What is proposed is that these be combined in a new provision, simple in character, but effective in action, which shall stand as a bulwark of defence against great and notorious evils. Political parties, considered as embodiments of all the main interests and opinions of society, are to be regarded in the distribution of power, and one of them be made to check another. And as such parties are inevitable, and as they thoroughly and permanently divide the mass of the people, what objection can there be to a recognition of their existence in the Constitution? In fact, is it not necessary that these, the most powerful forces which act upon the government, shall be dealt with and regulated, or at least put under a measure of control, by the fundamental law? If this be not done, we hazard nothing in saying that they will pervert the action of the government, and eventually destroy it. There being no actual balance of political powers, but on the contrary unchecked party domination, violence, injustice, and corruption will come in as a flood, until discord and passion reign supreme, and a divided and exasperated people be prepared to abandon free government and accept the rule of a master.

NOTE. The election of a Lieutenant Governor would complete the proposition discussed in this paper. But being a subordinate question it is omitted.

[EDITOR'S NOTE.-The date of the foregoing Essay shows the early inclination of the author's mind in matters of electoral reform. The proposition of a minority veto, contained in it, is quite novel, but may deserve consideration and development hereafter. It is believed that the writer intended it to be accompanied by provisions looking to the choice of alternates for both the Governor and President of the Senate, so that their offices would always be fitly filled and controlled by the proper political interest.]

INDEX.

BERWICK BOROUGH, act for free vote in, 237.

Bloomsburg, town of, act to organize, 233; its practical operation, 153,
163, 180, 246, 247.

Bloom Poor District, election of Directors for, 154, 237, 253.

Borough Supplement, act, 229; speech on, in Senate of Pennsylvania, 157.
Boroughs in Pennsylvania, act for free vote in elections of Councilmen
for, 229; acts for same in boroughs of Northumberland County, 235;
in Berwick, 237; Chambersburg, 242; Hulmeville, 241; Milton, 236 ;
Northumberland, (election in,) 251; Shamokin, 241; Snydertown,
240; Sunbury, 238; Uniontown, 239.

CAIRNS, LORD, amendment to reform bill, 41, 273; his remarks thereon,
117, 274.

Chambersburg borough, act for election of Councilmen in, by free vote, 242.
Columbia County rules of nomination, 258.

Committee of Senate, Report on representative reform, 65.

Convention, act of Pennsylvania, 1872, manner of electing members, 230;
of New York in 1867, ibid., 40, 91, 155.

Councilmen in Pennsylvania boroughs, manner of electing, general act,
229. For special acts see Boroughs.

County Commissioners and Auditors, bill for election of, 151, 162.

Corruption in English boroughs, 22, 23.

Crawford County plan of nomination for office condemned, 256, 257.
Cummings, Alexander, presides at Philadelphia meeting, 64, n.
Cumulative Vote. See Free Vote.

DIRECTORS or Managers of incorporated companies, choice of, by free
vote, 224, 226.

Dutcher, Salem, citation from, xi.

ELECTORAL COLLEGES, their defects and remedies for, 209. See Presi-
dential Electors.

FRACTIONAL VOTES, their utility and convenience, 145; manner of count-
ing, 148, 223, 224, 255.

Free Vote, the, described, 8, 44, 70, 139, 163; illustrations of its opera-
tion, 10, 45, 54, 58, 97, 172, 184, 245; its indirect effect on single elec-
tions, 139; its superiority over other plans, 70, 74, 155; its conveni-
ence, 73; conformity to republican principles, 75; its justice, 77;
will check corruption, 20, 50, 79; will guarantee peace, 18, 19, 83;
and improve representative bodies, 16, 86.

Its use in stockholders' elections for choice of directors or managers of
corporations, 144, 224, 226; and in nominations for office, 144, 256.
Its application to the election of representatives in Illinois, 155, 165,
220; to Senators in West Virginia, 227; and to municipal elections
in Pennsylvania, to wit: to Councilmen in boroughs, 229; to same
in Northumberland County, 235; to town of Bloomsburg, 153, 163,
180, 233, 246, 247; to borough of Berwick, 237; Chambersburg, 242;
Hulmeville, 241; Milton, 236; Northumberland, 251; Riverside,
239; Shamokin, 241; Snydertown, 240; Sunbury, 236; and Union-
town, 239; to Bloom Poor district, 154, 237, 253; bills for applica-
tion of, to election of representatives in Congress, 1, 65, 113.

