly tbirty yenrs, nbo lias Yotecl at nearly eleciion; a:d yèï, vlio ha ncver voted lor a uccessfui candidate, sare ia the prcaidsutiiil olcctions fnr Lincoln and Grint. He has uei'or Iisd a representativo in.CoiigrcsE, tior in the State Legislatura, nor in llio Coaimon Coun;;, and sll ;i;cn'a e ;osus, jraclieally, uiiplit as wol! not have votod at all. Kut disfranoüíccd by aw, he :is bnen so virtuallj, and will bo, probably, so long as lie keeps his preaeDt residencü. Surely, Luman reason is aUIe to devise PomethiL'g better thfui bíit for a society wliich proclaims the will of tho whole the rulo of its aotion iud the source of all governmental authority. To that end, let our rtaders )onder tho artiele we publisb elsewhere. - PiUnam's Magazine.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus