constable, and would have deprived their opponents almost entirely of representation, so far as representation was dependent upon that election. But at the very next election, on the old plan of voting, a similar injustice would have been inflicted, though in exactly the opposite direction; the Republican minority would have lost every office voted for, and the majority have seized them all, whereas under the new plan, at both elections, each party obtained its just share.

SUNBURY ELECTION OF OCTOBER, 1870: At that election most of the borough and ward officers being electable under the new plan of voting, there was a partial division of them between parties. The Chief Burgess and the Second Burgess were respectively voted for at large, under the majority rule, and were of course carried by the Republican majority of the town. But to most of the other officers the new rule applied. Each of the two wards elect annually two assistant Burgesses and four members of the Town Council, beside their proper Ward officers. We give some results in the West Ward from the election returns, which show, however, only the votes given to candidates who were elected; (Republicans in italic :)

WEST WARD.

Republican, 247; Democratic, 110.

ASSISTANT BURGESSES, (2).-John Bourne, 277; George Hill, 217.

COUNCILMEN, (4).-N. F. Lightner, 306; J. W.

Friling, 293; Jacob Renn, 273; Thomas M. Pursell, 219.

OVERSEERS OF THE POOR, (2).—Fred. Merrill, 237; P. F. Zimmerman, 210.

STREET COMMISSIONERS, (2).-Chas. Gossler, 252 Charles F. Martin, 236.

In the East Ward, (Republican, 210, Democratic, 107,) the minority carried one of the four Councilmen and one or two of the other officers.

In the voting given above, the Democrats in each case generally gave two votes to one candidate, but in the case of four Councilmen, the Republicans gave one vote and one-third to each of three, and the Democrats four votes to one.

ELECTION OF COUNCILMEN IN NORTHUMBERLAND BOROUGH.-In Northumberland Borough, at the October election, 1870, there was a Republican majority of 10 for Burgess. Very properly each party nominated only three Councilmen, although six were to be chosen, because the free vote applied to the election of those officers. The result was that the Democrats, giving each two votes to each of their three candidates, elected them, but one of the Republican candidates was beaten by a Republican Volunteer. As this case illustrates the working of the free vote, the facts will be stated as they are understood to have occurred. At the Republican meeting to nominate Councilmen, a gentleman who expected to be nominated was defeated by the arts or influence of a personal enemy, who immediately afterwards boasted of the achievement. The friends of the beaten man became indignant and concluded

to rectify the injustice done, by electing him as an independent candidate. The free vote afforded them the ready means of accomplishing their purpose, and they proceeded at the election to vote plumpers of six votes for their friend and carried him through the contest triumphantly. Without disturbing the results of the election generally, they carried their man and secured representation for themselves in the council according to their desire.

Bolting a nomination under the new plan means, then, that commonly the bolters can obtain their due share of power and no more, and that the whole election cannot be turned upside down or changed throughout by them. One-sixth of the voters of Northumberland can elect one Councilman, but they cannot disturb the other voters of the town in choosing the remaining five. Under the old majority rule the bolters would have been compelled to form a combination with the opposite party, or to trade or buy votes, in order to succeed; the whole election would probably have been muddled or disgraced, and one party or the other would have carried more than its share of the officers to be elected. The new plan insures justice to all, prevents intrigue and corruption, preserves the orderly action of parties, cuts off the main mischiefs of bolting, and encourages the selection of good men as candidates.

We append the vote for Councilmen in full:

Wm. T. Forsyth......

James Tool............

A. H. Stone....

328

301

291

Republicans in italic. McClure being the lowest, was the defeated candidate.

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS OF THE POOR FOR THE BLOOM POOR DISTRICT.-At the election held in October, 1870, for three Directors of the Poor, under the special act of March 28th of that year, the voting was as follows:

Stephen H. Miller and William Kramer, Democrats, and Johnson H. Ikeler, Republican, were therefore elected for three-year terms commencing on the first day of April following. These officers being chosen on the plan of the free vote, it was inevitable that they would be divided between the two political parties according to a just principle of representation; the majority in the district would be able to elect two and the minority one. The Democrats therefore voted tickets in the following form:

The Republicans nominated two candidates also, and tickets for them were prepared in the same form; but as they had not votes enough to elect both they finally concentrated their vote mainly upon Ikeler, as shown in the above return. The election at last became to them a question of choice or preference between their own candidates, and the result proved that they preferred Ikeler. It is here shown that the free vote not only divides offices fairly between parties, but enables voters of either party, in certain cases, to choose between their own nominees and to correct any blunder made in their nomination. The truth is, that the new plan of voting is so flexible as well as just that it readily adapts itself to any state of facts at an election, and gives to the voter that complete freedom of action which is necessary to his judicious exercise of the right of suffrage. In this case, where three Directors of the Poor were to be chosen, allowing each voter to give his three votes to one, two, or three candidates, as he might think fit, enabled each party to take what belonged to it and to handle its votes in the most convenient and effectual manner to that end; and it also afforded the ready means of correcting a blunder made in the selection of candidates. This election also furnishes evidence of the convenience and accuracy with which fractional votes may be polled, counted, and returned in all cases where their use shall be found desirable.

SCORING OF FRACTIONAL VOTES.-An ordinary and convenient mode of tallying or counting tickets containing fractional votes which has obtained in