GERRYMANDERING, free vote remedy for, 17, 47.
Gray, Earl, on cumulative vote, 28, 121.

HARE, THOMAS, citation from, xi.

Hulmeville borough, act for free vote in, 241.

ILLINOIS, constitutional amendments, 155, 219.

Incorporated Companies, choice of directors or managers for, in Illinois,
224; in West Virginia, 226.

Inspectors of election, manner of choosing in Pennsylvania, 36, 90, 157;
act regulating choice of, 228.

JORDAN, FRANCIS, Secretary of Commonwealth, letter to, 182.

Judges, choice of, by limited vote in Chicago, 225.

Jury commissioners, manner of electing, in Pennsylvania, 38, 91, 160;
act regulating election of, 229.

LIMITED VOTE, the, named, 36; defined, 69; for choice of election in-
spectors, 36, 90, 157, 228; jury commissioners, 38, 91, 160, 229; dele-
gates-at-large to New York Convention, 40, 91, 155; to Pennsylvania
Convention, 230; judges of appeals in New York, 155; judges in
Chicago, 225; election committee of Pennsylvania Senate, 243;
school directors in Philadelphia, 37, 238; and assessors, 37; school
directors in certain townships of Bradford and Susquehanna Coun-
ties, Pennsylvania, 238; Cairns' amendment for, 41, 93; remarks
on, 117, 120; debated in House of Commons, 275; Mill's opinion of,
125; Mr. Buckalew's, 74, 80, 155.

Lowe, Hon. Robert, amendment to reform bill, 92, 115; remarks on
Cairns' amendment, 284.

MEDILL, JOSEPH, complimentary references to, 226.

Mill, John Stuart, on limited and cumulative voting, 25, 124; on propor-
tional representation, 126.

Milton borough act for election of councilmen by free vote, 236.

Minority Representation, an essay, app., 287.

Morton, O. P., Senator, member committee on representative reform, 113;
reports joint resolution proposing an amendment to Constitution,
187; motion to amend House joint resolution, 187, 205, n.

NEW YORK, choice of members-at-large to constitutional convention, 40,
91, 155; constitutional amendment for election of judges of court of
appeals, 155.

Nominations to Office, 256; Columbia county rules for, 258.

Northumberland borough, election in, for councilmen, 251.

Northumberland County, act for free vote in elections of Councilmen of
boroughs in, 235.

OBJECTIONS to free vote noticed: 1. That it would delocalize representa-
tion, 59, 112; 2. That it would increase effect of corrupt influence,
172; 3. That it fails in the filling of vacancies, 149; 4. That it is op-
posed to the principle that the majority shall rule, 6, 45, 49, 127,
167, 182.

PARLIAMENTARY BOROUGHS, corruption in, 22, 23.

Parliamentary debate on limited voting, app., 273, 275.

Parliamentary elections, certain returns of, examined, 94, 98.

Pennsylvania statutes for reformed voting, 228; local elections in, 245;
representation of Congressional districts, 11.

Philadelphia speech, 31; choice of school directors in Philadelphia, 37,
238; and assessors, 37.

Poor directors, act for choice of, in Bloom poor district, 237; election of,
253.

Popular vote for President at former elections, 213; for nominations to
office, 256.

President, table of popular and electoral votes for, at former elections, 213.
Presidential electors, choice of, 103, 186, 206, 209; statistics of elections

of, 189, 206, 213, 215; Senate report on, 103; speech on, 206; Col.
Wheeler's essay on, 209; proposed constitutional amendment as to
manner of choosing, 104, 187, 205.

REPRESENTATIVES in Congress, speech on manner of electing, 1; bills
for election of, by free vote, 1, 114; manner of electing representa-
tives in Illinois, 220; Utah amendment, 227.